NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Waverly, 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 Waverly, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Audrey in 1957. Since 1950, 82 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 3
- Tornadoes
- 82
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
11 deaths in all
What the records show for Waverly
None of the 3 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Waverly; the strongest was an unnamed storm in 1888, a tropical storm with 59 mph winds when its centre passed 21 miles away. The record near Waverly begins with an unnamed storm in 1888; the most recent system was Audrey in 1957, a tropical storm 36 miles away. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site, 94% have more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than Waverly. The strongest of the 82 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on May 7, 1971; its path came within 15 miles, and it killed 3 people. The deadliest, an F3 on January 19, 1988, killed 3 people. Of the 82, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 60 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 51% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Waverly. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1973, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 80% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Waverly.
Compare Waverly's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Waverly
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | AudreyJun 28 | 36 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1934 | Unnamed 1934 stormJun 18 | 70 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 2 |
| 1888 | Unnamed 1888 stormAug 21 | 21 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 Waverly: 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 Waverly
By decade
- 2020s17
- 2010s11
- 2000s32(1 EF3+)
- 1990s7(1 EF3+)
- 1980s7(1 EF3+)
- 1970s4(1 EF3+)
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 1971 | F4 | 15 mi | 50.9 mi | 3 / 137 |
| Jan 19, 1988 | F3 | 15 mi | 22 mi | 3 / 24 |
| Jan 22, 1999 | F3 | 14 mi | 15 mi | 1 / 5 |
| May 27, 2000 | F3 | 16 mi | 17.2 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 21, 1952 | F3 | 21 mi | 5.1 mi | 0 / 19 |
| Mar 22, 1952 | F2 | 20 mi | 0.5 mi | 3 / 10 |
| Mar 2, 2020 | EF2 | 1 mi | 18.72 mi | 1 / 2 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF2 | 20 mi | 10.87 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | EF2 | 15 mi | 15.16 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Mar 2, 2020 | EF2 | 25 mi | 14.8 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jan 30, 2013 | EF2 | 24 mi | 4.27 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 2, 2010 | EF2 | 22 mi | 3.89 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 82, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Waverly
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Waverly since 1973, made on 27 separate days. Of these, 19 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 3 days, most recently October 13, 2014. The most recent report is from February 16, 2023. May has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Waverly
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Camden, TN, 15 miles west of Waverly at 423 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 90°F and low of 70°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 28°F. May is the wettest at 5.4 inches of precipitation on average and September the driest at 3.4 inches; the year adds up to 51.6 inches over 78 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 50 days a year, almost all from May to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 80 nights a year. Snowfall averages 2.7 inches a year, most of it in January. That 51.6 inches is more than at 21 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (17%). Mc Ewen, 10 miles east, has its own station (Dickson, TN): 54.0 inches a year, 2.4 more than here, and a July average high of 87°F against 90°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 28 | 4.1 | 7 | 1.0 |
| Feb | 54 | 32 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.7 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.6 |
| Apr | 72 | 48 | 4.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 5.4 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.6 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.1 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 90 | 68 | 3.8 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 3.4 | 4 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 4.1 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.1 |
| Dec | 52 | 33 | 4.8 | 7 | 0.3 |
| Year | 71 | 49 | 51.6 | 78 | 2.7 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Camden, TN (423 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 Waverly
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 115 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Waverly: 96 thunderstorm wind reports, 13 flash floods, 4 floods and 2 lightning strikes. They killed 20 people and injured 0, and the NWS estimated $101.0 million in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on April 4, 2011. August has had the most flash floods, 4 of 13. Of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site with a flash flood on record, 159 have had fewer than Waverly.
August 21, 2021: flash flood in Waverly — 19 killed, $100.0 million damage.
NWS: “An historic, devastating flash flood struck the city of Waverly along the Trace Creek river basin.”
August 21, 2021: flash flood 8 miles from the centre of Waverly — 1 killed.
NWS: “Major flash flooding affected the Hurricane Mills community along Hurricane Creek. Several buildings at the Loretta Lynn Ranch and Campground were flooded and damaged, and the pavement on Hurricane Mills Road was washed away in several locations.”
August 22, 2003: thunderstorm wind 10 miles from the centre of Waverly — $348,000 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
Flood insurance policyholders in Waverly's ZIP code 37185 have filed 230 claims with the National Flood Insurance Program since 1984, and were paid $15.6 million for buildings and contents, in the dollars of each year. The most came from Tennessee Flooding in 2021: 94 claims (41% of all) and $11.4 million, then Late spring storms in 2010 with 72. 73% of the claims carry the name of a storm or flood event; the rest have no event name. Of the 155 Tennessee cities on this site with 10 or more claims, 139 have fewer than Waverly.
| Event | Claims | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Flooding2021 | 94 | $11.4 million |
| Late spring storms2010 | 72 | $1.2 million |
Humphreys County, which includes Waverly, has been named in 26 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1975, 22 of them major disasters (by incident: 16 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 Humphreys County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding, lightning and heat waves; Very Low for hurricanes and hail. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $12.6 million a year, the 57th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $4.8 million (38%), 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 Waverly
- New Johnsonville, TN9 mi
- Mc Ewen, TN10 mi
- Camden, TN16 mi
- Tennessee Ridge, TN17 mi
- Erin, TN17 mi
- Big Sandy, TN17 mi
- Lobelville, TN22 mi
- Cumberland City, TN22 mi
- Dickson, TN23 mi
- Springville, TN24 mi
- Bruceton, TN25 mi
- Dover, TN27 mi
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