NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lenoir 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
6 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Lenoir City, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 56 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 56
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Lenoir City
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lenoir City; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 51 miles away. The record near Lenoir City begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 3 miles away. The 1970s and the 2020s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 6 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Lenoir City has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 44% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The strongest of the 56 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF4 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on November 10, 2002, killed 7 people. Of the 56, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 37 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 19. The most recent tornado was on May 30, 2025. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 71% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Lenoir City. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 90 times since 1959, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Lenoir City has more hail reports within 10 miles than 85% of the 339 Tennessee cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lenoir City
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 51 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 24 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 55 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 Lenoir 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 Lenoir City
By decade
- 2020s4
- 2010s27(2 EF3+)
- 2000s6(1 EF3+)
- 1990s7(2 EF3+)
- 1980s2
- 1970s6
- 1960s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 23 mi | 14.45 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 20 mi | 8.3 mi | 7 / 28 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | in town | 30 mi | 1 / 55 |
| Mar 23, 2011 | EF3 | 10 mi | 5.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 15 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF2 | 10 mi | 3.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 30, 2016 | EF2 | 24 mi | 11.33 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 23 mi | 16.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 25, 2010 | EF2 | 15 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 1984 | F2 | 7 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 21 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 11 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 56, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lenoir City
The Storm Prediction Center has 90 hail reports within 10 miles of Lenoir City since 1959, made on 68 separate days. Of these, 58 were 1 inch across or larger, and 3 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on April 28, 1959. The most recent report is from October 21, 2025. May has the most reports, 20.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lenoir City
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lenoir City, TN, 2 miles south of Lenoir City at 785 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 28°F. December is the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 55.2 inches over 88 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 43 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 76 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.0 inches a year, most of it in January. That 55.2 inches is more than at 55 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (45%). Oak Ridge, 13 miles north, has its own station (Oak Ridge Atdd, TN): 59.7 inches a year, 4.5 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 28 | 5.0 | 8 | 1.6 |
| Feb | 53 | 31 | 5.2 | 8 | 1.3 |
| Mar | 62 | 37 | 5.1 | 9 | 0.6 |
| Apr | 71 | 46 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 55 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 3.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 37 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 52 | 31 | 5.9 | 8 | 0.4 |
| Year | 71 | 48 | 55.2 | 88 | 4.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lenoir City, TN (785 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 Lenoir City
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 235 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lenoir City: 221 thunderstorm wind reports, 9 flash floods and 5 floods. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.7 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 83 mph, on August 3, 2023. May has had the most flash floods, 5 of 9. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 73 have had fewer than Lenoir City.
June 10, 2005: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Lenoir City — 1 killed.
NWS: “A man riding in a golf cart was killed when a large limb from a tree fell and struck the moving cart.”
December 11, 2021: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Lenoir City — 1 injured.
NWS: “A tree was blown down and injured one person off Campbell Station Road.”
August 7, 2023: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Lenoir City — $500,000 damage.
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 Lenoir City's 2 ZIP codes have filed 37 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1978, and were paid $316,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. 3% 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, 86 have fewer than Lenoir City.
Loudon County, which includes Lenoir City, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 winter storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Loudon County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $22.2 million a year, the 31st highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $11.4 million (51%), 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 Lenoir City
- Loudon, TN7 mi
- Friendsville, TN9 mi
- Greenback, TN11 mi
- Oak Ridge, TN13 mi
- Kingston, TN14 mi
- Philadelphia, TN14 mi
- Louisville, TN14 mi
- Alcoa, TN16 mi
- Maryville, TN17 mi
- Harriman, TN17 mi
- Oliver Springs, TN17 mi
- Knoxville, TN18 mi
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