NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Huntsville, 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 Huntsville, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 35 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 35
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
18 deaths in all
What the records show for Huntsville
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Huntsville; the strongest was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm with 47 mph winds when its centre passed 8 miles away. The record near Huntsville begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Helene in 2024. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Huntsville has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 71% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The strongest of the 35 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 23 miles, and it killed 7 people. The deadliest, an F3 on November 10, 2002, killed 7 people. Of the 35, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 18 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on February 6, 2025. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 82% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Huntsville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 29 times since 1982, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 87% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Huntsville.
Compare Huntsville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Huntsville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Huntsville: 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 Huntsville
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s1
- 2000s8(1 EF3+)
- 1990s6(1 EF3+)
- 1980s1
- 1970s6(3 EF3+)
- 1960s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 23 mi | 18.8 mi | 7 / 150 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 21 mi | 8.3 mi | 7 / 28 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 25 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 13 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 21 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 5 mi | 12.2 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Feb 6, 2025 | EF2 | 19 mi | 21.92 mi | 2 / 3 |
| Apr 8, 1980 | F2 | 17 mi | 11.2 mi | 2 / 9 |
| Apr 8, 2021 | EF2 | 3 mi | 1.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 2021 | EF2 | 2 mi | 1.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | in town | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 16 mi | 5.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F2 | 24 mi | 18.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 35, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Huntsville
The Storm Prediction Center has 29 hail reports within 10 miles of Huntsville since 1982, made on 23 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 May 8, 2025. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. May has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Huntsville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Oneida, TN, 12 miles northwest of Huntsville at 1,440 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 25°F. December is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 58.2 inches over 94 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 15 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 117 nights a year. Snowfall averages 5.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 58.2 inches is more than at 89 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (73%). Pioneer, 10 miles northeast, has its own station (Newcomb, TN): 54.6 inches a year, 3.6 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 25 | 5.2 | 8 | 2.2 |
| Feb | 49 | 27 | 5.1 | 8 | 1.5 |
| Mar | 58 | 33 | 5.7 | 9 | 0.8 |
| Apr | 68 | 41 | 5.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| May | 76 | 50 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 59 | 4.8 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 64 | 5.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 62 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 55 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 69 | 42 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 58 | 32 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 49 | 28 | 6.0 | 9 | 1.0 |
| Year | 67 | 43 | 58.2 | 94 | 5.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Oneida, TN (1,440 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 Huntsville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 97 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Huntsville: 83 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods and 4 floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on April 2, 2006. February has had the most flash floods, 3 of 10. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 93 have had fewer than Huntsville.
February 28, 2011: flood 3 miles from the centre of Huntsville — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “Flooding occurred across much of the county with several roads having extensive damage due to up to two feet of water over the roads.”
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
Scott County, which includes Huntsville, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 21 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 5 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Scott County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.5 million a year, the 78th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.5 million (39%), 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 Huntsville
- Helenwood, TN8 mi
- Pioneer, TN10 mi
- Robbins, TN10 mi
- Oneida, TN11 mi
- Caryville, TN12 mi
- Jacksboro, TN14 mi
- Sunbright, TN15 mi
- Rocky Top, TN18 mi
- La Follette, TN19 mi
- Wartburg, TN20 mi
- Lancing, TN20 mi
- Oliver Springs, TN21 mi
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