NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Whitwell, 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 Whitwell, Tennessee since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Zeta in 2020. Since 1950, 76 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 7 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 6
- Tornadoes
- 76
- EF3 or stronger
- 7
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
21 deaths in all
What the records show for Whitwell
None of the 6 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Whitwell; the strongest was Zeta in 2020, a tropical storm with 58 mph winds when its centre passed 61 miles away. The record near Whitwell begins with an unnamed storm in 1892; the most recent system was Zeta in 2020. The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 2 systems. Of the 6 systems, one has come since 2000. Whitwell has more tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles than 44% of the 339 Tennessee cities on this site. The highest rating among the 76 tornadoes within 25 miles is EF4, reached 3 times; the most recent, on April 27, 2011, came within 21 miles. Of the 76, 3 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 50 have come since 2000. April has had the most tornadoes, 30. The most recent tornado was on April 5, 2025. Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 55% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Whitwell. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 33 times since 1975, with stones up to 2.75 inches (baseball size). Of the 339 Tennessee cities, 80% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Whitwell.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Whitwell
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ZetaOct 29 | 61 mi | Tropical storm (58 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1979 | FredericSep 14 | 56 mi | Tropical storm (44 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1975 | EloiseSep 23 | 52 mi | Tropical storm (47 mph) | Category 3 |
| 1932 | Unnamed 1932 stormOct 17 | 30 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
| 1915 | Unnamed 1915 stormOct 1 | 39 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Category 4 |
| 1892 | Unnamed 1892 stormSep 13 | 38 mi | Tropical storm (43 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Whitwell: 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 Whitwell
By decade
- 2020s8(1 EF3+)
- 2010s34(4 EF3+)
- 2000s8
- 1990s13(1 EF3+)
- 1980s6
- 1970s2
- 1960s3
- 1950s2(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 21 mi | 46.98 mi | 14 / 50 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 10 mi | 40.16 mi | 4 / 12 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF4 | 17 mi | 20.24 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Apr 12, 2020 | EF3 | 23 mi | 19.34 mi | 2 / 18 |
| Mar 2, 2012 | EF3 | 20 mi | 41 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Mar 29, 1997 | F3 | 15 mi | 8 mi | 0 / 44 |
| Feb 13, 1952 | F3 | 15 mi | 5.1 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Nov 6, 2018 | EF2 | 18 mi | 29.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Nov 29, 2016 | EF2 | 4 mi | 8.15 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 12 mi | 4.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 9 mi | 10 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 2011 | EF2 | 13 mi | 2.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 76, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Whitwell
The Storm Prediction Center has 33 hail reports within 10 miles of Whitwell since 1975, made on 23 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and one reached 2 inches. The largest, 2.75 inches (baseball size), fell on May 20, 2006. The most recent report is from March 27, 2021. March has the most reports, 8.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Whitwell
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Whitwell-Sequatchie Vly, TN, 6 miles north of Whitwell at 1,020 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 88°F and low of 68°F; January is the coolest, at 49°F and 32°F. December is the wettest at 6.8 inches of precipitation on average and October the driest at 3.9 inches; the year adds up to 63.8 inches over 90 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 32 days a year, almost all from June to September. Lows fall below freezing on about 63 nights a year. Snowfall averages 3.1 inches a year, most of it in February. That 63.8 inches is more than at 118 of the 122 Tennessee stations used on this site (97%). Signal Mountain, 10 miles east, has its own station (Soddy Daisy-Mowbray Mountain, TN): 63.1 inches a year, 0.7 less than here, and the same July average high, 88°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 32 | 5.8 | 8 | 1.3 |
| Feb | 54 | 35 | 5.5 | 8 | 1.6 |
| Mar | 63 | 41 | 6.1 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 72 | 49 | 6.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 4.5 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 84 | 65 | 5.3 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 5.6 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 5.1 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 4.0 | 5 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 72 | 50 | 3.9 | 6 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 61 | 41 | 5.2 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 52 | 35 | 6.8 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Year | 70 | 50 | 63.8 | 90 | 3.1 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Whitwell-Sequatchie Vly, TN (1,020 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 Whitwell
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 140 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Whitwell: 132 thunderstorm wind reports, 5 floods, 2 flash floods and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $970,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 75 mph, on May 10, 2004.
July 28, 1997: thunderstorm wind 8 miles from the centre of Whitwell — $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
Marion County, which includes Whitwell, has been named in 25 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1973, 18 of them major disasters (by incident: 9 severe storms, 6 floods, 2 biological emergencies, 2 fires). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Winter Storm, on February 6, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Marion County a Relatively Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for tornadoes and strong wind; Relatively Low for inland flooding and lightning; Very Low for hurricanes, hail and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $16.4 million a year, the 44th highest of 95 Tennessee counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $7.7 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 Whitwell
- Signal Mountain, TN10 mi
- Jasper, TN12 mi
- Tracy City, TN15 mi
- Dunlap, TN15 mi
- Hixson, TN16 mi
- Lookout Mountain, TN16 mi
- South Pittsburg, TN17 mi
- Chattanooga, TN18 mi
- Lookout Mountain, GA18 mi
- Monteagle, TN19 mi
- Soddy Daisy, TN19 mi
- Flintstone, GA20 mi
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