NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Carthage, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Carthage, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 104 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 104
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
56 deaths in all
What the records show for Carthage
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Carthage; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 55 mph winds when its centre passed 71 miles away. The record near Carthage begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 67 miles away. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Carthage has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 44% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The strongest of the 104 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on March 3, 2020; its path came within 17 miles, and it killed 19 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on February 5, 2008, killed 22 people. Of the 104, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 59 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 21. The most recent tornado was on June 18, 2025. Carthage has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 76% of the 339 Tennessee cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 40 times since 1961, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 71% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Carthage.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Carthage
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 67 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Carthage: 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 Carthage
By decade
- 2020s23(2 EF3+)
- 2010s29
- 2000s7(1 EF3+)
- 1990s18(2 EF3+)
- 1980s5
- 1970s13(3 EF3+)
- 1960s4
- 1950s5(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 2020 | EF4 | 17 mi | 8.39 mi | 19 / 87 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | 18 mi | 50.32 mi | 22 / 63 |
| Mar 3, 2020 | EF3 | 8 mi | 60.13 mi | 5 / 220 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F3 | 12 mi | 42.1 mi | 1 / 60 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 16 mi | 14.6 mi | 1 / 23 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 21 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 25 mi | 15.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F3 | 17 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 26, 1959 | F3 | in town | 19.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Dec 9, 2023 | EF2 | 20 mi | 34.77 mi | 3 / 22 |
| May 31, 2001 | F2 | 22 mi | 6.3 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Feb 6, 2025 | EF2 | 19 mi | 4.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 104, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Carthage
The Storm Prediction Center has 40 hail reports within 10 miles of Carthage since 1961, made on 32 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.75 inches (baseball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently August 19, 1997. The most recent report is from March 23, 2025. April has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Carthage
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Carthage, TN, 1 mile south of Carthage 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%). Hartsville, 15 miles northwest, has its own station (Lebanon 7 N, TN): 52.7 inches a year, 0.2 more than here, and the same July average high, 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 Carthage
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 173 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Carthage: 150 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods, 5 floods, 4 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 11, and the NWS estimated $8.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on November 18, 2017. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 13. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 159 have had fewer than Carthage.
February 6, 2008: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Carthage — 11 injured, $5,000 damage.
May 11, 2016: flash flood 10 miles from the centre of Carthage — $2.0 million damage.
May 1, 2010: flood 10 miles from the centre of Carthage — $1.6 million 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Carthage's 2 ZIP codes have filed 250 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $5.7 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Late spring storms in 2010: 49 claims (20% of all) and $3.4 million, then Mid-spring storms in 2011 with 45. 41% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 155 Tennessee cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 141 have fewer than Carthage.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Late spring storms2010 | 49 | $3.4 million |
| Mid-spring storms2011 | 45 | $1.5 million |
Smith County, which includes Carthage, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Smith County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.6 million a year, the 66th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.1 million (53%), 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 Carthage
- Gordonsville, TN6 mi
- Pleasant Shade, TN8 mi
- Alexandria, TN14 mi
- Hartsville, TN15 mi
- Watertown, TN16 mi
- Gainesboro, TN17 mi
- Lafayette, TN19 mi
- Baxter, TN19 mi
- Lebanon, TN20 mi
- Red Boiling Springs, TN21 mi
- Castalian Springs, TN21 mi
- Smithville, TN25 mi
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