NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Adamsville, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Adamsville, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 76 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 17 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 76
- EF3 or stronger
- 17
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
78 deaths in all
What the records show for Adamsville
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Adamsville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 42 miles away. The record near Adamsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 60 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1950s, with 2 systems. Of the 9 systems, one has come since 2000. Adamsville has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 92% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The strongest of the 76 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F5 on April 16, 1998; its path came within 21 miles, and it killed 3 people. The deadliest, an F4 on March 21, 1952, killed 38 people. Of the 76, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 35 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 55% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Adamsville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 51 times since 1974, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 52% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Adamsville.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Adamsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1979 | FredericSep 13 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 55 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Adamsville: 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 Adamsville
By decade
- 2020s9(2 EF3+)
- 2010s16(2 EF3+)
- 2000s10(2 EF3+)
- 1990s12(2 EF3+)
- 1980s5
- 1970s8(3 EF3+)
- 1960s4(2 EF3+)
- 1950s12(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 1998 | F5 | 21 mi | 69.4 mi | 3 / 36 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 20 mi | 46.8 mi | 38 / 157 |
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF4 | 12 mi | 75.09 mi | 9 / 36 |
| Apr 19, 1970 | F4 | 15 mi | 47.6 mi | 4 / 78 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF4 | 6 mi | 16.17 mi | 3 / 5 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F4 | 24 mi | 11.6 mi | 3 / 60 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 2 mi | 86.01 mi | 9 / 23 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF3 | 2 mi | 29.15 mi | 5 / 14 |
| Mar 22, 1991 | F3 | 1 mi | 22 mi | 4 / 45 |
| Dec 23, 2015 | EF3 | 25 mi | 48.38 mi | 0 / 7 |
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 24 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 13, 1976 | F3 | 20 mi | 10.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 76, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Adamsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 51 hail reports within 10 miles of Adamsville since 1974, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 31 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on March 2, 2012. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. March has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Adamsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Savannah 6 SW, TN, 7 miles southeast of Adamsville at 420 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 30°F. May is the wettest at 6.2 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.9 inches; the year adds up to 59.2 inches over 82 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 66 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 71 nights a year. That 59.2 inches is more than at 98 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (80%). Selmer, 13 miles southwest, has its own station (Selmer, TN): 59.2 inches a year, the same as here, and a July average high of 90°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 30 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 5.4 | 8 |
| Mar | 65 | 40 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 5.7 | 8 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 6.2 | 8 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Sep | 86 | 61 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Oct | 76 | 49 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Nov | 64 | 40 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Dec | 54 | 34 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Year | 73 | 50 | 59.2 | 82 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Savannah 6 SW, TN (420 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 Adamsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 89 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Adamsville: 73 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods and 2 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on March 31, 2023. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 172 have had fewer than Adamsville.
May 6, 2021: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Adamsville — 1 injured.
August 18, 2010: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Adamsville — $1.2 million damage.
May 5, 1999: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Adamsville — $250,000 damage.
NWS: “Over fifty homes and buildings were damaged or destroyed. Several trees and power lines were also knocked down.”
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
McNairy County, which includes Adamsville, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives McNairy County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $14.6 million a year, the 50th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.4 million (23%), 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 Adamsville
- Savannah, TN12 mi
- Selmer, TN13 mi
- Michie, TN13 mi
- Bethel Springs, TN15 mi
- Counce, TN15 mi
- Ramer, TN18 mi
- Henderson, TN20 mi
- Corinth, MS23 mi
- Decaturville, TN26 mi
- Pinson, TN26 mi
- Clifton, TN26 mi
- Glen, MS27 mi
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