NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Puryear, 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
3 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Puryear, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Olga in 2019. Since 1950, 111 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 10 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 111
- EF3 or stronger
- 10
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
66 deaths in all
What the records show for Puryear
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Puryear; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 18 miles away. The record near Puryear begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Olga in 2019, a tropical storm 46 miles away. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site, 94% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Puryear. The highest rating among the 111 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on December 10, 2021, came within 23 miles. Of the 111, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 80 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 29. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Puryear has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 82% of the 339 Tennessee cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 52 times since 1981, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 49% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Puryear.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Puryear
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OlgaOct 26 | 46 mi | Tropical storm (45 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 18 mi | Tropical storm (59 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Puryear: 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 Puryear
By decade
- 2020s19(2 EF3+)
- 2010s24
- 2000s37(3 EF3+)
- 1990s8(2 EF3+)
- 1980s5(1 EF3+)
- 1970s9
- 1960s7(2 EF3+)
- 1950s2
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF4 | 23 mi | 168.53 mi | 57 / 515 |
| Mar 4, 1964 | F4 | 18 mi | 18.5 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Apr 3, 1968 | F4 | 13 mi | 50.6 mi | 2 / 30 |
| Nov 26, 2001 | F3 | 13 mi | 5 mi | 2 / 12 |
| Nov 15, 2005 | F3 | 22 mi | 44 mi | 1 / 20 |
| Jan 22, 1999 | F3 | 25 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF3 | 1 mi | 122.62 mi | 0 / 38 |
| May 27, 2000 | F3 | 23 mi | 17.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 27, 1994 | F3 | 16 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 7, 1984 | F3 | 11 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 36 |
| Apr 2, 2025 | EF2 | 18 mi | 6.38 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 1, 2017 | EF2 | 17 mi | 1.55 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 111, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Puryear
The Storm Prediction Center has 52 hail reports within 10 miles of Puryear since 1981, made on 42 separate days. Of these, 30 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2 inches (hen egg size), fell on January 22, 2012. The most recent report is from June 6, 2025. April has the most reports, 15.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Puryear
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Paris 2 SE, TN, 11 miles south of Puryear at 443 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 46°F and 27°F. May is the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and August and October the driest at 3.8 inches; the year adds up to 54.9 inches over 81 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 33 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 87 nights a year. Snowfall averages 5.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 54.9 inches is more than at 48 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (39%). Murray, KY, 13 miles north, has its own station (Murray, KY): 58.0 inches a year, 3.1 more than here, and a July average high of 89°F against 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | 27 | 4.0 | 7 | 2.6 |
| Feb | 51 | 30 | 4.9 | 7 | 1.4 |
| Mar | 60 | 37 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.7 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.1 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 5.7 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 4.4 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 66 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 59 | 3.9 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 47 | 3.8 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 59 | 36 | 4.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 49 | 30 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.4 |
| Year | 69 | 47 | 54.9 | 81 | 5.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Paris 2 SE, TN (443 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 Puryear
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 108 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Puryear: 87 thunderstorm wind reports, 12 flash floods, 5 floods, 3 heavy rain events and 1 lightning strike. They killed 1 person and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $1.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 127 mph, on November 6, 2005. February has had the most flash floods, 5 of 12. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 139 have had fewer than Puryear.
March 7, 2022: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Puryear — 1 killed.
November 6, 2005: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Puryear — $525,000 damage.
July 19, 2023: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Puryear — $500,000 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
Henry County, which includes Puryear, has been named in 21 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 17 of them major disasters (by incident: 12 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes, 2 winter storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Henry County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for inland flooding and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $38.4 million a year, the 14th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.5 million (9%), is from tornadoes.
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 Puryear
- Paris, TN10 mi
- Murray, KY13 mi
- Springville, TN15 mi
- Henry, TN17 mi
- Almo, KY18 mi
- Gleason, TN21 mi
- Dresden, TN21 mi
- Big Sandy, TN22 mi
- Mc Kenzie, TN23 mi
- Wingo, KY25 mi
- Mayfield, KY25 mi
- Martin, TN28 mi
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