NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Petersburg, 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
5 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Petersburg, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Frederic in 1979. Since 1950, 113 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 11 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 113
- EF3 or stronger
- 11
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
45 deaths in all
What the records show for Petersburg
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Petersburg; the strongest was Frederic in 1979, a tropical storm with 45 mph winds when its centre passed 8 miles away. The record near Petersburg begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Frederic in 1979. The busiest decade was the 1910s, with 2 systems. None of the 5 systems has come since 2000. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site, 55% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Petersburg. The highest rating among the 113 tornadoes within 25 miles is F5, reached 2 times; the most recent, on April 16, 1998, came within 23 miles. The deadliest, an F5 on April 3, 1974, killed 16 people. Of the 113, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 66 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 32. The most recent tornado was on May 25, 2025. Petersburg has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 84% of the 339 Tennessee cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 27 times since 1973, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 90% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Petersburg.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Petersburg
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 8 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 48 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1916 | Unnamed 1916 stormOct 19 | 73 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 23 mi | Tropical storm (41 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Petersburg: 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 Petersburg
By decade
- 2020s16(1 EF3+)
- 2010s29(1 EF3+)
- 2000s21(1 EF3+)
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s13(1 EF3+)
- 1970s13(3 EF3+)
- 1960s3
- 1950s9(3 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F5 | 14 mi | 83.3 mi | 16 / 190 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | F5 | 23 mi | 69.4 mi | 3 / 36 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 20 mi | 27.5 mi | 11 / 121 |
| Feb 13, 1952 | F4 | 20 mi | 12.7 mi | 3 / 44 |
| Feb 29, 1952 | F4 | 11 mi | 2 mi | 2 / 150 |
| Apr 28, 2014 | EF3 | 16 mi | 26.76 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Apr 1, 2023 | EF3 | 23 mi | 12.03 mi | 1 / 5 |
| May 5, 2003 | F3 | 4 mi | 1.6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Aug 16, 1985 | F3 | 22 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 1 |
| Apr 21, 1972 | F3 | 23 mi | 32.3 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Feb 13, 1952 | F3 | 6 mi | 7.4 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Nov 6, 2018 | EF2 | 25 mi | 10.49 mi | 1 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 113, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Petersburg
The Storm Prediction Center has 27 hail reports within 10 miles of Petersburg since 1973, made on 19 separate days. Of these, 20 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 5 days, most recently March 29, 2020. The most recent report is from March 29, 2020. March has the most reports, 12.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Petersburg
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Lewisburg Exp Stn, TN, 13 miles northwest of Petersburg at 787 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 91°F and low of 67°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 28°F. December is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.7 inches; the year adds up to 56.1 inches over 85 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 59 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 95 nights a year. Snowfall averages 0.9 inches a year, most of it in February. That 56.1 inches is more than at 64 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (52%). Fayetteville, 12 miles south, has its own station (Fayetteville Wtp, TN): 59.9 inches a year, 3.8 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 91°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 28 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Feb | 54 | 30 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.4 |
| Mar | 63 | 36 | 5.6 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 72 | 44 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 81 | 54 | 4.7 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 88 | 63 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 91 | 67 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 91 | 64 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 85 | 57 | 4.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 75 | 45 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 36 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 30 | 5.7 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Year | 72 | 46 | 56.1 | 85 | 0.9 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Lewisburg Exp Stn, TN (787 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 Petersburg
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 108 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Petersburg: 92 thunderstorm wind reports, 10 flash floods, 5 floods and 1 lightning strike. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $1.5 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 98 mph, on May 31, 2004. September 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 Petersburg.
May 31, 2004: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Petersburg — $1.0 million 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
Lincoln County, which includes Petersburg, has been named in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 12 of them major disasters (by incident: 7 severe storms, 3 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 Lincoln County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for hail, inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.1 million a year, the 45th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.5 million (40%), 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 Petersburg
- Cornersville, TN12 mi
- Fayetteville, TN12 mi
- Lewisburg, TN14 mi
- Shelbyville, TN15 mi
- Lynchburg, TN16 mi
- Ardmore, TN21 mi
- Unionville, TN22 mi
- Pulaski, TN22 mi
- Wartrace, TN23 mi
- Culleoka, TN23 mi
- Chapel Hill, TN24 mi
- Lynnville, TN24 mi
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