NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lafayette, 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 Lafayette, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 75 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 75
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
40 deaths in all
What the records show for Lafayette
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lafayette; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 55 mph winds when its centre passed 53 miles away. The record near Lafayette begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 56 miles away. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Lafayette has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 44% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The strongest of the 75 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 27, 1970; its path came within 20 miles, and it killed 3 people. The deadliest, an EF3 on February 5, 2008, killed 22 people. Of the 75, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 44 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on June 18, 2025. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 57% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lafayette. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 41 times since 1976, with stones up to 3.25 inches. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 68% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Lafayette.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lafayette
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | overhead | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 24 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 53 mi | Tropical storm (55 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lafayette: 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 Lafayette
By decade
- 2020s17
- 2010s18
- 2000s9(3 EF3+)
- 1990s11(1 EF3+)
- 1980s4
- 1970s7(1 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s6(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 1970 | F4 | 20 mi | 42.6 mi | 3 / 85 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | in town | 50.32 mi | 22 / 63 |
| Apr 7, 2006 | F3 | 22 mi | 22.7 mi | 7 / 128 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EF3 | 9 mi | 9.44 mi | 4 / 11 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F3 | 13 mi | 42.1 mi | 1 / 60 |
| Mar 26, 1959 | F3 | 16 mi | 19.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Feb 27, 1956 | F3 | 21 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 4 |
| Dec 9, 2023 | EF2 | 12 mi | 34.77 mi | 3 / 22 |
| Jan 17, 2012 | EF2 | 20 mi | 5.26 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Oct 9, 2009 | EF2 | 14 mi | 15.82 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F2 | 22 mi | 27.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F2 | 12 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 75, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lafayette
The Storm Prediction Center has 41 hail reports within 10 miles of Lafayette since 1976, made on 34 separate days. Of these, 25 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3.25 inches, fell on April 7, 2006. The most recent report is from September 5, 2025. March and May have the most reports, 8 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lafayette
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bethpage 1 S, TN, 18 miles west of Lafayette at 560 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 45°F and 25°F. May is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 54.9 inches over 82 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 100 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.6 inches a year, most of it in January. That 54.9 inches is more than at 50 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (41%). Red Boiling Springs, 11 miles east, has its own station (Gainesboro, TN): 56.7 inches a year, 1.8 more than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 25 | 4.4 | 7 | 2.3 |
| Feb | 50 | 28 | 4.7 | 7 | 1.5 |
| Mar | 59 | 34 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.3 |
| Apr | 69 | 43 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 77 | 53 | 5.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 57 | 3.7 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 44 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 34 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 49 | 28 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Year | 68 | 45 | 54.9 | 82 | 4.6 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bethpage 1 S, TN (560 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 Lafayette
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 142 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lafayette: 121 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods, 4 lightning strikes, 2 heavy rain events and 1 flood. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 94 mph, on July 18, 2010. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 172 have had fewer than Lafayette.
June 26, 2009: lightning strike 6 miles from the centre of Lafayette — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Lightning struck a multi-story well constructed brick home at 1106 Hightower Road. It caused an attic fire that lasted from 4 PM to 10 PM.”
July 8, 2016: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Lafayette — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Numerous trees and power lines were blown down all across Macon County with many falling on homes and outbuildings. One home was reportedly destroyed from the number of trees falling onto it.”
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
Macon County, which includes Lafayette, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1969, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 3 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 Macon County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and inland flooding. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $8.6 million a year, the 69th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $2.8 million (33%), 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 Lafayette
- Red Boiling Springs, TN11 mi
- Hartsville, TN12 mi
- Pleasant Shade, TN13 mi
- Westmoreland, TN13 mi
- Bethpage, TN16 mi
- Adolphus, KY16 mi
- Scottsville, KY18 mi
- Carthage, TN19 mi
- Castalian Springs, TN19 mi
- Tompkinsville, KY22 mi
- Gainesboro, TN24 mi
- Gordonsville, TN25 mi
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