NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Nashville, IN
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
2 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Nashville, Indiana since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was an unnamed storm in 1915. Since 1950, 96 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 15 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 96
- EF3 or stronger
- 15
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Nashville
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Nashville; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1915, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 8 miles away. The record near Nashville begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was an unnamed storm in 1915. Of the 356 Indiana cities on this site, 88% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Nashville. The highest rating among the 96 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on June 2, 1990, came within 22 miles. The deadliest, an EF3 on March 31, 2023, killed 2 people. Of the 96, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 35 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 23. The most recent tornado was on May 16, 2025. Of the 356 Indiana cities, 62% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Nashville. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 48 times since 1978, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 356 Indiana cities, 69% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Nashville.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Nashville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormAug 21 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormJun 29 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 1 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Nashville: 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 Nashville
By decade
- 2020s15(2 EF3+)
- 2010s9(1 EF3+)
- 2000s11(2 EF3+)
- 1990s16(6 EF3+)
- 1980s4(1 EF3+)
- 1970s21(1 EF3+)
- 1960s9(1 EF3+)
- 1950s11(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 22 mi | 11 mi | 1 / 51 |
| Jun 2, 1990 | F4 | 20 mi | 18 mi | 0 / 9 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 22 mi | 5.92 mi | 2 / 2 |
| Oct 11, 1954 | F3 | 18 mi | 4.7 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 21 mi | 35.8 mi | 1 / 26 |
| Mar 31, 2023 | EF3 | 24 mi | 5.48 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 25, 2011 | EF3 | 19 mi | 6.75 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 15, 2005 | F3 | 25 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Sep 20, 2002 | F3 | 17 mi | 112 mi | 0 / 127 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F3 | 25 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F3 | 20 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 22, 1992 | F3 | 19 mi | 5.3 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 96, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Nashville
The Storm Prediction Center has 48 hail reports within 10 miles of Nashville since 1978, made on 30 separate days. Of these, 39 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 8, 2015. The most recent report is from May 16, 2025. April has the most reports, 14.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Nashville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bloomington Indiana Univ, IN, 15 miles west of Nashville at 830 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 85°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 37°F and 21°F. May and June are the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 49.5 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 21 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 108 nights a year. Snowfall averages 17.5 inches a year, most of it in January. That 49.5 inches is more than at 98 of the 115 Indiana stations used on this site (85%). Morgantown, 11 miles north, has its own station (Martinsville 2 SW, IN): 45.5 inches a year, 4.0 less than here, and a July average high of 84°F against 85°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 21 | 3.8 | 7 | 7.1 |
| Feb | 42 | 23 | 3.0 | 6 | 4.2 |
| Mar | 52 | 32 | 3.7 | 7 | 1.3 |
| Apr | 64 | 42 | 5.2 | 9 | 0.1 |
| May | 74 | 53 | 5.4 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 82 | 62 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 85 | 65 | 4.6 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 85 | 64 | 3.4 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Nov | 53 | 34 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.2 |
| Dec | 41 | 26 | 3.5 | 7 | 4.5 |
| Year | 63 | 43 | 49.5 | 81 | 17.5 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bloomington Indiana Univ, IN (830 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 Nashville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 112 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Nashville: 90 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods, 5 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $2.2 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on May 21, 2022. June has had the most flash floods, 8 of 16. Of the 337 Indiana cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 219 have had fewer than Nashville.
June 7, 2008: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Nashville — $1.0 million damage.
April 2, 2025: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Nashville — $500,000 damage.
NWS: “One road was washed out with numerous other road closures. Roads remained closed for several days but the flash flooding threat only lasted a few hours.”
June 19, 2021: flash flood 7 miles from the centre of Nashville — $100,000 damage.
NWS: “A house along State Road 135 South had rapidly rising flood waters enter the building. Damage was noted to several bridges across the rural portions of the county.”
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 Nashville's ZIP code 47448 have filed 120 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1981, and were paid $3.9 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Storm in 2008: 31 claims (26% of all) and $1.3 million. 29% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 155 Indiana cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 121 have fewer than Nashville.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Storm2008 | 31 | $1.3 million |
Brown County, which includes Nashville, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1968, 13 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 1 hurricane). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on July 22, 2025. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Brown County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Low for tornadoes, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for hurricanes, hail, lightning and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $6.8 million a year, the 80th highest of 92 Indiana counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.2 million (62%), 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 Nashville
- Morgantown, IN11 mi
- Nineveh, IN11 mi
- Trafalgar, IN14 mi
- Bloomington, IN16 mi
- Columbus, IN17 mi
- Edinburgh, IN18 mi
- Martinsville, IN19 mi
- Ellettsville, IN21 mi
- Bargersville, IN22 mi
- Franklin, IN22 mi
- Paragon, IN24 mi
- Elizabethtown, IN24 mi
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