White County, AR Environment & Hazard Risk

• Ice stormVery High$2.6M/yr expected annual loss, about 1.2 events a year
• EarthquakeRelatively Moderate$16M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 160 years
• TornadoRelatively High$7.3M/yr expected annual loss, about once every 1 year
• Strong windRelatively High$1.8M/yr expected annual loss, about 2.8 events a year
• Heat waveRelatively Moderate$2.4M/yr expected annual loss, about 18 events a year
• Winter weatherRelatively Moderate$190K/yr expected annual loss, about 5.8 events a year
• WildfireRelatively Low$335K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 436 years
• LightningRelatively Moderate$511K/yr expected annual loss, about 59 events a year
• HailRelatively Low$509K/yr expected annual loss, about 4.5 events a year
• DroughtRelatively Moderate$449K/yr expected annual loss, about 7.5 events a year
• HurricaneVery Low$103K/yr expected annual loss, about once every 40 years
• LandslideVery Low$1,187/yr expected annual loss, about once every 2 years
• Cold waveRelatively Low$767K/yr expected annual loss, about 1.2 events a year

Bars show the national percentile score (0 to 100) for each hazard. Dollar figures are expected annual losses to buildings, people and crops. Not rated here: avalanche, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, tsunami, volcanic activity.

Check the flood zone for an address

Homes with flood insurance

137 of 31,692 (0.4%)

Homes in high-risk flood zones

1,589

Insured in high-risk zones

112 (7%)

Flood claims since 1978

134

Claims paid since 1978

$3M

• Thunderstorm Wind256 · 1 death
• Hail199
• Flood107
• Flash Flood87
• Tornado56 · 6 deaths
• Winter Weather31 · 1 death
• Winter Storm23
• Drought16
• Lightning14 · 1 death
• Heavy Rain11

• TornadoF3, 8 mi path, 1,000 yd wide01/22/1999

  Beebe, White County

  2 deaths, 29 injured

  What happened

  A strong tornado was spawned in southern White County just southwest of Beebe. The tornado moved through Beebe causing extensive damage to homes and businesses. Of all the tornadoes in this particular outbreak, the tornado at Beebe was the strongest. The tornado heavily damaged the new Beebe Junior High School off of Center Street and destroyed a gym behind the school. The Beebe Fire Department and a church also sustained damage. Two pickup trucks were found upside down on Hickory Street, with many old houses damaged or destroyed on Main Steet. Trees were downed throughout the area. Also, a girls high school basketball game was cancelled at halftime...and a boys game scheduled for later was called off with word of an approaching tornado. The tornado arrived a half hour later and heavily damaged the high school gym. Fortunately, the building was empty...everyone had gone home. In Beebe, the tornado killed two people...an elderly woman and an infant. The tornado tracked northeast out of Beebe toward McRae, with trees down and building debris noted along Highway 367 between Beebe and McRae. In McRae, widespread damage was found. The old fire station lost a wall and the...

• TornadoF2, 8 mi path, 400 yd wide01/22/1999

  Floyd, White County

  2 deaths, 2 injured

  What happened

  A tornado was spawned in western White County. The tornado tracked mostly along Highway 305 from near Floyd through Center Hill. Several mobile homes were destroyed near the highway, with trees blown down and telephone poles snapped. Many properties in Center Hill were also heavily damaged. At least two mobile homes thrown and destroyed....claiming two lives.

• Ice Storm01/27/2009

  White

  $15M damage

  What happened

  The sheriff's office reported 1/4 inch of ice in Searcy by 5:45 AM on the 27th.

• TornadoF2, 4 mi path, 150 yd wide03/01/1997

  Velvet Ridge, White County

  14 injured, $20K damage

  What happened

  Another tornado developed about 3.5 miles west-southwest of Velvet Ridge and moved northeastward. Before moving into Jackson County, the tornado destroyed a mobile home. 3 people inside the mobile home ran for cover and were not injured.

• Flood05/01/2011

  Hickory Flat, White County

  $14M damage

  What happened

  Part of U.S. Highway 67/167 was closed due to flooding near Beebe. Arkansas Highway 36 also flooded, making Georgetown accessible only by boat. Part of the Henry Gray Hurricane Lake Wildlife Management Area was closed due to flooding. Flooding in White County continued into June.

• Thunderstorm Wind43 kt wind04/15/2011

  Bald Knob Muni Arpt, White County

  1 death, 3 injured, $30K damage

  What happened

  A 6 year-old boy was killed when a tree more than 6 feet in diameter fell into a house. The boy's parents and a sibling suffered minor injuries.

• Searcy WaterworksServes 28,196 · Surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
• SW White County Water AssnServes 12,173 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
• Beebe WaterworksServes 9,490 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
• North White Co Rural Water PfbServes 5,295 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
• SE White County Water AssocServes 5,018 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting
• Four Mile Hill Public Facilities BoardServes 4,877 · Purchased surface water · Local government1 health violation+2 monitoring or reporting
• Bald Knob WaterworksServes 3,305 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations
• Judsonia WaterworksServes 2,956 · Purchased surface water · Local governmentNo health violations+1 monitoring or reporting