NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Piney Flats, 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 Piney Flats, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 28 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 3 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 28
- EF3 or stronger
- 3
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
11 deaths in all
What the records show for Piney Flats
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Piney Flats; the strongest was Hugo in 1989, a tropical storm with 60 mph winds when its centre passed 34 miles away. The record near Piney Flats begins with an unnamed storm in 1902; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm 33 miles away. The busiest decade was the 1900s, with 2 systems. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Piney Flats has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 44% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The highest rating among the 28 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 24 miles. Of the 28, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 16 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on May 12, 2017. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 91% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Piney Flats. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 75 times since 1960, with stones up to 3 inches (tea cup size). Piney Flats has more hail reports within 10 miles than 77% of the 339 Tennessee cities.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Piney Flats
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 33 mi | Tropical storm (52 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1989 | HugoSep 22 | 34 mi | Tropical storm (60 mph) | Category 5 |
| 1959 | GracieSep 30 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 18 | 31 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1907 | Unnamed 1907 stormSep 23 | 75 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1902 | Unnamed 1902 stormOct 11 | 66 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Piney Flats: 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 Piney Flats
By decade
- 2010s12(2 EF3+)
- 2000s4
- 1990s3
- 1980s2(1 EF3+)
- 1970s2
- 1960s3
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 24 mi | 15.8 mi | 6 / 33 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF3 | 18 mi | 13.6 mi | 2 / 70 |
| Jul 10, 1980 | F3 | 16 mi | 1.9 mi | 0 / 12 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 19 mi | 12 mi | 2 / 0 |
| Mar 12, 1967 | F2 | 23 mi | 16 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 14 mi | 8.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 22, 1967 | F2 | 25 mi | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 3, 1962 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 8, 1957 | F2 | 14 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 27, 2014 | EF1 | 13 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 2011 | EF1 | 9 mi | 0.61 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 9, 2011 | EF1 | 11 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 28, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Piney Flats
The Storm Prediction Center has 75 hail reports within 10 miles of Piney Flats since 1960, made on 50 separate days. Of these, 47 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest, 3 inches (tea cup size), fell on October 8, 1960. The most recent report is from June 4, 2023. May has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Piney Flats
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Bristol Tri City Airport, TN, 5 miles northwest of Piney Flats at 1,500 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 86°F and low of 65°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 26°F. July is the wettest at 5.0 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 2.5 inches; the year adds up to 44.0 inches over 89 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 23 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 94 nights a year. Snowfall averages 9.2 inches a year, most of it in January and February. That 44.0 inches is more than at 0 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (0%). Bluff City, 6 miles northeast, has its own station (Elizabethton, TN): 48.2 inches a year, 4.2 more than here, and the same July average high, 86°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 26 | 3.7 | 7 | 3.0 |
| Feb | 51 | 29 | 3.8 | 8 | 3.0 |
| Mar | 59 | 35 | 4.0 | 9 | 1.1 |
| Apr | 69 | 43 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.1 |
| May | 77 | 52 | 3.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 61 | 3.9 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 5.0 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 86 | 63 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 81 | 56 | 2.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 2.5 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 34 | 3.1 | 6 | 0.3 |
| Dec | 50 | 29 | 3.8 | 8 | 1.7 |
| Year | 68 | 45 | 44.0 | 89 | 9.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Bristol Tri City Airport, TN (1,500 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 Piney Flats
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 280 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Piney Flats: 235 thunderstorm wind reports, 23 flash floods, 17 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 1 person and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.3 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 100 mph, on July 27, 2014. August has had the most flash floods, 10 of 23. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 262 have had fewer than Piney Flats.
May 26, 2018: flood 8 miles from the centre of Piney Flats — 1 killed.
July 18, 2013: thunderstorm wind 2 miles from the centre of Piney Flats — 1 injured.
NWS: “A strong wind gust destroyed a wooden and metal shed as the roof of the structure was lifted into the air and landed on a vehicle northbound on 11E in Piney Flats. When the structure hit the vehicle a passenger was killed and the driver was injured.”
September 11, 2010: lightning strike 8 miles from the centre of Piney Flats — $150,000 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
Sullivan County, which includes Piney Flats, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 7 of them major disasters (by incident: 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 winter storms, 1 flood). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Sullivan County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for strong wind and lightning; Relatively Moderate for inland flooding; Relatively Low for tornadoes and hail; Very Low for hurricanes and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $28.5 million a year, the 23rd highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $20.2 million (71%), 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 Piney Flats
- Bluff City, TN6 mi
- Johnson City, TN7 mi
- Blountville, TN7 mi
- Elizabethton, TN10 mi
- Bristol, TN13 mi
- Kingsport, TN13 mi
- Jonesborough, TN13 mi
- Hampton, TN14 mi
- Unicoi, TN16 mi
- Bristol, VA16 mi
- Fall Branch, TN16 mi
- Telford, TN17 mi
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