Oil Trough, Arkansas
14 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1935 and the latest in 1986. It stands in Oil Trough Township. It lies in ZIP code area 72564. It stands on Big Bottom Slough. The Survey maps it on the Newark quadrangle. 226 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 226 feet above sea level.
On record in Oil Trough
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 2 records
Hankins' Storelisted 2014
Hulsey Bend Schoollisted 1999
Population over time
2 figuresOil Trough fell from 260 to 226 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 260 | |
| 2020 | 226 | -34 (-13%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
8 surveys from 14 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1935 USGS Newport quadrangle1:62500, 2 printings
- 1953 USGS Memphis quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1956 USGS Memphis quadrangle1:250000
- 1956 USGS Newark quadrangle1:24000
- 1962 USGS Newark quadrangle1:24000, 3 printings
- 1962 USGS Newport quadrangle1:62500
- 1966 USGS Newport quadrangle1:62500
- 1986 USGS Batesville quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
Fires near this place
32 since 1999Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 32 fires within 5 miles of Oil Trough between 1999 and 2020, burning about 913 acres in total. None started naturally. 14 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Arson/incendiarism | 14 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 8 |
| Debris and open burning | 8 |
| Smoking | 2 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 1999 | Debris and open burning | 50 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 6 September 2014 | Arson/incendiarism | 12 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | IND28418867 |
| 16 September 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 26 August 2006 | Arson/incendiarism | 3.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 25 July 2006 | Debris and open burning | 5.0 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 8 April 2013 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 25 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 30 April 2001 | Smoking | 16 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
| 3 April 2001 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 16 acres | Arkansas Forestry Commission | not named |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
4 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Oil Trough: 3 unknowns, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unk | Stone | Unknown | ||
| River Sand & Gravel Dredge | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown | ||
| Unk | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Unknown |
Storms near this place
51 since 1993Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Oil Trough in 51 storm reports between 1993 and 2024: 28 thunderstorm wind, 12 hail, 5 tornado, 4 flash flood. The reports record 3 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1999 | Tornado (F2) | Oil Trough | 3 hurt | no account filed |
| March 1997 | Tornado (F2) | Oil Trough | $3,000,000 | no account filed |
| September 1993 | Tornado (F2) | Oil Trough- | $500,000 | An F2 tornado touched down 2 miles south of Oil Trough and traveled approximately 5 miles to the northeast before lifting. The path that the tornado traveled was mostly in farm fields. However, the tornado did strike several houses and an airplane hangar. One home sustained major damage, while two other homes received some minor structural damage. A number of trees were also snapped off or uprooted along the path. A local pilot managed to capture a portion of the storm on videotape. The homes that were damaged were unoccupied at the time the tornado struck. |
| February 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | $100,000 | Damage was reported to businesses in the Oil Trough and Pleasant Plains areas. Power lines were also reported down in this area. |
| April 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | $30,000 | A privately-owned anemometer measured wind gusts of 95 mph. A large outbuilding, 60 ft by 70 ft, was blown off its foundation and across the road. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | $25,000 | Trees were blown down from Oil Trough eastward along Arkansas 14. In Oil Trough, a huge pecan tree fell through a mobile home. A weather station near Oil Trough recorded a wind gust of 59 mph. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | $25,000 | A tree was down on a house. |
| May 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | $5,000 | Power lines were blown down. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | $500 | Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree. |
| January 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | Several trees and powerlines were blown down across the town of Oil Trough, AR. |
| July 2013 | Funnel Cloud | Oil Trough | - | There were several reports of a funnel cloud near Oil Trough. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | A spotter measured a 75 mph wind gust at 402 PM. At 414 PM, wind was sustained at 60 mph and gusting to 72 mph. |
| April 2007 | Funnel Cloud | Oil Trough | - | A small funnel cloud was observed to the southeast of Oil Trough. The funnel cloud was far above the ground and was not extending very far down from the base of the cumulus cloud from which it developed. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | Many trees and large tree limbs downed. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | Trees down. |
| July 2006 | Flash Flood | Oil Trough | - | High water covered Buzzard Roost Road and was impassible for a short period of time. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | A wind gust of 62 mph was reported near Oil Trough. Trees were downed with a building damaged. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | Many corn stalks were blown down. |
| July 2002 | Flash Flood | Oil Trough | - | Heavy rains caused flash flooding to occur over portions of Independence County. Several roads were covered by high water around the Oil Trough area and Highway 14 was flooded for a period of time. |
| July 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down some trees and power lines. |
| May 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | Thunderstorm winds destroyed several outbuildings and damaged the roofs of a few buildings. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | Lightning struck the roof of a house which resulted in a fire. The fire was quickly extinguished and damage was confined to the roof and attic area of the house. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| June 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| June 2012 | Hail | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| January 2012 | Hail | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| April 2011 | Hail | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| May 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| March 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Flash Flood | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| May 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| April 2002 | Hail | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| July 2000 | Hail | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| January 1999 | Tornado (F3) | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| January 1999 | Tornado (F2) | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| January 1999 | Hail | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| January 1999 | Hail | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| January 1999 | Hail | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| January 1999 | Hail | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Flash Flood | Oil Trough | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dunnington | 1.7 miles | 14 | |
| Akron (historical) | 2.5 miles | 14 | |
| Maple Springs | 2.7 miles | 17 | |
| Departe (historical) | 3.5 miles | 15 | |
| Elmo | 3.7 miles | 12 | |
| Thida | 4.2 miles | 12 | |
| Rosie | 4.9 miles | 17 | |
| Newark | 5.0 miles | 14 |
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Oil Trough | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q1993948 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 77897. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.







