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Hardin County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 256 recorded events between 1954 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 46.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,068 nationally and #68 in Tennessee.
256
Recorded events
4
Direct deaths
40
Direct injuries
$35.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Hardin County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Hardin County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 3.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 80 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 21 events fall before 1990 and 235 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Hardin County, Tennessee record is tornado, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $27.1M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Hardin County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 118 | 1 | $3.8M | 78 | 1961–2025 |
| Hail | 82 | 0 | $48K | 2.5 | 1974–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 29 | 0 | $4.7M | 0 | 2002–2025 |
| Tornado | 21 | 3 | $27.1M | F4 | 1954–2025 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $13K | 0 | 1998–2020 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 2006–2021 |
Decade by decade
Hardin County, Tennessee severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
22 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 15 touched down inside it and 7 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-04-16 | EF5 | 3 | 36 | 69.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1970-04-19 | EF4 | 4 | 78 | 47.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-02-05 | EF4 | 3 | 5 | 16.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF3 | 9 | 23 | 86.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-04-02 | EF3 | 5 | 14 | 29.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1964-03-04 | EF3 | 0 | 7 | 27.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1958-02-26 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 18.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-27 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 3.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-05-02 | EF2 | 0 | 12 | 25.7 mi | Crossed in |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Hardin County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 6, 2008 | Tornado | BOX ELDER | 3 | 5 | $17.6M |
| Jul 5, 2018 | Thunderstorm Wind | PICKWICK LAKE | 1 | 0 | $20K |
| May 31, 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | SAVANNAH | 0 | 22 | $100K |
| Apr 29, 1954 | Tornado | 0 | 4 | $250K | |
| Mar 4, 1964 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | COUNCE | 0 | 2 | $1.8M |
| May 2, 2010 | Tornado | MORRIS CHAPEL | 0 | 2 | $100K |
| May 6, 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | SAVANNAH | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
This tornado weakened as it moved from McNairy into Hardin County, with damage to homes and trees along Highway 69, Old Union Road, Harris Road, and Glendale Road near Hookers Bend. One area of more intense damage was surveyed near Chalk Bluff along Glendale Road where a manufactured home was completely destroyed and an area of trees was slightly debarked. The tornado then approached New Harmony, crossing the bends in the Tennessee River three times. Numerous homes were damaged along Emerald Lane and in the area of Flat Bluff near Becky Road and Lion Lane. Additional damage was noted in the Crossroads area along Clifton and Hardin Creek Roads as the tornado moved into Wayne County. In total, nearly 150 structures were damaged in Hardin County between this tornado and the EF-2 that occurred a couple of hours earlier, 42 of which were total losses. Peak winds in Hardin County from this tornado were estimated at 145 mph.
Heavy rain produced widespread flash flooding across Hardin County. One hundred roads were damaged as a result. Several water rescues occurred as a result of the flooding. Forty homes and twenty six businesses reported at least minor damage.
A tornado touched down south of Counce and moved northeast toward Pickwick Lake. The tornado lifted just before reaching Pickwick Lake. At least 15 homes sustained moderate to major damage. A number of other homes sustained minor damage. Two mobile homes were destroyed. A pizza restaurant and a hardware store were also destroyed. Numerous trees and power lines were also knocked down. Two minor injuries occurred from the tornado.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
27,249
Population (ACS)
$160K
Median home value
28
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Jun 19, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 2, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM |
| May 17, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADO | DR |
| Apr 7, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Hardin County, Tennessee?
256 events are on record between 1954 and 2026, causing 4 direct deaths and $35.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Hardin County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 118 recorded events — 46.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Hardin County?
22 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 15 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Hardin County?
28 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Hardin County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Hardin County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hardin County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 71 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Hardin County, Tennessee severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- Hardeman County 287
- Hawkins County 318
- Hancock County 131
- Haywood County 184
- Hamilton County 780
- Henderson County 307
Cite this page
“Hardin County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/hardin-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.