NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Newport, 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 Newport, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 27 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 1 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 27
- EF3 or stronger
- 1
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Newport
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Newport; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 29 miles away. The record near Newport begins with an unnamed storm in 1901; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 54 miles away. The 1900s and the 2020s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 6 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Newport has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 44% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The strongest of the 27 tornadoes within 25 miles was an EF3 on April 27, 2011; its path came within 23 miles, and it killed 6 people. Of the 27, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 17 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 14. The most recent tornado was on January 12, 2023. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 94% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Newport. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 24 times since 1957, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 95% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Newport.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Newport
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 54 mi | Tropical storm (49 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 29 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 26 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormJul 15 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 71 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1901 | Unnamed 1901 stormSep 28 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Newport: 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 Newport
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s15(1 EF3+)
- 1990s2
- 1980s1
- 1970s4
- 1960s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 23 mi | 15.8 mi | 6 / 33 |
| Mar 12, 1967 | F2 | 20 mi | 16 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Mar 11, 1963 | F2 | 5 mi | 6.2 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Feb 18, 1976 | F2 | 1 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Jun 13, 2013 | EF1 | 16 mi | 1.88 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Jun 13, 2013 | EF1 | 14 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 13, 2013 | EF1 | 25 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | 13 mi | 1.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF1 | in town | 7.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 1998 | F1 | 23 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 27, 1985 | F1 | 12 mi | 2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 6, 1977 | F1 | 18 mi | 28.5 mi | 0 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 27, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Newport
The Storm Prediction Center has 24 hail reports within 10 miles of Newport since 1957, made on 21 separate days. Of these, 12 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on September 10, 1957. The most recent report is from February 6, 2025. May has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Newport
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Newport 1 NW, TN, 1 mile north of Newport at 1,036 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 28°F. July is the wettest at 4.9 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.4 inches; the year adds up to 46.7 inches over 92 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 31 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 85 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.3 inches a year, most of it in January. That 46.7 inches is more than at 3 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (2%). Cosby, 10 miles south, has its own station (Waterville 2, NC): 53.9 inches a year, 7.2 more than here, and a July average high of 86°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 28 | 3.9 | 8 | 1.8 |
| Feb | 54 | 31 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.8 |
| Mar | 62 | 37 | 4.3 | 9 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 72 | 45 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 55 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.3 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 59 | 3.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 47 | 2.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 35 | 3.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 31 | 4.2 | 8 | 0.5 |
| Year | 70 | 47 | 46.7 | 92 | 3.3 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Newport 1 NW, TN (1,036 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 Newport
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 164 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Newport: 144 thunderstorm wind reports, 14 flash floods and 6 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $1.1 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on April 20, 1996. May has had the most flash floods, 9 of 14. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 172 have had fewer than Newport.
January 12, 2023: thunderstorm wind in Newport — 1 injured.
NWS: “A portion of the roof was blown off of Newport Grammar School, and some windows were broken. One student sustained a minor injury.”
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 Newport's ZIP code 37821 have filed 44 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1984, and were paid $3.7 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Hurricane Helene in 2024: 21 claims (48% of all) and $3.5 million. 55% 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, 99 have fewer than Newport.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Helene2024 | 21 | $3.5 million |
Cocke County, which includes Newport, has been named in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 6 floods, 3 winter storms, 2 biological emergencies). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Cocke County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and inland flooding; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $11.8 million a year, the 61st highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $8.0 million (68%), 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 Newport
- Parrottsville, TN9 mi
- Cosby, TN10 mi
- White Pine, TN10 mi
- Dandridge, TN11 mi
- Del Rio, TN11 mi
- Midway, TN17 mi
- Talbott, TN18 mi
- Morristown, TN18 mi
- Jefferson City, TN19 mi
- Russellville, TN20 mi
- Sevierville, TN20 mi
- Mosheim, TN21 mi
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