NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cordova, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Cordova, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 121 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 12 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 121
- EF3 or stronger
- 12
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
44 deaths in all
What the records show for Cordova
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Cordova; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 7 miles away. The record near Cordova begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 18 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1950s, with 2 systems. Of the 9 systems, one has come since 2000. Cordova has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 92% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The strongest of the 121 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on March 21, 1952; its path came within 20 miles, and it killed 16 people. Of the 121, 9 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. April and May have had the most tornadoes, 22 each. The most recent tornado was on April 3, 2025. Cordova has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 89% of the 339 Tennessee cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 147 times since 1965, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Cordova has more hail reports within 10 miles than 96% of the 339 Tennessee cities.
Compare Cordova's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cordova
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 19 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 50 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 Cordova: 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 Cordova
By decade
- 2020s11(3 EF3+)
- 2010s9
- 2000s16
- 1990s23(1 EF3+)
- 1980s13(3 EF3+)
- 1970s22(3 EF3+)
- 1960s23(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 20 mi | 29.6 mi | 16 / 74 |
| Dec 14, 1987 | F3 | 15 mi | 25 mi | 6 / 121 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 24 mi | 72.55 mi | 4 / 26 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F3 | 14 mi | 28.8 mi | 4 / 32 |
| Nov 27, 1994 | F3 | 1 mi | 16 mi | 3 / 25 |
| Jan 19, 1988 | F3 | 20 mi | 22 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Apr 3, 2025 | EF3 | 25 mi | 39.55 mi | 2 / 3 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 21 mi | 39.18 mi | 1 / 28 |
| Apr 21, 1984 | F3 | 19 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 24, 1970 | F3 | 7 mi | 10.4 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 24, 1970 | F3 | 11 mi | 12.3 mi | 0 / 18 |
| Apr 24, 1970 | F3 | 8 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 5 |
The strongest 12 of 121, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cordova
The Storm Prediction Center has 147 hail reports within 10 miles of Cordova since 1965, made on 103 separate days. Of these, 86 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 7, 2006. The most recent report is from May 2, 2025. April has the most reports, 44.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Cordova
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Memphis WFO, TN, 3 miles southwest of Cordova at 310 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 71°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 30°F. April is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 57.2 inches over 79 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 69 days a year, almost all from May to October. Lows fall below freezing on about 68 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.8 inches a year, most of it in February. That 57.2 inches is more than at 80 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (66%). Germantown, 6 miles south, has its own station (Germantown 4SE, TN): 55.4 inches a year, 1.8 less than here, and a July average high of 92°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.8 |
| Feb | 54 | 33 | 4.8 | 7 | 1.1 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 5.7 | 8 | 0.8 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 5.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 5.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 4.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 4.5 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 62 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 4.2 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 39 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 33 | 5.7 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Year | 72 | 50 | 57.2 | 79 | 2.8 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Memphis WFO, TN (310 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 Cordova
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 264 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cordova: 158 thunderstorm wind reports, 89 flash floods, 10 lightning strikes, 5 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 3 people and injured 11, and the NWS estimated $108.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 109 mph, on July 22, 2003. June has had the most flash floods, 21 of 89. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 336 have had fewer than Cordova.
July 22, 2003: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Cordova — 1 killed, 3 injured, $40.0 million damage.
June 30, 2017: lightning strike 5 miles from the centre of Cordova — 1 killed.
October 21, 2019: heavy rain event 3 miles from the centre of Cordova — 1 killed.
NWS: “Heavy rain resulted in water on area roadways. A young motorist died as a result of hydroplaning.”
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 Cordova's 2 ZIP codes have filed 24 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1996, and were paid $1.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 8% 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, 62 have fewer than Cordova.
Shelby County, which includes Cordova, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 23 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 severe storms, 3 winter storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Shelby County a Relatively High rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for tornadoes; Relatively High for inland flooding, strong wind, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $554.7 million a year, the highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $153.7 million (28%), 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.