NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Bruceton, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Bruceton, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 73 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 73
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
24 deaths in all
What the records show for Bruceton
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Bruceton; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 7 miles away. The record near Bruceton begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 59 miles away. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site, 55% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Bruceton. The highest rating among the 73 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on May 7, 1971, came within 6 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on April 2, 2006, killed 6 people. Of the 73, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 48 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 15. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 59% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Bruceton. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 70 times since 1974, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Bruceton has more hail reports within 10 miles than 74% of the 339 Tennessee cities.
Compare Bruceton's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Bruceton
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Bruceton: 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 Bruceton
By decade
- 2020s13
- 2010s7
- 2000s28(3 EF3+)
- 1990s5(1 EF3+)
- 1980s10(2 EF3+)
- 1970s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 1971 | F4 | 6 mi | 50.9 mi | 3 / 137 |
| Apr 3, 1956 | F4 | 24 mi | 11.6 mi | 3 / 60 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 13 mi | 31 mi | 6 / 44 |
| Jan 19, 1988 | F3 | 11 mi | 22 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Nov 26, 2001 | F3 | 15 mi | 5 mi | 2 / 12 |
| Jan 22, 1999 | F3 | 5 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 5 |
| May 27, 2000 | F3 | 25 mi | 17.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 1984 | F3 | 15 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 36 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | in town | 5.1 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Nov 9, 2002 | F2 | 17 mi | 10 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Mar 2, 2020 | EF2 | 8 mi | 18.72 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 8 |
The strongest 12 of 73, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Bruceton
The Storm Prediction Center has 70 hail reports within 10 miles of Bruceton since 1974, made on 51 separate days. Of these, 47 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 27, 1998. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. April has the most reports, 27.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Bruceton
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Camden, TN, 10 miles east of Bruceton at 423 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 28°F. May is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 51.6 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 50 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 80 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 51.6 inches is more than at 21 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (17%). Huntingdon, 10 miles west, has its own station (Huntingdon Wtp, TN): 56.1 inches a year, 4.5 more 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 | 49 | 28 | 4.1 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Feb | 54 | 32 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.6 |
| Apr | 72 | 48 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 68 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 3.4 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 52 | 33 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Year | 71 | 49 | 51.6 | 78 | 2.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Camden, TN (423 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 Bruceton
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 126 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Bruceton: 107 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 1 flood, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 98 mph, on April 25, 2011. May has had the most flash floods, 4 of 16. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 201 have had fewer than Bruceton.
April 25, 2011: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Bruceton — $300,000 damage.
NWS: “Damage in Benton county was the result of an unusually intense microburst with estimated wind speeds of 110 miles an hour. Damage occurred along a 15-mile path that was up to 1 mile wide.”
July 14, 1997: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Bruceton — $100,000 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
Carroll County, which includes Bruceton, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1971, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 14 severe storms, 3 tornadoes, 2 biological emergencies, 2 winter storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Carroll County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $24.8 million a year, the 25th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.6 million (19%), 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.