NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Oak Ridge, 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 Oak Ridge, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 43 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 43
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
8 deaths in all
What the records show for Oak Ridge
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Oak Ridge; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 52 mph winds when its centre passed 61 miles away. The record near Oak Ridge begins with an unnamed storm in 1915; the most recent system was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm 3 miles away. The 1970s and the 2020s were the busiest decades, with 2 systems each. Of the 6 systems, 2 have come since 2000. Oak Ridge has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 44% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The highest rating among the 43 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 4 times; the most recent, on March 23, 2011, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F3 on November 10, 2002, killed 7 people. Of the 43, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 25 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 11. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 76% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Oak Ridge. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 97 times since 1959, with stones up to 4 inches (softball size). Oak Ridge has more hail reports within 10 miles than 87% of the 339 Tennessee cities.
Compare Oak Ridge's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Oak Ridge
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 3 mi | Tropical storm (48 mph) | Category 4 |
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 60 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 24 | 27 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Oak Ridge: 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 Oak Ridge
By decade
- 2020s5
- 2010s14(1 EF3+)
- 2000s6(1 EF3+)
- 1990s8(2 EF3+)
- 1980s2
- 1970s4
- 1960s2
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 10, 2002 | F3 | 11 mi | 8.3 mi | 7 / 28 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 13 mi | 30 mi | 1 / 55 |
| Mar 23, 2011 | EF3 | 23 mi | 5.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 2 mi | 16 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Aug 7, 2023 | EF2 | 8 mi | 3.7 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 2021 | EF2 | 25 mi | 1.31 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 15 mi | 5.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 7, 1984 | F2 | 19 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 23 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 15, 1965 | F2 | 14 mi | 7.4 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Mar 25, 1955 | F2 | 8 mi | 16.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 43, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Oak Ridge
The Storm Prediction Center has 97 hail reports within 10 miles of Oak Ridge since 1959, made on 61 separate days. Of these, 70 were 1 inch across or larger, and 6 reached 2 inches. The largest, 4 inches (softball size), fell on April 28, 1959. The most recent report is from September 4, 2025. May has the most reports, 25.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Oak Ridge
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Oak Ridge Atdd, TN, 1 mile northeast of Oak Ridge at 905 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 87°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 29°F. February and July are the wettest at 5.9 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 59.7 inches over 91 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 39 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 75 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.4 inches a year, most of it in January. That 59.7 inches is more than at 104 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (85%). Clinton, 10 miles northeast, has its own station (Oak Ridge Asos, TN): 55.6 inches a year, 4.1 less than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 87°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 29 | 5.5 | 8 | 1.8 |
| Feb | 51 | 32 | 5.9 | 8 | 1.4 |
| Mar | 61 | 39 | 5.6 | 9 | 0.6 |
| Apr | 70 | 47 | 5.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 64 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 87 | 68 | 5.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 3.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 61 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 71 | 48 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 37 | 5.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 49 | 32 | 5.8 | 9 | 0.6 |
| Year | 69 | 48 | 59.7 | 91 | 4.4 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Oak Ridge Atdd, TN (905 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 Oak Ridge
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 188 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Oak Ridge: 163 thunderstorm wind reports, 16 flash floods and 9 floods. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $1.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on May 26, 2004. June 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 Oak Ridge.
April 14, 2019: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Oak Ridge — 1 injured.
NWS: “A woman was struck and injured by a falling tree at her home on Nesper Road in Oak Ridge.”
December 11, 2021: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Oak Ridge — 1 injured.
November 28, 2005: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Oak Ridge — $400,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Oak Ridge's ZIP code 37830 have filed 10 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1994, and were paid $34,000 for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. Of the 155 Tennessee cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 0 have fewer than Oak Ridge.
Anderson County, which includes Oak Ridge, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 16 of them major disasters (by incident: 10 severe storms, 4 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 winter storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Anderson County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, inland flooding, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for hail; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $29.5 million a year, the 22nd highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $16.3 million (55%), 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 Oak Ridge
- Oliver Springs, TN7 mi
- Clinton, TN10 mi
- Lenoir City, TN13 mi
- Powell, TN13 mi
- Harriman, TN15 mi
- Knoxville, TN15 mi
- Heiskell, TN17 mi
- Kingston, TN17 mi
- Rocky Top, TN17 mi
- Wartburg, TN18 mi
- Louisville, TN18 mi
- Friendsville, TN18 mi
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