NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Decatur, 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 Decatur, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 62 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 13 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 62
- EF3 or stronger
- 13
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
42 deaths in all
What the records show for Decatur
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Decatur; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 54 mph winds when its centre passed 53 miles away. The record near Decatur begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 40 miles away. The 1970s and the 2020s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 7 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Decatur has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 71% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The highest rating among the 62 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 15 miles. Of the 62, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 37 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 31. The most recent tornado was on May 30, 2025. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 66% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Decatur. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 49 times since 1984, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 55% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Decatur.
Compare Decatur's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Decatur
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (54 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 24 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 50 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Decatur: 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 Decatur
By decade
- 2020s7
- 2010s24(4 EF3+)
- 2000s6
- 1990s8(3 EF3+)
- 1980s4(1 EF3+)
- 1970s8(3 EF3+)
- 1960s3(1 EF3+)
- 1950s2(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 15 mi | 48 mi | 20 / 335 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 12 mi | 40.16 mi | 4 / 12 |
| May 2, 1953 | F4 | 2 mi | 4.2 mi | 4 / 8 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 18 mi | 21.2 mi | 3 / 50 |
| Nov 30, 2016 | EF3 | 25 mi | 4.6 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Apr 15, 1994 | F3 | 10 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 9 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 19 mi | 18.1 mi | 1 / 100 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 18 mi | 41 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Mar 29, 1997 | F3 | 25 mi | 4 mi | 0 / 50 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 18 mi | 19 mi | 0 / 17 |
| Feb 6, 1986 | F3 | 18 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 8, 1974 | F3 | 12 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 1 |
The strongest 12 of 62, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Decatur
The Storm Prediction Center has 49 hail reports within 10 miles of Decatur since 1984, made on 37 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on March 29, 1997. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. April and May have the most reports, 17 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Decatur
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dayton 2SE, TN, 11 miles west of Decatur at 822 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 28°F. December is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 58.7 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 33 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 72 nights a year. Snowfall averages 1.6 inches a year, most of it in February. That 58.7 inches is more than at 94 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (77%). Evensville, 9 miles northwest, has its own station (Spring City, TN): 59.4 inches a year, 0.7 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 28 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 52 | 31 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Mar | 61 | 38 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.4 |
| Apr | 71 | 46 | 5.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 55 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 48 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 37 | 4.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 50 | 31 | 6.0 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Year | 69 | 48 | 58.7 | 85 | 1.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dayton 2SE, TN (822 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 Decatur
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 149 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Decatur: 134 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 floods, 5 flash floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 6, and the NWS estimated $1.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 101 mph, on March 19, 2003. May has had the most flash floods, 2 of 5. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 18 have had fewer than Decatur.
March 20, 1998: thunderstorm wind 6 miles from the centre of Decatur — 4 injured, $100,000 damage.
December 30, 2019: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Decatur — 2 injured.
NWS: “Thunderstorm winds rolled a mobile home with two occupants. Both occupants suffered minor injuries.”
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
Meigs County, which includes Decatur, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 winter storms, 1 flood). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Meigs County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes 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 $4.0 million a year, the 92nd highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.9 million (47%), 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 Decatur
- Evensville, TN9 mi
- Riceville, TN11 mi
- Athens, TN11 mi
- Dayton, TN11 mi
- Spring City, TN13 mi
- Niota, TN13 mi
- Calhoun, TN14 mi
- Ten Mile, TN14 mi
- Birchwood, TN15 mi
- Georgetown, TN15 mi
- Charleston, TN16 mi
- Sale Creek, TN18 mi
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