NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Alexandria, 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
4 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Alexandria, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frederic in 1979. Since 1950, 98 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 4
- Tornadoes
- 98
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
33 deaths in all
What the records show for Alexandria
None of the 4 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Alexandria; the strongest was Frederic in 1979, a tropical storm with 44 mph winds when its centre passed 9 miles away. The record near Alexandria begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Frederic in 1979. None of the 4 systems has come since 2000. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site, 81% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Alexandria. The highest rating among the 98 tornadoes within 25 miles is EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 3, 2020, came within 21 miles. Of the 98, 10 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 58 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on April 3, 2025. Alexandria has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 67% of the 339 Tennessee cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 34 times since 1997, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 79% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Alexandria.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Alexandria
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Alexandria: 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 Alexandria
By decade
- 2020s19(2 EF3+)
- 2010s27
- 2000s12(2 EF3+)
- 1990s15(2 EF3+)
- 1980s4
- 1970s10(3 EF3+)
- 1960s6
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 2020 | EF4 | 21 mi | 8.39 mi | 19 / 87 |
| Apr 10, 2009 | EF4 | 18 mi | 23.25 mi | 2 / 58 |
| Mar 3, 2020 | EF3 | 5 mi | 60.13 mi | 5 / 220 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F3 | 21 mi | 42.1 mi | 1 / 60 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 7 mi | 14.6 mi | 1 / 23 |
| May 11, 2003 | F3 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 24 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 13 mi | 15.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F3 | 4 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 26, 1959 | F3 | 12 mi | 19.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 2001 | F2 | 9 mi | 6.3 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Apr 1, 2023 | EF2 | 15 mi | 18.45 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 98, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Alexandria
The Storm Prediction Center has 34 hail reports within 10 miles of Alexandria since 1997, made on 22 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently April 5, 2017. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. May has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Alexandria
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Carthage, TN, 12 miles north of Alexandria at 515 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 48°F and 27°F. Highs reach 90°F on about 44 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 86 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.5 inches a year, most of it in February. That 52.5 inches is more than at 24 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (20%). Watertown, 7 miles west, has its own station (Lebanon, TN): 54.5 inches a year, 2.0 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 27 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Feb | 53 | 30 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Mar | 61 | 36 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 71 | 45 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 54 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 65 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 59 | 3.4 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 47 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 36 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 30 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 70 | 47 | 52.5 | 75 | 1.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Carthage, TN (515 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 Alexandria
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 129 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Alexandria: 113 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 2 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $826,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on March 1, 2017. May has had the most flash floods, 3 of 11. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 117 have had fewer than Alexandria.
March 25, 2010: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Alexandria — $150,000 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
DeKalb County, which includes Alexandria, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives DeKalb County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $7.5 million a year, the 71st highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.6 million (47%), 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 Alexandria
- Watertown, TN7 mi
- Gordonsville, TN8 mi
- Carthage, TN14 mi
- Smithville, TN16 mi
- Lascassas, TN18 mi
- Lebanon, TN18 mi
- Woodbury, TN18 mi
- Baxter, TN21 mi
- Readyville, TN21 mi
- Pleasant Shade, TN22 mi
- Hartsville, TN24 mi
- Castalian Springs, TN26 mi
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