NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Jefferson City, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Jefferson City, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 31 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 31
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Jefferson City
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Jefferson City; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 45 miles away. The record near Jefferson City begins with an unnamed storm in 1901; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 45 miles away. The busiest decade was the 2020s, with 2 systems. Of the 5 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site, 55% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Jefferson City. The highest rating among the 31 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2 or EF2, reached 3 times; the most recent, on May 8, 2009, came within 25 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on April 3, 1974, killed 2 people. Of the 31, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 20 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on February 6, 2025. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 85% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Jefferson City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 58 times since 1959, with stones up to 3.5 inches. Jefferson City has more hail reports within 10 miles than 61% of the 339 Tennessee cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Jefferson City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 69 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 66 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 Jefferson City: 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 Jefferson City
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s11
- 2000s5
- 1990s2
- 1980s1
- 1970s6
- 1960s1
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 11, 1963 | F2 | 22 mi | 6.2 mi | 1 / 1 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 25 mi | 2.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F2 | 18 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F1 | 16 mi | 1 mi | 2 / 21 |
| Feb 6, 2025 | EF1 | 17 mi | 3.51 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 2013 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 2013 | EF1 | 7 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 3, 2013 | EF1 | 23 mi | 1.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 15 mi | 7.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF1 | 18 mi | 9.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 2007 | EF1 | 23 mi | 4.6 mi | 0 / 7 |
| Apr 3, 2007 | EF1 | 19 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 7 |
The strongest 12 of 31, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Jefferson City
The Storm Prediction Center has 58 hail reports within 10 miles of Jefferson City since 1959, made on 47 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.5 inches, fell on April 28, 1959. The most recent report is from October 21, 2025. May has the most reports, 16.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Jefferson City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Jefferson City, TN, 1 mile northeast of Jefferson City at 1,108 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 25°F. July is the wettest at 5.1 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.7 inches; the year adds up to 48.6 inches over 84 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 24 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 103 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.0 inches a year, most of it in February. That 48.6 inches is more than at 12 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (10%). Talbott, 5 miles northeast, has its own station (Morristown WFO, TN): 47.5 inches a year, 1.1 less than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 25 | 4.1 | 7 | 1.3 |
| Feb | 51 | 27 | 4.5 | 7 | 1.5 |
| Mar | 61 | 32 | 4.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 70 | 41 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 50 | 4.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 59 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 63 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 62 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 55 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 42 | 2.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 60 | 32 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 50 | 27 | 4.6 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Year | 69 | 43 | 48.6 | 84 | 3.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Jefferson City, TN (1,108 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 Jefferson City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 262 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Jefferson City: 248 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 flash floods, 5 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 3, and the NWS estimated $4.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 85 mph, on August 7, 2023. June has had the most flash floods, 4 of 8. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 57 have had fewer than Jefferson City.
December 11, 2021: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Jefferson City — 2 injured.
July 6, 2016: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Jefferson City — 1 injured.
February 28, 2011: flood in Jefferson City — $2.2 million damage.
NWS: “Continuous heavy rainfall from thunderstorms caused extensive flooding countywide. 50 homes and five mobile homes in the county suffered minor to major damage due to the flooding.”
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
Jefferson County, which includes Jefferson City, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 4 floods, 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 Jefferson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.3 million a year, the 59th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.1 million (57%), 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 Jefferson City
- New Market, TN5 mi
- Talbott, TN5 mi
- Dandridge, TN9 mi
- Rutledge, TN9 mi
- White Pine, TN11 mi
- Blaine, TN11 mi
- Kodak, TN12 mi
- Strawberry Plains, TN12 mi
- Morristown, TN13 mi
- Mascot, TN14 mi
- Washburn, TN15 mi
- Luttrell, TN16 mi
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