NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Lookout Mountain, 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 Lookout Mountain, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 91 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 91
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
78 deaths in all
What the records show for Lookout Mountain
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Lookout Mountain; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 45 miles away. The record near Lookout Mountain begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 2 systems. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Lookout Mountain has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 44% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The strongest of the 91 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF5 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 22 miles, and it killed 25 people. Of the 91, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 59 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 37. The most recent tornado was on May 3, 2025. Lookout Mountain has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 58% of the 339 Tennessee cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 132 times since 1956, with stones up to 2.5 inches (tennis ball size). Lookout Mountain has more hail reports within 10 miles than 93% of the 339 Tennessee cities.
Compare Lookout Mountain's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Lookout Mountain
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Lookout Mountain: 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 Lookout Mountain
By decade
- 2020s7(1 EF3+)
- 2010s44(7 EF3+)
- 2000s8
- 1990s18(1 EF3+)
- 1980s7
- 1970s2
- 1960s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF5 | 22 mi | 33.66 mi | 25 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 13 mi | 48 mi | 20 / 335 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 5 mi | 46.98 mi | 14 / 50 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 24 mi | 40.16 mi | 4 / 12 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 16 mi | 20.24 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Nov 30, 2016 | EF3 | 20 mi | 13.48 mi | 4 / 9 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF3 | 7 mi | 19.34 mi | 2 / 18 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 14 mi | 41 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Mar 29, 1997 | F3 | 4 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Apr 15, 1965 | F3 | 24 mi | 9.6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 23 mi | 27.95 mi | 4 / 0 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF2 | 24 mi | 14.73 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 91, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Lookout Mountain
The Storm Prediction Center has 132 hail reports within 10 miles of Lookout Mountain since 1956, made on 87 separate days. Of these, 74 were 1 inch across or larger, and 5 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2.5 inches (tennis ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently March 2, 2012. The most recent report is from June 27, 2025. May has the most reports, 33.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Lookout Mountain
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lookout Mountain-Point Park, TN, in Lookout Mountain at 2,110 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 84°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 29°F. February is the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.8 inches; the year adds up to 58.6 inches over 86 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 7 days a year, almost all from June to August. Lows fall below freezing on about 69 nights a year. That 58.6 inches is more than at 91 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (75%). Flintstone, GA, 5 miles south, has its own station (Chickamauga Pk Larc, GA): 56.5 inches a year, 2.1 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 84°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 29 | 5.5 | 8 |
| Feb | 49 | 31 | 6.0 | 8 |
| Mar | 58 | 39 | 5.6 | 8 |
| Apr | 68 | 47 | 5.5 | 8 |
| May | 74 | 57 | 4.3 | 7 |
| Jun | 81 | 65 | 4.2 | 8 |
| Jul | 84 | 67 | 4.8 | 7 |
| Aug | 82 | 67 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Sep | 78 | 61 | 4.9 | 6 |
| Oct | 67 | 51 | 3.8 | 6 |
| Nov | 57 | 40 | 4.6 | 6 |
| Dec | 49 | 32 | 5.4 | 8 |
| Year | 66 | 49 | 58.6 | 86 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lookout Mountain-Point Park, TN (2,110 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 Lookout Mountain
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 366 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Lookout Mountain: 302 thunderstorm wind reports, 41 flash floods, 21 floods, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 6 people and injured 4, and the NWS estimated $21.8 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on October 25, 2010. September has had the most flash floods, 8 of 41. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 317 have had fewer than Lookout Mountain.
August 12, 2025: heavy rain event 6 miles from the centre of Lookout Mountain — 3 killed, $25,000 damage.
September 20, 2009: flood 3 miles from the centre of Lookout Mountain — 1 killed, 1 injured, $455,000 damage.
April 27, 2011: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Lookout Mountain — 1 killed, $10,000 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
Hamilton County, which includes Lookout Mountain, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 11 severe storms, 5 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 fires). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Hamilton County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for hail; Relatively Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $140.1 million a year, the 3rd highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $75.4 million (54%), 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 Lookout Mountain
- Lookout Mountain, GA3 mi
- Flintstone, GA5 mi
- Rossville, GA5 mi
- Fort Oglethorpe, GA6 mi
- Chattanooga, TN7 mi
- Signal Mountain, TN11 mi
- Chickamauga, GA12 mi
- Trenton, GA12 mi
- Ringgold, GA13 mi
- Hixson, TN14 mi
- Rock Spring, GA15 mi
- Jasper, TN16 mi
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