NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Smithville, 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 Smithville, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Helene in 2024. Since 1950, 93 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 9 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 5
- Tornadoes
- 93
- EF3 or stronger
- 9
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
43 deaths in all
What the records show for Smithville
None of the 5 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Smithville; the strongest was Helene in 2024, a tropical storm with 47 mph winds when its centre passed 74 miles away. The record near Smithville begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Helene in 2024. Of the 5 systems, one has come since 2000. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site, 55% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Smithville. The highest rating among the 93 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4 or EF4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on March 3, 2020, came within 19 miles. Of the 93, 7 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 55 have come since 2000. March has had the most tornadoes, 25. The most recent tornado was on May 6, 2024. Smithville has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 61% of the 339 Tennessee cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 32 times since 1974, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 82% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Smithville.
Compare Smithville's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Smithville
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | HeleneSep 27 | 74 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 7 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 42 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 9 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 3 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 Smithville: 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 Smithville
By decade
- 2020s17(2 EF3+)
- 2010s21
- 2000s17
- 1990s10(1 EF3+)
- 1980s4
- 1970s9(4 EF3+)
- 1960s8(1 EF3+)
- 1950s7(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 3, 2020 | EF4 | 19 mi | 8.39 mi | 19 / 87 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F4 | 15 mi | 28.4 mi | 10 / 51 |
| Mar 3, 2020 | EF3 | 17 mi | 60.13 mi | 5 / 220 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 9 mi | 14.6 mi | 1 / 23 |
| Feb 21, 1993 | F3 | 20 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 6 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F3 | 24 mi | 15.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 1971 | F3 | 12 mi | 15 mi | 0 / 3 |
| Mar 13, 1961 | F3 | 21 mi | 9.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 26, 1959 | F3 | 25 mi | 19.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 31, 2001 | F2 | 17 mi | 6.3 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Apr 3, 1974 | F2 | 24 mi | 8.7 mi | 1 / 1 |
| Mar 15, 1973 | F2 | 17 mi | 0.1 mi | 1 / 3 |
The strongest 12 of 93, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Smithville
The Storm Prediction Center has 32 hail reports within 10 miles of Smithville since 1974, made on 26 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 8 days, most recently July 21, 2018. The most recent report is from May 20, 2025. May has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Smithville
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Smithville 2 SE, TN, 2 miles northeast of Smithville at 890 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 66°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 26°F. March and December are the wettest at 5.7 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.3 inches; the year adds up to 57.0 inches over 89 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 27 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 103 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.1 inches a year, most of it in January and February. That 57.0 inches is more than at 75 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (61%). Rock Island, 15 miles southeast, has its own station (Mc Minnville, TN): 54.3 inches a year, 2.7 less 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 | 47 | 26 | 4.9 | 8 | 1.1 |
| Feb | 52 | 28 | 5.1 | 8 | 1.1 |
| Mar | 60 | 35 | 5.7 | 9 | 0.3 |
| Apr | 70 | 42 | 5.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 53 | 4.9 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 85 | 61 | 5.1 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 87 | 64 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 82 | 56 | 4.0 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 43 | 3.3 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 60 | 33 | 4.2 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 51 | 28 | 5.7 | 9 | 0.6 |
| Year | 69 | 45 | 57.0 | 89 | 3.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Smithville 2 SE, TN (890 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 Smithville
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 105 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Smithville: 95 thunderstorm wind reports, 4 flash floods, 3 floods, 2 lightning strikes and 1 heavy rain event. They killed 0 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $867,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 96 mph, on March 10, 2017.
March 10, 2017: thunderstorm wind 5 miles from the centre of Smithville — 1 injured, $25,000 damage.
NWS: “6 mile long by 150 yard wide microburst struck far northern Warren County just south of the DeKalb County line. A few trees were blown down towards the east-northeast to the west of Highway 56 south of Meridian Drive.”
June 11, 2009: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Smithville — $125,000 damage.
NWS: “A two story barn destroyed along with roof blown of building. Type of building was unkown.”
March 15, 2025: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Smithville — $100,000 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
DeKalb County, which includes Smithville, has been named in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1974, 15 of them major disasters (by incident: 8 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 ice storms). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives DeKalb County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $7.5 million a year, the 71st highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.6 million (47%), 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 Smithville
- Rock Island, TN15 mi
- Woodbury, TN16 mi
- Alexandria, TN16 mi
- Mcminnville, TN16 mi
- Baxter, TN17 mi
- Sparta, TN20 mi
- Gordonsville, TN21 mi
- Watertown, TN22 mi
- Bradyville, TN23 mi
- Morrison, TN24 mi
- Readyville, TN24 mi
- Cookeville, TN25 mi
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