Tornado history in Jonesboro and Craighead County

Northeast Arkansas isn't a place where tornadoes are rare. Three storms in living memory show what the area is up against.

May 15, 1968: Jonesboro

On the night of May 15, 1968, a tornado struck Jonesboro. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas, 34 people were killed and about 450 were injured in Jonesboro alone.

March 28, 2020: the Jonesboro EF3

Shortly before 5 p.m. on a Saturday, a supercell that had already produced a tornado in Jackson County reached the south and east side of Jonesboro. The National Weather Service rated the tornado EF3. Per the NWS and later surveys:

• It touched down at 4:58 p.m. and was on the ground for about 16 minutes over roughly 12.5 miles.
• The Mall at Turtle Creek was heavily damaged, along with numerous homes and businesses. Hangars and planes were torn up at the Jonesboro airport, and a train was derailed just north of it.
• About 22 people were injured and no one was killed. The NWS noted that because of the early COVID-19 shutdowns, stores were closed or quiet. Officials said the damaged areas would otherwise have been crowded.
• The storm went on through Brookland and just east of Paragould.
• It was the strongest tornado in Arkansas since the 2014 Mayflower–Vilonia EF4.

Source: NWS Little Rock, Significant Event #2, 2020.

December 10, 2021: Monette and Leachville

A long-track tornado touched down in Craighead County north of Bay on a December night. It went on to hit Monette and Leachville before crossing into Missouri and Tennessee. The National Weather Service rated it EF4. At Monette Manor nursing home, one resident was killed and others were injured. The same supercell later produced the tornado that devastated Mayfield, Kentucky (NWS Memphis event page).

It's a reminder that tornado season here isn't only spring. NWS Little Rock lists November and December as a second peak, and night tornadoes are harder to see coming.

What that means for shelter planning

• Warning time can be short. The 2020 tornado's whole life was 16 minutes. A shelter you can reach in a minute or two is worth a lot.
• Night storms happen. An in-garage or in-home shelter means no walk across a dark yard.
• Register it. Jonesboro's storm shelter registry helps first responders find you afterward.