NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Knoxville, 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Knoxville, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 47 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 47
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
3 deaths in all
What the records show for Knoxville
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Knoxville; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 51 miles away. The record near Knoxville begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 15 miles away. The 1970s and the 2020s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 6 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Knoxville has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 44% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The strongest of the 47 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an F1 on April 3, 1974, killed 2 people. Of the 47, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 29 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 16. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 74% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Knoxville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 137 times since 1961, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Knoxville has more hail reports within 10 miles than 94% of the 339 Tennessee cities.
Compare Knoxville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Knoxville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 15 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 24 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Knoxville: 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 Knoxville
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s21(2 EF3+)
- 2000s5
- 1990s7(2 EF3+)
- 1980s2
- 1970s6
- 1960s1
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 22 mi | 14.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 14 mi | 30 mi | 1 / 55 |
| Mar 23, 2011 | EF3 | 21 mi | 5.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 9 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF2 | 5 mi | 3.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 22 mi | 16.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 2010 | EF2 | 25 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 17 mi | 5.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 22 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 13 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 15, 1965 | F2 | in town | 7.4 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Mar 25, 1955 | F2 | 21 mi | 16.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 47, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Knoxville
The Storm Prediction Center has 137 hail reports within 10 miles of Knoxville since 1961, made on 89 separate days. Of these, 99 were 1 inch across or larger, and 11 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on May 21, 1998. The most recent report is from September 4, 2025. May has the most reports, 42.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Knoxville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Knoxville Exp Stn, TN, 5 miles southeast of Knoxville at 830 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 48°F and 26°F. December is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.1 inches; the year adds up to 55.8 inches over 90 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 36 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 87 nights a year. That 55.8 inches is more than at 61 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (50%). Powell, 6 miles north, has its own station (Oak Ridge Asos, TN): 55.6 inches a year, 0.2 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 26 | 5.2 | 9 |
| Feb | 53 | 29 | 5.1 | 8 |
| Mar | 61 | 36 | 5.3 | 9 |
| Apr | 71 | 44 | 5.3 | 8 |
| May | 79 | 54 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Jun | 86 | 62 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 5.8 | 9 |
| Aug | 88 | 65 | 3.4 | 7 |
| Sep | 83 | 59 | 4.1 | 6 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 3.1 | 5 |
| Nov | 61 | 35 | 4.1 | 7 |
| Dec | 51 | 30 | 5.9 | 9 |
| Year | 70 | 46 | 55.8 | 90 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Knoxville Exp Stn, TN (830 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 Knoxville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 459 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Knoxville: 381 thunderstorm wind reports, 59 flash floods, 15 floods and 4 heavy rain events. They killed 3 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $5.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 115 mph, on May 7, 1999. July has had the most flash floods, 24 of 59. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 326 have had fewer than Knoxville.
November 9, 2000: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Knoxville — 2 killed, $3,000 damage.
July 8, 2016: thunderstorm wind 4 miles from the centre of Knoxville — 1 killed.
NWS: “A 66 year old female was killed by a falling tree outside of her residence in West Knoxville. Numerous trees were downed in the area by the thunderstorm winds.”
February 28, 2011: flood 4 miles from the centre of Knoxville — $2.0 million damage.
NWS: “Broadcast media reported that heavy rain from a thunderstorm caused flooding countywide.”
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 Knoxville's 17 ZIP codes have filed 543 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $7.3 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Mid-spring storms in 2011: 11 claims (2% of all) and $158,000. 4% 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, 150 have fewer than Knoxville.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-spring storms2011 | 11 | $158,000 |
Knox County, which includes Knoxville, has been named in 19 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 14 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 3 winter storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Knox County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Very High for lightning; Relatively High for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $131.4 million a year, the 5th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $60.8 million (46%), 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.