NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Jellico, 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 Jellico, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 28 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 7
- Tornadoes
- 28
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Jellico
None of the 7 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Jellico; the strongest was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm with 47 mph winds when its centre passed 29 miles away. The record near Jellico begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Helene in 2024. Of the 7 systems, one has come since 2000. Jellico has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 71% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The strongest of the 28 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 25 miles. The deadliest, an F2 on April 8, 1980, killed 2 people. Of the 28, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 14 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 12. The most recent tornado was on April 8, 2021. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 91% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Jellico. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 25 times since 1996, with stones up to 4.25 inches. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 94% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Jellico.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Jellico
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 35 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 58 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 40 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 20 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 71 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 Jellico: 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 Jellico
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s3(1 EF3+)
- 2000s7
- 1990s5
- 1980s2(1 EF3+)
- 1970s5(3 EF3+)
- 1960s2(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 25 mi | 16.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 9, 1988 | F3 | 22 mi | 5 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | EF3 | 12 mi | 4.66 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 15 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 21 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 25 mi | 12.2 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Mar 12, 1967 | F3 | 6 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 1967 | F3 | 6 mi | 23.6 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 8, 1980 | F2 | 21 mi | 11.2 mi | 2 / 9 |
| Apr 8, 2021 | EF2 | 18 mi | 1.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 2021 | EF2 | 21 mi | 1.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 22 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F2 | 22 mi | 18.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 28, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Jellico
The Storm Prediction Center has 25 hail reports within 10 miles of Jellico since 1996, made on 21 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 4.25 inches, fell on June 15, 2007. The most recent report is from June 11, 2023. April has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Jellico
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Newcomb, TN, 3 miles southwest of Jellico at 1,014 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 64°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 26°F. July is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.8 inches; the year adds up to 54.6 inches over 93 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 107 nights a year. That 54.6 inches is more than at 41 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (34%). Williamsburg, KY, 9 miles north, has its own station (Williamsburg, KY): 52.1 inches a year, 2.5 less than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 26 | 4.6 | 8 |
| Feb | 50 | 28 | 5.0 | 8 |
| Mar | 59 | 34 | 5.2 | 9 |
| Apr | 69 | 42 | 5.1 | 8 |
| May | 77 | 52 | 4.8 | 8 |
| Jun | 83 | 60 | 5.0 | 9 |
| Jul | 86 | 64 | 5.8 | 10 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 3.8 | 7 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 2.8 | 6 |
| Nov | 58 | 33 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Dec | 49 | 29 | 5.1 | 9 |
| Year | 68 | 44 | 54.6 | 93 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Newcomb, TN (1,014 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 Jellico
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 78 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Jellico: 53 thunderstorm wind reports, 11 flash floods, 11 floods, 2 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $335,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on July 12, 2004. July has had the most flash floods, 9 of 11. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 117 have had fewer than Jellico.
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 Jellico's ZIP code 37762 have filed 35 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, and were paid $443,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The year with the most claims was 1984, with 11. 6% 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, 82 have fewer than Jellico.
Campbell County, which includes Jellico, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 5 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 Campbell County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for 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 $13.7 million a year, the 53rd highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.6 million (55%), 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 Jellico
- Williamsburg, KY9 mi
- Pioneer, TN13 mi
- La Follette, TN13 mi
- Pine Knot, KY17 mi
- Rockholds, KY17 mi
- Jacksboro, TN18 mi
- Speedwell, TN18 mi
- Caryville, TN20 mi
- Oneida, TN22 mi
- Huntsville, TN22 mi
- Sharps Chapel, TN23 mi
- Whitley City, KY23 mi
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