NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Tennessee Ridge, 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
2 tropical systems have passed within 75 miles of Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Audrey in 1957. Since 1950, 84 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 2
- Tornadoes
- 84
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
6 deaths in all
What the records show for Tennessee Ridge
None of the 2 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Tennessee Ridge; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 10 miles away. The record near Tennessee Ridge begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Audrey in 1957, a tropical storm 47 miles away. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site, 98% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Tennessee Ridge. The highest rating among the 84 tornadoes within 25 miles is F3 or EF3, reached 5 times; the most recent, on December 9, 2023, came within 24 miles. Of the 84, 2 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 62 have come since 2000. May has had the most tornadoes, 26. The most recent tornado was on May 20, 2025. Tennessee Ridge has more tornadoes within 25 miles than 48% of the 339 Tennessee cities. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 28 times since 1972, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 88% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Tennessee Ridge.
Compare Tennessee Ridge's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Tennessee Ridge
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 10 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Tennessee Ridge: 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 Tennessee Ridge
By decade
- 2020s14(2 EF3+)
- 2010s11
- 2000s37(2 EF3+)
- 1990s11(1 EF3+)
- 1980s5
- 1970s3
- 1960s2
- 1950s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 9, 2023 | EF3 | 24 mi | 47.22 mi | 4 / 62 |
| Jan 22, 1999 | F3 | 14 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 5 |
| Dec 10, 2021 | EF3 | 19 mi | 122.62 mi | 0 / 38 |
| May 4, 2003 | F3 | 25 mi | 11.5 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 27, 2000 | F3 | in town | 17.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2020 | EF2 | 15 mi | 18.72 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Dec 9, 2023 | EF2 | 20 mi | 5.81 mi | 0 / 2 |
| May 23, 2011 | EF2 | 24 mi | 17.3 mi | 0 / 1 |
| May 23, 2011 | EF2 | 16 mi | 13.29 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Feb 5, 2008 | EF2 | 8 mi | 6.56 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 15, 2005 | F2 | 22 mi | 1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 15, 2005 | F2 | 4 mi | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 84, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Tennessee Ridge
The Storm Prediction Center has 28 hail reports within 10 miles of Tennessee Ridge since 1972, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 13 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on April 7, 2006. The most recent report is from April 8, 2024. April has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Tennessee Ridge
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Tennessee Ridge, TN, in Tennessee Ridge at 722 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 89°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 47°F and 26°F. March and April are the wettest at 6.0 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.0 inches; the year adds up to 54.7 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 42 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 84 nights a year. That 54.7 inches is more than at 45 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (37%). Dover, 12 miles northwest, has its own station (Dover 1 W, TN): 54.8 inches a year, the same as here, and a July average high of 88°F against 89°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 26 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Feb | 51 | 29 | 4.6 | 7 |
| Mar | 61 | 36 | 6.0 | 7 |
| Apr | 71 | 46 | 6.0 | 8 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 5.2 | 8 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.0 | 7 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Aug | 89 | 67 | 3.6 | 5 |
| Sep | 83 | 60 | 3.0 | 5 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 4.7 | 5 |
| Nov | 59 | 38 | 4.7 | 6 |
| Dec | 50 | 30 | 4.9 | 7 |
| Year | 70 | 47 | 54.7 | 78 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Tennessee Ridge, TN (722 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 Tennessee Ridge
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 132 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Tennessee Ridge: 113 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 heavy rain events, 7 flash floods, 3 floods and 1 lightning strike. They killed 3 people and injured 1, and the NWS estimated $2.9 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 109 mph, on January 4, 1997. February has had the most flash floods, 2 of 7. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 40 have had fewer than Tennessee Ridge.
May 1, 2010: flood 3 miles from the centre of Tennessee Ridge — 2 killed, $100,000 damage.
NWS: “Mr. Ritenour and Mrs.”
January 4, 1997: thunderstorm wind 9 miles from the centre of Tennessee Ridge — 1 killed, $30,000 damage.
April 27, 2013: lightning strike 7 miles from the centre of Tennessee Ridge — 1 injured.
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
Houston County, which includes Tennessee Ridge, has been named in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 24 of them major disasters (by incident: 17 severe storms, 3 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Houston County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind; Relatively Low for tornadoes and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, hail, inland flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $5.2 million a year, the 84th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $1.6 million (31%), 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 Tennessee Ridge
- Erin, TN6 mi
- Cumberland City, TN9 mi
- Dover, TN12 mi
- Indian Mound, TN13 mi
- Big Sandy, TN16 mi
- Waverly, TN17 mi
- Woodlawn, TN18 mi
- Mc Ewen, TN19 mi
- Springville, TN19 mi
- Cumberland Furnace, TN20 mi
- New Johnsonville, TN23 mi
- Camden, TN26 mi
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