NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit La Follette, 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 La Follette, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 26 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 26
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
1 deaths in all
What the records show for La Follette
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed La Follette; the strongest was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm with 47 mph winds when its centre passed 25 miles away. The record near La Follette begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Helene in 2024. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. La Follette has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 44% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The highest rating among the 26 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 7 times; the most recent, on July 27, 2014, came within 8 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on May 9, 1988, killed 1 person. Of the 26, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 13 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 9. The most recent tornado was on April 8, 2021. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 96% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than La Follette. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 27 times since 1964, with stones up to 4.25 inches. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 90% have more hail reports within 10 miles than La Follette.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near La Follette
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 25 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1995 | OpalOct 5 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 28 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 32 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 La Follette: 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 La Follette
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s1(1 EF3+)
- 2000s9
- 1990s4(1 EF3+)
- 1980s1(1 EF3+)
- 1970s4(2 EF3+)
- 1960s2(2 EF3+)
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 1988 | F3 | 24 mi | 5 mi | 1 / 15 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | EF3 | 8 mi | 4.66 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 21 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 22 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 21 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 23 mi | 12.2 mi | 0 / 11 |
| Mar 12, 1967 | F3 | 20 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 1967 | F3 | 20 mi | 23.6 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Apr 8, 2021 | EF2 | 15 mi | 1.84 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 2021 | EF2 | 17 mi | 1.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 2009 | EF2 | 19 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 13 mi | 5.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 25, 1955 | F2 | 15 mi | 16.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 26, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in La Follette
The Storm Prediction Center has 27 hail reports within 10 miles of La Follette since 1964, made on 24 separate days. Of these, 12 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 July 30, 2024. April and June have the most reports, 7 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in La Follette
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Norris, TN, 12 miles south of La Follette at 1,110 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 63°F; January is the coolest, at 44°F and 25°F. April is the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 57.9 inches over 92 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 17 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 101 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.1 inches a year, most of it in February. That 57.9 inches is more than at 87 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (71%). Pioneer, 11 miles west, has its own station (Newcomb, TN): 54.6 inches a year, 3.3 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 | 44 | 25 | 5.1 | 8 | 1.1 |
| Feb | 50 | 28 | 5.4 | 8 | 1.5 |
| Mar | 60 | 33 | 5.5 | 9 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 70 | 41 | 5.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 51 | 4.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 83 | 59 | 4.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 5.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 80 | 56 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 3.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 57 | 34 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 48 | 29 | 5.7 | 8 | 0.4 |
| Year | 67 | 44 | 57.9 | 92 | 3.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Norris, TN (1,110 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 La Follette
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 165 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of La Follette: 156 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 floods and 4 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $7.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 12, 2004.
June 7, 2019: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of La Follette — $6.4 million damage.
March 28, 2021: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of La Follette — $353,000 damage.
NWS: “Flooding resulted in the evacuation of ten homes from Caryville to La Follette. A large span of ground beneath train tracks washed away.”
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
Campbell County, which includes La Follette, 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 La Follette
- Jacksboro, TN7 mi
- Caryville, TN10 mi
- Pioneer, TN11 mi
- Rocky Top, TN12 mi
- Andersonville, TN12 mi
- Speedwell, TN13 mi
- Jellico, TN13 mi
- Sharps Chapel, TN14 mi
- Maynardville, TN17 mi
- Heiskell, TN17 mi
- Huntsville, TN19 mi
- Clinton, TN20 mi
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