NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Cosby, 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
7 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Cosby, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 22 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 22
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for Cosby
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Cosby; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 21 miles away. The record near Cosby begins with an unnamed storm in 1901; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 47 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 3 systems. Of the 7 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Cosby has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 71% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The highest rating among the 22 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on February 18, 1976, came within 9 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on March 11, 1963, killed 1 person. Of the 22, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 13 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on January 12, 2023. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 99% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Cosby. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 26 times since 1959, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 92% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Cosby.
Compare Cosby's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Cosby
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 21 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 64 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 65 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Cosby: 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 Cosby
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s11
- 1990s2
- 1980s1
- 1970s4
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 11, 1963 | F2 | 14 mi | 6.2 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F2 | 9 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jun 13, 2013 | EF1 | 7 mi | 1.88 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 13, 2013 | EF1 | 6 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 13 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 10 mi | 7.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 1998 | F1 | 22 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 27, 1985 | F1 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1977 | F1 | 22 mi | 28.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F1 | 22 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 25, 1955 | F1 | 10 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 12, 2023 | EF0 | 16 mi | 1.11 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 22, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Cosby
The Storm Prediction Center has 26 hail reports within 10 miles of Cosby since 1959, made on 22 separate days. Of these, 17 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently February 6, 2025. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. May has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Cosby
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Waterville 2, NC, 9 miles east of Cosby at 1,430 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 29°F. July is the wettest at 6.5 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 53.9 inches over 104 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 19 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 78 nights a year. Snowfall averages 5.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 53.9 inches is more than at 34 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (28%). Newport, 10 miles north, has its own station (Newport 1 NW, TN): 46.7 inches a year, 7.2 less than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 29 | 4.2 | 9 | 1.9 |
| Feb | 53 | 32 | 3.9 | 9 | 1.3 |
| Mar | 61 | 38 | 4.7 | 10 | 1.5 |
| Apr | 71 | 46 | 4.5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 4.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 6.4 | 11 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 6.5 | 11 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 59 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 48 | 2.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 60 | 37 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 51 | 32 | 4.4 | 9 | 0.8 |
| Year | 69 | 47 | 53.9 | 104 | 5.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Waterville 2, NC (1,430 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 Cosby
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 101 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Cosby: 89 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods and 2 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on April 20, 1996. June has had the most flash floods, 5 of 10. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 93 have had fewer than Cosby.
June 18, 2025: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Cosby — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “Interstate 40 was closed by flooding and debris near mile marker 451, just west of the North Carolina state line. Multiple vehicles were stranded and water rescues were ongoing.”
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 Cosby's ZIP code 37722 have filed 18 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $386,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 44% 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, 42 have fewer than Cosby.
Cocke County, which includes Cosby, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 6 floods, 3 winter storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cocke County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $11.8 million a year, the 61st highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $8.0 million (68%), 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 Cosby
- Newport, TN10 mi
- Del Rio, TN14 mi
- Gatlinburg, TN14 mi
- Dandridge, TN15 mi
- Sevierville, TN16 mi
- Parrottsville, TN17 mi
- Pigeon Forge, TN18 mi
- White Pine, TN19 mi
- Hot Springs, NC21 mi
- Cherokee, NC22 mi
- Maggie Valley, NC23 mi
- Clyde, NC23 mi
All Tennessee cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Cosby with another place →