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Tipton County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 357 recorded events between 1964 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 47.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,443 nationally and #32 in Tennessee.
357
Recorded events
10
Direct deaths
68
Direct injuries
$119.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Tipton County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Tipton County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 5.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 97 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 32 events fall before 1990 and 325 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Tipton County, Tennessee record is tornado, responsible for 8 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $89.9M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Tipton County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 171 | 0 | $2.6M | 83 | 1968–2026 |
| Hail | 98 | 0 | $41K | 2.75 | 1971–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 46 | 2 | $25.7M | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Tornado | 28 | 8 | $89.9M | F3 | 1964–2023 |
| Flood | 9 | 0 | $763K | 0 | 1998–2018 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $61K | 0 | 1996–2007 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2023–2023 |
Decade by decade
Tipton County, Tennessee severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
27 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 22 touched down inside it and 5 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-31 | EF3 | 4 | 26 | 72.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1968-04-03 | EF3 | 4 | 32 | 28.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-03-31 | EF3 | 1 | 28 | 39.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-02-05 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 8.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2002-11-09 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 50.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1989-06-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 7.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-11-27 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 15.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1964-03-04 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 7.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1964-03-04 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 6.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1975-04-25 | EF1 | 1 | 1 | 7.4 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Tipton County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1968 | Tornado | 4 | 28 | $2.5M | |
| Mar 31, 2023 | Tornado | MUNFORD | 1 | 28 | $80.0M |
| Apr 25, 1975 | Tornado | 1 | 1 | $25K | |
| Jun 7, 1974 | Tornado | 1 | 1 | $25K | |
| May 31, 1967 | Tornado | 1 | 1 | $25K | |
| Apr 3, 2025 | Flash Flood | COVINGTON | 1 | 0 | $5K |
| May 1, 2010 | Flash Flood | DETROIT | 1 | 0 | $20.5M |
| Mar 4, 1964 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $25K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Very heavy rain produced widespread flash flooding across Tipton County. Up to 20 inches of rain fell causing devastating damage to homes, businesses, roads and bridges. In fact, 40 roads were impassable in Tipton County due to the flooding. Twenty-one of those roads and 14 bridges were washed out as a result of the flooding. Other roads received damage just from the heavy rain. Damage was particularly bad in Atoka and Mason. Numerous vehicles were completely submerged in water. Two apartment complexes in Covington sustained major damage. In total, 309 homes received damage from the flooding. Of those, 96 homes were completely destroyed. As many as 93 businesses were flooded and of those 21 were completely destroyed. Nineteen mobile homes were flooded with 14 being destroyed. Many other structures or buildings were flooded as well. One fatality occurred in Mason. The flash flooding event transitioned into a flood event as rivers rose rapidly and overflowed their banks.
The tornado moved into Tipton county from Mississippi county in Arkansas and moved northeast. The tornado produced significant damage across the county. One man was injured was injured by bricks blown down from the facade of a building in downtown Covington. Across the county, twenty-eight mobile homes, five houses and one business were destroyed. Approximately 275 homes and business were damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.
Heavy rain caused flash flooding throughout the Covington area and across much of Tipton County. Over 7 inches of rain fell in a short period of time, causing flooding on Highway 59 and Highway 51, along with South Main Street in Covington. There were multiple water rescues. Thirty-two homes and businesses were flooded. Many roads and bridges were damaged throughout the county.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
61,553
Population (ACS)
$241K
Median home value
25
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 |
| Sep 4, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
| Aug 17, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Tipton County, Tennessee?
357 events are on record between 1964 and 2026, causing 10 direct deaths and $119.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Tipton County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 171 recorded events — 47.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Tipton County?
27 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 22 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Tipton County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Tipton County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Tipton County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Tipton County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 81 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Tipton 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
- Sumner County 738
- Trousdale County 124
- Sullivan County 421
- Unicoi County 110
- Stewart County 299
- Union County 214
Cite this page
“Tipton County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/tipton-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.