NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bells, 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
8 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bells, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 95 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 15 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 8
- Tornadoes
- 95
- EF3 or stronger
- 15
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
47 deaths in all
What the records show for Bells
None of the 8 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bells; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 8 miles away. The record near Bells begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 16 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1950s, with 2 systems. Of the 8 systems, one has come since 2000. Bells has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 89% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The highest rating among the 95 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on February 5, 2008, came within 12 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on May 4, 2003, killed 11 people. Of the 95, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 41 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Bells has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 64% of the 339 Tennessee cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 34 times since 1972, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 79% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Bells.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bells
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 4 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 69 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 Bells: 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 Bells
By decade
- 2020s14(1 EF3+)
- 2010s8
- 2000s19(4 EF3+)
- 1990s17(5 EF3+)
- 1980s10(2 EF3+)
- 1970s13
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
- 1950s11(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2003 | F4 | 13 mi | 39 mi | 11 / 86 |
| Jan 17, 1999 | F4 | 14 mi | 16 mi | 6 / 106 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 23 mi | 4.7 mi | 2 / 10 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF4 | 12 mi | 7.61 mi | 0 / 51 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | 8 mi | 31.13 mi | 3 / 14 |
| Jan 19, 1988 | F3 | 21 mi | 22 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Apr 29, 1963 | F3 | 9 mi | 9.3 mi | 3 / 6 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F3 | 25 mi | 4 mi | 2 / 3 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 6 mi | 39.18 mi | 1 / 28 |
| Nov 27, 1994 | F3 | 13 mi | 16 mi | 1 / 3 |
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 17 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 17, 1999 | F3 | 12 mi | 22 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 95, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bells
The Storm Prediction Center has 34 hail reports within 10 miles of Bells since 1972, made on 29 separate days. Of these, 22 were 1 inch across or larger, and 4 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on February 5, 2008. The most recent report is from March 30, 2025. June has the most reports, 6.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bells
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Alamo 1 N, TN, 7 miles north of Bells at 330 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 29°F. May and December are the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and July the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 53.5 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 43 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 70 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.7 inches a year, most of it in February. That 53.5 inches is more than at 29 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (24%). Brownsville, 12 miles southwest, has its own station (Brownsville, TN): 56.3 inches a year, 2.8 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 29 | 4.2 | 7 | 1.3 |
| Feb | 51 | 33 | 4.3 | 7 | 1.5 |
| Mar | 60 | 40 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.7 |
| Apr | 70 | 50 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 59 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 67 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 3.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 60 | 3.8 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 49 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 60 | 39 | 4.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 50 | 33 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.2 |
| Year | 69 | 50 | 53.5 | 79 | 3.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Alamo 1 N, TN (330 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 Bells
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 89 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bells: 65 thunderstorm wind reports, 20 flash floods and 4 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $3.0 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, 236 have had fewer than Bells.
November 9, 2002: thunderstorm wind 1 mile from the centre of Bells — $1.5 million damage.
NWS: “Strong straight line winds damaged a nursing home in the town of Bells. The damage forced 120 residents in the home to be evacuated.”
April 19, 2011: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Bells — $644,000 damage.
NWS: “Straight line winds destroyed three homes in Madison County and caused minor or major damage to six others.”
December 9, 1999: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Bells — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “One building was destroyed. Up to fifteen homes were damaged.”
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
Crockett County, which includes Bells, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1979, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 winter storms, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Crockett 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 $12.5 million a year, the 58th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.2 million (10%), 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 Bells
- Alamo, TN8 mi
- Brownsville, TN12 mi
- Humboldt, TN14 mi
- Jackson, TN16 mi
- Friendship, TN17 mi
- Medina, TN19 mi
- Trenton, TN21 mi
- Medon, TN22 mi
- Stanton, TN22 mi
- Halls, TN23 mi
- Milan, TN23 mi
- Whiteville, TN24 mi
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