NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Beech Bluff, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Beech Bluff, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 89 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 89
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
71 deaths in all
What the records show for Beech Bluff
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Beech Bluff; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 15 miles away. The record near Beech Bluff begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 43 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1950s, with 2 systems. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Beech Bluff has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 71% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The highest rating among the 89 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 5 times; the most recent, on February 5, 2008, came within 11 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on March 21, 1952, killed 38 people. Of the 89, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 46 have come since 2000. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Beech Bluff has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 56% of the 339 Tennessee cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 55 times since 1967, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Beech Bluff has more hail reports within 10 miles than 54% of the 339 Tennessee cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Beech Bluff
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 43 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 68 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 Beech Bluff: 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 Beech Bluff
By decade
- 2020s12
- 2010s15
- 2000s19(4 EF3+)
- 1990s13(2 EF3+)
- 1980s8(1 EF3+)
- 1970s6
- 1960s2
- 1950s14(4 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 9 mi | 46.8 mi | 38 / 157 |
| May 4, 2003 | F4 | in town | 39 mi | 11 / 86 |
| Jan 17, 1999 | F4 | 4 mi | 16 mi | 6 / 106 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F4 | 9 mi | 11.6 mi | 3 / 60 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF4 | 11 mi | 7.61 mi | 0 / 51 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | 18 mi | 31.13 mi | 3 / 14 |
| Jan 19, 1988 | F3 | in town | 22 mi | 3 / 24 |
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 3 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 17, 1999 | F3 | 13 mi | 22 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Mar 14, 1953 | F3 | 8 mi | 24.7 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Nov 9, 2002 | F2 | 19 mi | 10 mi | 2 / 6 |
The strongest 12 of 89, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Beech Bluff
The Storm Prediction Center has 55 hail reports within 10 miles of Beech Bluff since 1967, made on 37 separate days. Of these, 37 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on March 9, 2017. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. May has the most reports, 23.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Beech Bluff
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Henderson 4 W, TN, 12 miles southwest of Beech Bluff at 460 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. April is the wettest at 6.4 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 61.9 inches over 91 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 43 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 92 nights a year. That 61.9 inches is more than at 114 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (93%). Jackson, 11 miles west, has its own station (Jackson Exp Stn, TN): 57.2 inches a year, 4.7 less than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 27 | 5.2 | 8 |
| Feb | 52 | 30 | 5.6 | 9 |
| Mar | 62 | 36 | 6.1 | 10 |
| Apr | 71 | 45 | 6.4 | 8 |
| May | 79 | 54 | 5.8 | 8 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Aug | 88 | 65 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Sep | 83 | 57 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Nov | 60 | 36 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Dec | 51 | 29 | 5.7 | 9 |
| Year | 70 | 46 | 61.9 | 91 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Henderson 4 W, TN (460 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 Beech Bluff
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 72 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Beech Bluff: 56 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods and 6 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 9, and the NWS estimated $9.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 110 mph, on January 30, 2013. July has had the most flash floods, 4 of 10. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 93 have had fewer than Beech Bluff.
January 17, 1999: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Beech Bluff — 1 killed, 4 injured, $2.6 million damage.
NWS: “The same thunderstorm complex that produced a tornado in Madison county continued to move northeast and produced downburst winds over parts of Henderson county. One person was killed and several buildings were destroyed south of Blue Goose.”
January 30, 2013: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Beech Bluff — 3 injured.
NWS: “Straight line winds of 70 to 80 mph caused widespread damage across Southern Henderson County. Areas of enhanced damage was caused by thunderstorm winds estimated up to 110 mph.”
November 15, 2005: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Beech Bluff — 1 injured, $10,000 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
Madison County, which includes Beech Bluff, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes, 2 winter storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Madison County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and inland flooding; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $90.8 million a year, the 7th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.8 million (16%), is from tornadoes.
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 Beech Bluff
- Pinson, TN10 mi
- Jackson, TN11 mi
- Lexington, TN13 mi
- Henderson, TN13 mi
- Medina, TN16 mi
- Cedar Grove, TN18 mi
- Medon, TN19 mi
- Humboldt, TN22 mi
- Milan, TN23 mi
- Bethel Springs, TN24 mi
- Bells, TN27 mi
- Adamsville, TN28 mi
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