NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Medon, 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 Medon, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 82 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 13 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 9
- Tornadoes
- 82
- EF3 or stronger
- 13
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
81 deaths in all
What the records show for Medon
None of the 9 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Medon; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 61 mph winds when its centre passed 14 miles away. The record near Medon begins with an unnamed storm in 1860; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 30 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1950s, with 2 systems. Of the 9 systems, one has come since 2000. Medon has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 92% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The highest rating among the 82 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 4 times; the most recent, on February 5, 2008, came within 17 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on March 21, 1952, killed 38 people. Of the 82, 6 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 35 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 51% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Medon. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 37 times since 1994, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 74% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Medon.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Medon
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1950 | BakerAug 31 | 45 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 17 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1923 | Unnamed 1923 stormOct 18 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 49 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1906 | Unnamed 1906 stormSep 28 | 68 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 14 mi | Tropical storm (61 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1860 | Unnamed 1860 stormOct 3 | 52 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 Medon: 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 Medon
By decade
- 2020s16(4 EF3+)
- 2010s8
- 2000s11(4 EF3+)
- 1990s20(2 EF3+)
- 1980s11(1 EF3+)
- 1970s6
- 1960s2
- 1950s8(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1952 | F4 | 7 mi | 46.8 mi | 38 / 157 |
| May 4, 2003 | F4 | 8 mi | 39 mi | 11 / 86 |
| Jan 17, 1999 | F4 | 10 mi | 16 mi | 6 / 106 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF4 | 17 mi | 7.61 mi | 0 / 51 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 19 mi | 86.01 mi | 9 / 23 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF3 | 23 mi | 29.15 mi | 5 / 14 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF3 | 14 mi | 31.13 mi | 3 / 14 |
| Jan 19, 1988 | F3 | in town | 22 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Apr 3, 2025 | EF3 | 19 mi | 39.55 mi | 2 / 3 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 24 mi | 39.18 mi | 1 / 28 |
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 4 mi | 21 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 17, 1999 | F3 | 9 mi | 22 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 82, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Medon
The Storm Prediction Center has 37 hail reports within 10 miles of Medon since 1994, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on November 15, 2005. The most recent report is from May 8, 2025. March and April have the most reports, 11 each.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Medon
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Henderson 4 W, TN, 9 miles east of Medon at 460 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 48°F and 27°F. April is the wettest at 6.4 inches of precipitation on average and August the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 61.9 inches over 91 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 43 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 92 nights a year. That 61.9 inches is more than at 114 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (93%). Bolivar, 14 miles southwest, has its own station (Bolivar Wtr Wks, TN): 56.4 inches a year, 5.5 less than here, and a July average high of 90°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 27 | 5.2 | 8 |
| Feb | 52 | 30 | 5.6 | 9 |
| Mar | 62 | 36 | 6.1 | 10 |
| Apr | 71 | 45 | 6.4 | 8 |
| May | 79 | 54 | 5.8 | 8 |
| Jun | 86 | 63 | 5.1 | 7 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Aug | 88 | 65 | 3.7 | 6 |
| Sep | 83 | 57 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 4.2 | 6 |
| Nov | 60 | 36 | 4.5 | 7 |
| Dec | 51 | 29 | 5.7 | 9 |
| Year | 70 | 46 | 61.9 | 91 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Henderson 4 W, TN (460 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 Medon
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 61 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Medon: 45 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods, 4 floods and 2 heavy rain events. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $611,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on February 24, 2011. July has had the most flash floods, 5 of 10. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 93 have had fewer than Medon.
May 1, 2010: flash flood 4 miles from the centre of Medon — $150,000 damage.
NWS: “Very heavy rain, up to 12 inches, produced widespread flooding in Chester County. As many as 30 roads and bridges were flooded or washed out.”
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
Madison County, which includes Medon, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 20 of them major disasters (by incident: 15 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes, 2 winter storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Madison County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for heat waves; Relatively Low for hurricanes and inland flooding; Very Low for hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $90.8 million a year, the 7th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $14.8 million (16%), is from tornadoes.
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 Medon
- Pinson, TN9 mi
- Henderson, TN13 mi
- Bolivar, TN14 mi
- Jackson, TN16 mi
- Whiteville, TN16 mi
- Bethel Springs, TN18 mi
- Beech Bluff, TN19 mi
- Bells, TN22 mi
- Brownsville, TN24 mi
- Selmer, TN25 mi
- Middleton, TN25 mi
- Medina, TN26 mi
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