NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Dresden, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Dresden, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 103 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 103
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
72 deaths in all
What the records show for Dresden
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Dresden; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 23 miles away. The record near Dresden begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 31 miles away. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site, 94% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Dresden. The highest rating among the 103 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 23 miles. Of the 103, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 58 have come since 2000. April and May have had the most tornadoes, 22 each. The most recent tornado was on April 2, 2025. Dresden has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 73% of the 339 Tennessee cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 43 times since 1969, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 63% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Dresden.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Dresden
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 63 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Dresden: 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 Dresden
By decade
- 2020s21(2 EF3+)
- 2010s17
- 2000s20(3 EF3+)
- 1990s10(2 EF3+)
- 1980s12(1 EF3+)
- 1970s11(1 EF3+)
- 1960s7
- 1950s5
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 23 mi | 168.53 mi | 57 / 515 |
| May 7, 1971 | F4 | 17 mi | 50.9 mi | 3 / 137 |
| Mar 1, 1997 | F4 | 19 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 16 mi | 31 mi | 6 / 44 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F3 | 20 mi | 8 mi | 2 / 6 |
| Nov 26, 2001 | F3 | 25 mi | 5 mi | 2 / 12 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF3 | in town | 122.62 mi | 0 / 38 |
| Nov 27, 1994 | F3 | 8 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 7, 1984 | F3 | 19 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 36 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 11 mi | 6.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 15, 2025 | EF2 | 20 mi | 4.08 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 4, 2021 | EF2 | 21 mi | 6.06 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 103, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Dresden
The Storm Prediction Center has 43 hail reports within 10 miles of Dresden since 1969, made on 35 separate days. Of these, 27 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), fell on October 16, 1984. The most recent report is from November 18, 2025. May has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Dresden
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Dresden, TN, 2 miles southwest of Dresden at 450 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 27°F. May is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 53.6 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 38 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 82 nights a year. That 53.6 inches is more than at 32 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (26%). Martin, 9 miles west, has its own station (Martin U Of T Branch E, TN): 54.8 inches a year, 1.2 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 27 | 3.9 | 7 |
| Feb | 50 | 30 | 4.8 | 6 |
| Mar | 60 | 38 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Apr | 70 | 47 | 5.1 | 8 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 5.9 | 8 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 4.5 | 6 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 3.2 | 4 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 3.9 | 5 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Nov | 59 | 38 | 4.3 | 6 |
| Dec | 49 | 31 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Year | 69 | 48 | 53.6 | 78 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Dresden, TN (450 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 Dresden
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 120 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Dresden: 99 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 3 floods and 2 heavy rain events. They killed 1 person and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $2.6 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on May 4, 2021. February has had the most flash floods, 6 of 16. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 201 have had fewer than Dresden.
May 4, 2021: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Dresden — 1 killed.
April 25, 2011: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Dresden — 2 injured, $1.0 million damage.
May 25, 2000: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Dresden — 1 injured, $75,000 damage.
NWS: “Four grain silos, a barn and a building where grain is weighed were destroyed. The roof of a church was blown off.”
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
Weakley County, which includes Dresden, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 3 tornadoes, 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 Weakley County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $34.6 million a year, the 18th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.8 million (11%), is from tornadoes.
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 Dresden
- Gleason, TN7 mi
- Martin, TN9 mi
- Sharon, TN10 mi
- Greenfield, TN11 mi
- Mc Kenzie, TN15 mi
- Henry, TN16 mi
- South Fulton, TN16 mi
- Bradford, TN18 mi
- Fulton, KY19 mi
- Paris, TN20 mi
- Kenton, TN20 mi
- Puryear, TN21 mi
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