Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declares disaster areas from May tornadoes, storms

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A series of intense storms and tornadoes that crossed Arkansas over five days in May has led to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declaring disaster areas.

The governor signed the declaration for the period between May 16 and May 20. The National Weather Service reported 13 tornadoes across the state during those dates, including a 2,200-yard-wide tornado that entered Washington County from Oklahoma, travelling a 16.7-mile path, on May 19.

Other significant storm activity reported by the National Weather Service during that period includes 80 mph straight-line winds at the Blytheville Municipal Airport on May 16. Multiple counties reported 2-inch or larger hailstorms between the declared dates.

The governor’s disaster declaration covers Chicot, Sebastian, St. Francis, & Washington Counties. With this declaration, public assistance disaster relief is available to people who were in those counties during the May storms.

The National Weather Service reports that Arkansas had 59 tornadoes so far in 2025, against a 30-year average of 37 tornadoes. The 2025 tornadoes have led to three fatalities and 42 injuries.

The most recent Arkansas tornado recorded by the National Weather Service was an EF1 in Washington County on June 1.