NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Adams, TN
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Adams, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frederic in 1979. Since 1950, 112 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 112
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
11 deaths in all
What the records show for Adams
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Adams; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 56 mph winds when its centre passed 18 miles away. The record near Adams begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Frederic in 1979, a tropical storm 74 miles away. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site, 94% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Adams. The strongest of the 112 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 27, 1970; its path came within 8 miles, and it killed 3 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on December 9, 2023, killed 4 people. Of the 112, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 76 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on November 22, 2025. Adams has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 83% of the 339 Tennessee cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 32 times since 1987, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 82% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Adams.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Adams
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (56 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Adams: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Adams
By decade
- 2020s24(3 EF3+)
- 2010s29(1 EF3+)
- 2000s23(3 EF3+)
- 1990s18(2 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s7(1 EF3+)
- 1960s4
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 1970 | F4 | 8 mi | 42.6 mi | 3 / 85 |
| Dec 9, 2023 | EF3 | 8 mi | 47.22 mi | 4 / 62 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF3 | 20 mi | 28.02 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF3 | 18 mi | 122.62 mi | 0 / 38 |
| Apr 26, 2011 | EF3 | 23 mi | 2.57 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 7, 2006 | F3 | 20 mi | 18.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 25 mi | 29.7 mi | 0 / 28 |
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 13 mi | 11.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jan 22, 1999 | F3 | 11 mi | 4.3 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F3 | in town | 7.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 24, 2018 | EF2 | 7 mi | 12.88 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Mar 22, 1991 | F2 | 7 mi | 39 mi | 1 / 12 |
The strongest 12 of 112, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Adams
The Storm Prediction Center has 32 hail reports within 10 miles of Adams since 1987, made on 25 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on July 2, 2002. The most recent report is from May 26, 2024. May has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Adams
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Clarksville Wwtp, TN, 13 miles west of Adams at 402 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 28°F. May is the wettest at 5.6 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 53.6 inches over 84 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 57 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 79 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 53.6 inches is more than at 30 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (25%). Cedar Hill, 5 miles southeast, has its own station (Springfield Exp Stn, TN): 53.4 inches a year, 0.2 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 28 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 52 | 31 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Mar | 61 | 38 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 57 | 5.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 60 | 37 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 50 | 31 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Year | 70 | 48 | 53.6 | 84 | 0.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Clarksville Wwtp, TN (402 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Adams
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 133 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Adams: 97 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 flash floods, 9 floods, 5 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on April 27, 2014. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 236 have had fewer than Adams.
July 7, 2016: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Adams — $1.0 million damage.
NWS: “Major flash flooding affected much of Robertson County, with several homes, businesses, and roads damaged by flooding. Homes that were flooded included several on Owens Chapel Road along Sulfer Fork Creek around 4 miles northeast of Springfield, where several people were rescued from flooded homes.”
September 1, 2017: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Adams — $350,000 damage.
May 1, 2010: flash flood 5 miles from the centre of Adams — $180,000 damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Flood insurance policyholders in Adams's ZIP code 37010 have filed 12 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 2010, and were paid $274,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 33% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 155 Tennessee cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 13 have fewer than Adams.
Robertson County, which includes Adams, has been named in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 10 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 winter storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Robertson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $24.0 million a year, the 27th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $8.1 million (34%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Adams
- Cedar Hill, TN5 mi
- Guthrie, KY8 mi
- Chapmansboro, TN13 mi
- Pleasant View, TN13 mi
- Springfield, TN13 mi
- Clarksville, TN14 mi
- Trenton, KY14 mi
- Ashland City, TN19 mi
- Greenbrier, TN19 mi
- Oak Grove, KY19 mi
- Joelton, TN20 mi
- Pembroke, KY20 mi
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