1,695
Recorded events
95
Counties affected
405
Direct deaths
$3.4B
Property damage
Tennessee tornado history: 1,695 recorded events across 95 counties between 1950 and 2026.
Decade by decade
Tennessee tornado history by decade
The 2010s are the busiest decade on record with 397 reported tornado events across Tennessee. Earlier decades are thinner because systematic reporting for this hazard expanded over time, not because the weather was calmer.
County ranking
Counties with the most tornado events in Tennessee
| Rank | County | Events | Deaths | Damage | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Shelby County | 56 | 6 | $178.4M | 1950–2019 |
| #2 | Davidson County | 53 | 7 | $1.2B | 1952–2026 |
| #3 | Rutherford County | 46 | 3 | $123.7M | 1955–2025 |
| #4 | Sumner County | 45 | 15 | $100.2M | 1955–2023 |
| #5 | Lincoln County | 45 | 10 | $6.0M | 1952–2024 |
| #6 | Wilson County | 45 | 3 | $425.5M | 1955–2025 |
| #7 | Lawrence County | 42 | 3 | $22.8M | 1955–2026 |
| #8 | Franklin County | 36 | 9 | $1.4M | 1952–2025 |
| #9 | Montgomery County | 36 | 6 | $106.9M | 1957–2026 |
| #10 | Madison County | 35 | 20 | $183.8M | 1953–2025 |
| #11 | Gibson County | 35 | 11 | $48.6M | 1952–2025 |
| #12 | Dyer County | 33 | 35 | $79.8M | 1952–2026 |
| #13 | Robertson County | 29 | 2 | $21.3M | 1955–2026 |
| #14 | Weakley County | 29 | 0 | $14.2M | 1953–2025 |
| #15 | Coffee County | 28 | 2 | $5.9M | 1957–2025 |
| #16 | Tipton County | 28 | 8 | $89.9M | 1964–2023 |
| #17 | Hamilton County | 27 | 11 | $106.3M | 1974–2023 |
| #18 | Bradley County | 27 | 13 | $38.0M | 1963–2020 |
| #19 | Lauderdale County | 27 | 9 | $3.6M | 1950–2025 |
| #20 | Carroll County | 26 | 8 | $16.4M | 1952–2023 |
| #21 | Williamson County | 25 | 1 | $38.8M | 1963–2025 |
| #22 | Obion County | 25 | 1 | $7.3M | 1954–2025 |
| #23 | Benton County | 25 | 2 | $16.0M | 1952–2025 |
| #24 | Cumberland County | 24 | 8 | $9.7M | 1957–2025 |
| #25 | Humphreys County | 24 | 0 | $2.3M | 1952–2025 |
Significant events
Deadliest tornado events in Tennessee
| Date | County | Scale | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 22, 1952 | Chester County | F4 | 23 | 100 |
| Mar 3, 2020 | Putnam County | EF4 | 19 | 87 |
| Apr 3, 2006 | Dyer County | F3 | 16 | 70 |
| Feb 6, 2008 | Macon County | EF3 | 13 | 44 |
| May 5, 2003 | Madison County | F4 | 11 | 66 |
| Mar 22, 1952 | Henderson County | F4 | 11 | 43 |
| Mar 22, 1952 | Dyer County | F3 | 10 | 30 |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Putnam County | F4 | 10 | 51 |
| Apr 1, 2023 | McNairy County | EF3 | 9 | 21 |
| Feb 13, 1950 | Lauderdale County | F2 | 9 | 1 |