NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Mason, 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
9 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Mason, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 96 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 96
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
52 deaths in all
What the records show for Mason
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Mason; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 62 mph winds when its centre passed 9 miles away. The record near Mason begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 6 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1950s, with 2 systems. Of the 9 systems, one has come since 2000. Mason has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 92% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The strongest of the 96 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on March 21, 1952; its path came within 24 miles, and it killed 16 people. Of the 96, 5 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 33 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 18. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Mason has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 65% of the 339 Tennessee cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 35 times since 1984, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 77% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Mason.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Mason
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1969 | CamilleAug 19 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 62 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 19 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 32 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (62 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (46 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Mason: 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 Mason
By decade
- 2020s11(2 EF3+)
- 2010s8
- 2000s14(1 EF3+)
- 1990s18(2 EF3+)
- 1980s11(2 EF3+)
- 1970s19
- 1960s7(1 EF3+)
- 1950s8(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 24 mi | 29.6 mi | 16 / 74 |
| Dec 14, 1987 | F3 | 22 mi | 25 mi | 6 / 121 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 16 mi | 72.55 mi | 4 / 26 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F3 | 13 mi | 28.8 mi | 4 / 32 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | 10 mi | 31.13 mi | 3 / 14 |
| Nov 27, 1994 | F3 | 8 mi | 16 mi | 3 / 25 |
| Jan 19, 1988 | F3 | 21 mi | 22 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 11 mi | 39.18 mi | 1 / 28 |
| Jan 17, 1999 | F3 | 20 mi | 22 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 13, 1950 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.2 mi | 9 / 1 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF2 | 7 mi | 8.09 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 2, 2006 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 96, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Mason
The Storm Prediction Center has 35 hail reports within 10 miles of Mason since 1984, made on 30 separate days. Of these, 22 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 6 days, most recently April 2, 2025. The most recent report is from April 2, 2025. May has the most reports, 13.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Mason
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Covington 3 SW, TN, 14 miles northwest of Mason at 385 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 69°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 29°F. May and December are the wettest at 5.8 inches of precipitation on average and August and September the driest at 3.6 inches; the year adds up to 55.8 inches over 76 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 49 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 70 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.4 inches a year, most of it in March. That 55.8 inches is more than at 60 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (49%). Stanton, 11 miles northeast, has its own station (Brownsville, TN): 56.3 inches a year, 0.5 more than here, and a July average high of 91°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 29 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Feb | 51 | 32 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.6 |
| Mar | 60 | 40 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.9 |
| Apr | 70 | 48 | 5.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 5.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.6 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 60 | 3.6 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 49 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 60 | 39 | 4.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 50 | 32 | 5.8 | 8 | 0.2 |
| Year | 69 | 49 | 55.8 | 76 | 2.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Covington 3 SW, TN (385 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 Mason
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 70 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Mason: 49 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 4 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $60.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on June 25, 2023. May has had the most flash floods, 6 of 16. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 201 have had fewer than Mason.
July 14, 2018: lightning strike 10 miles from the centre of Mason — 1 killed.
May 1, 2010: flood 8 miles from the centre of Mason — $50.0 million damage.
June 19, 2025: flash flood 2 miles from the centre of Mason — $5.0 million damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain caused flash flooding throughout the Covington area and across much of Tipton County. Over 7 inches of rain fell in a short period of time, causing flooding on Highway 59 and Highway 51, along with South Main Street in Covington.”
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
Fayette County, which includes Mason, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1994, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 winter storms, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Fayette County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, lightning and heat waves; Relatively Low for inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $29.7 million a year, the 21st highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.8 million (20%), 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 Mason
- Stanton, TN11 mi
- Brighton, TN12 mi
- Oakland, TN12 mi
- Arlington, TN13 mi
- Covington, TN13 mi
- Eads, TN14 mi
- Somerville, TN14 mi
- Atoka, TN15 mi
- Munford, TN16 mi
- Burlison, TN19 mi
- Bartlett, TN20 mi
- Cordova, TN20 mi
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