NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Copperhill, 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 Copperhill, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 57 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 8 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 57
- EF3 or stronger
- 8
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
32 deaths in all
What the records show for Copperhill
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Copperhill; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 55 mph winds when its centre passed 12 miles away. The record near Copperhill begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 37 miles away. The 1900s and the 2020s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 6 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Copperhill has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 44% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The highest rating among the 57 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 3, 1974, came within 23 miles. Of the 57, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on May 8, 2024. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 71% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Copperhill. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1986, with stones up to 4.25 inches. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 80% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Copperhill.
Compare Copperhill's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Copperhill
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 37 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 12 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 24 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 59 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Copperhill: 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 Copperhill
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s14(2 EF3+)
- 2000s4
- 1990s11(1 EF3+)
- 1980s4(1 EF3+)
- 1970s15(4 EF3+)
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 23 mi | 29.5 mi | 9 / 67 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 6 mi | 24 mi | 4 / 26 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 23 mi | 21.2 mi | 3 / 50 |
| Nov 30, 2016 | EF3 | 19 mi | 4.6 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 23 mi | 18.1 mi | 1 / 100 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 22 mi | 41 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 22 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 17 |
| Feb 6, 1986 | F3 | 22 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF2 | 22 mi | 8.88 mi | 8 / 24 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 21 mi | 27.95 mi | 4 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF2 | 9 mi | 21.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 24 mi | 10.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 57, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Copperhill
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Copperhill since 1986, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 18 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.25 inches, fell on May 26, 2011. The most recent report is from July 20, 2023. May has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Copperhill
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Murphy 4ESE, NC, 24 miles east of Copperhill at 1,600 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 50°F and 25°F. December is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.5 inches; the year adds up to 59.5 inches over 97 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 21 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 103 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.4 inches a year, most of it in December. That 59.5 inches is more than at 101 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (83%). Epworth, GA, 6 miles southwest, has its own station (Chatsworth 2, GA): 57.5 inches a year, 2.0 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 25 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.8 |
| Feb | 54 | 28 | 5.3 | 8 | 1.5 |
| Mar | 62 | 34 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 71 | 41 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 51 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 59 | 5.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 63 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 62 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 56 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 43 | 3.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 33 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 53 | 28 | 6.0 | 10 | 1.9 |
| Year | 70 | 44 | 59.5 | 97 | 4.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Murphy 4ESE, NC (1,600 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 Copperhill
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 111 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Copperhill: 101 thunderstorm wind reports, 6 flash floods, 2 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $707,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on July 13, 2004. August has had the most flash floods, 3 of 6. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 31 have had fewer than Copperhill.
May 8, 2003: flash flood 9 miles from the centre of Copperhill — 1 killed.
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
Polk County, which includes Copperhill, has been named in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 3 floods, 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 Polk County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.8 million a year, the 75th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.6 million (52%), 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.