Hail in Arkansas, 2014 to June 2026: What Our Data Shows

Arkansas is the smallest of the four states in this series by event count, but small does not mean quiet. From 2014 to June 2026, the state recorded 2,574 hail events across 75 counties. The maximum hail size reached 5.00 inches. The busiest full year, 2023 at 346 events, stands apart: the two full years after it came in at 193 and 213, so 2023 reads as a one-year spike rather than the start of a climb.

Year-by-Year Arkansas Hail Events

* 2026 runs January through June only, because NOAA's file stops there. We leave it out of the worst-year call and the yearly average.

Reading the Arkansas Pattern

Arkansas shows a more variable pattern than the other three states. The lowest full year was 2019 at just 91 events, a sharp dip that stands out against surrounding years. Counts climbed back unevenly (184 in 2020, 153 in 2021, 251 in 2022), jumped to 346 in 2023, then fell to 193 in 2024 and rose to 213 in 2025. The 2023 peak falls in the same year as the Texas peak of 1,912 events, but Arkansas sits on the eastern edge of the main hail corridor, so its yearly counts stay well below Texas. The 2026 row (146 events through June) is a partial year and is not set against the full years above.

The 5.00-inch maximum hail size matches Kansas's maximum and underscores that even in a lower-frequency state, the severity ceiling is real. A single 5-inch hailstorm over a populated county creates immediate, concentrated demand for roofing services that smaller annual totals can obscure.

Arkansas Contractor Licensing

Arkansas has a clear licensing threshold. Contractors performing jobs valued at more than $2,000 must hold a state contractor license issued by the Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (ACLB). This threshold is significant after a hail event, when most roof replacements easily exceed that value. Homeowners should ask any contractor for their ACLB license number before signing a contract, and they can verify the license status directly on the ACLB's online lookup tool.

The $2,000 threshold also means that some smaller repair jobs technically fall below the licensing requirement. Homeowners should still confirm that any contractor carries adequate liability insurance, regardless of the job size.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hail events has Arkansas had since 2014?

Arkansas recorded 2,574 hail events across 75 counties from 2014 to June 2026, the lowest total among the four states in this series.

What year had the most hail in Arkansas?

2023 was the peak full year at 346 events. The quietest full year was 2019 at 91 events.

Does Arkansas require a roofing contractor license?

Yes, for jobs exceeding $2,000 in value. The Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board (ACLB) issues and maintains contractor licenses. Most post-hail roof repairs or replacements exceed this threshold.

What is the largest hail ever recorded in Arkansas?

The maximum hail stone in our Arkansas dataset measured 5.00 inches. Hail at this size causes severe damage to shingles, gutters, and other roofing components.

Where to check these rules and counts

• Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board: license and registration types
• Arkansas Contractors Licensing Board: find a licensed contractor
• NOAA NCEI Storm Events bulk CSV files (details, by year)
• How Verification Works

Data: we processed hail records for Arkansas counties (NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2014 to June 2026); loaded into our database 2026-10-06, source links last rechecked 2026-09-24.

The $2,000 threshold matches how the ACLB describes its home improvement license for single-family residences. Counting method: how we build our storm and hail figures.

Hail counts in this post come from the full NOAA hail table: every county in 50 states and DC, 2014 to June 2026, loaded October 6, 2026. The two sets give different totals because they cover different counties. Dataset versions.

How we write and fund our articles: editorial policy.