NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rock Island, 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 Rock Island, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 69 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 69
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
20 deaths in all
What the records show for Rock Island
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rock Island; the strongest was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm with 47 mph winds when its centre passed 72 miles away. The record near Rock Island begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Helene in 2024. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Rock Island has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 44% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The strongest of the 69 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on April 3, 1974; its path came within 20 miles, and it killed 10 people. Of the 69, 4 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 36 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 17. The most recent tornado was on May 6, 2024. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 62% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rock Island. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 52 times since 1961, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 49% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rock Island.
Compare Rock Island's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rock Island
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 72 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 22 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 57 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 6 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 16 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Rock Island: 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 Rock Island
By decade
- 2020s9
- 2010s12
- 2000s15
- 1990s9(1 EF3+)
- 1980s4
- 1970s8(2 EF3+)
- 1960s6(1 EF3+)
- 1950s6
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 20 mi | 28.4 mi | 10 / 51 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 23 mi | 14.6 mi | 1 / 23 |
| May 18, 1995 | F3 | 25 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 20 |
| Mar 13, 1961 | F3 | 11 mi | 9.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 25 mi | 12.3 mi | 2 / 24 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 11 mi | 8.7 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Mar 15, 1973 | F2 | 14 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 3 |
| Mar 23, 2011 | EF2 | 13 mi | 9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 10, 2002 | F2 | 10 mi | 2.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 28, 1997 | F2 | 20 mi | 6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 24, 1997 | F2 | 19 mi | 7.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 24, 1997 | F2 | 23 mi | 3.2 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 69, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rock Island
The Storm Prediction Center has 52 hail reports within 10 miles of Rock Island since 1961, made on 38 separate days. Of these, 24 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 4 days, most recently April 22, 2005. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. April has the most reports, 22.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rock Island
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Mc Minnville, TN, 10 miles southwest of Rock Island at 940 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 51°F and 31°F. December is the wettest at 5.5 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.2 inches; the year adds up to 54.3 inches over 88 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 34 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 69 nights a year. Snowfall averages 4.1 inches a year, most of it in January. That 54.3 inches is more than at 37 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (30%). Spencer, 13 miles east, has its own station (Pikeville, TN): 56.3 inches a year, 2.0 more than here, and a July average high of 88°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 31 | 4.6 | 8 | 1.4 |
| Feb | 55 | 34 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.9 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.6 |
| Apr | 73 | 48 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 57 | 4.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.7 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 60 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 3.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 62 | 39 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 53 | 34 | 5.5 | 8 | 1.1 |
| Year | 71 | 49 | 54.3 | 88 | 4.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Mc Minnville, TN (940 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 Rock Island
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 123 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rock Island: 113 thunderstorm wind reports, 7 flash floods, 1 flood, 1 heavy rain event and 1 lightning strike. They killed 0 people and injured 2, and the NWS estimated $5.4 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 104 mph, on May 2, 2002. June has had the most flash floods, 3 of 7. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 40 have had fewer than Rock Island.
April 2, 2006: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Rock Island — 1 injured, $20,000 damage.
May 2, 2002: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Rock Island — 1 injured.
March 29, 2020: thunderstorm wind 7 miles from the centre of Rock Island — $4.0 million damage.
NWS: “A massive, severe 22 miles long by 5 miles wide macroburst moved across White County from the DeKalb County border 4 miles northwest of Walling to the Cumberland County border 4 miles west-southwest of Pleasant Hill. Significant and severe wind damage affected areas in and around Mt.”
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
Warren County, which includes Rock Island, has been named in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 17 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 Warren County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, strong wind and lightning; Relatively Low for 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 $18.4 million a year, the 40th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $6.5 million (35%), 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.