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Weakley County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 316 recorded events between 1953 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 52.2% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,689 nationally and #41 in Tennessee.
316
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
64
Direct injuries
$18.9M
Property damage
The record
What the Weakley County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Weakley County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 4.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 76 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 43 events fall before 1990 and 273 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Weakley County, Tennessee record is lightning, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $14.2M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Weakley County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 165 | 1 | $3.7M | 74 | 1961–2026 |
| Hail | 75 | 0 | $42K | 2.75 | 1969–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 31 | 0 | $940K | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Tornado | 29 | 0 | $14.2M | F3 | 1953–2025 |
| Lightning | 8 | 2 | $76K | 0 | 1996–2018 |
| Flood | 4 | 0 | $15K | 0 | 2016–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2023–2023 |
| Dust Devil | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2012–2012 |
Decade by decade
Weakley County, Tennessee severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
30 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 24 touched down inside it and 6 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-04-02 | EF3 | 6 | 44 | 31.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-12-10 | EF3 | 0 | 38 | 122.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1994-11-27 | EF3 | 0 | 2 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-04-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 6.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-03-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 10.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1982-04-02 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 11.5 mi | Crossed in |
| 1973-11-26 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-07-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1957-07-04 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Weakley County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 4, 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | LIBERTY | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 28, 2018 | Lightning | PILLOWVILLE | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Sep 10, 2006 | Lightning | MARTIN | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Dec 11, 2021 | Tornado | SIDONIA | 0 | 30 | $6.1M |
| Aug 11, 2001 | Lightning | DRESDEN | 0 | 11 | $0 |
| Dec 5, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $250K | |
| Apr 28, 1971 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $25K | |
| Dec 9, 2023 | Tornado | SIDONIA | 0 | 2 | $500K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Straight-line winds knocked down numerous trees and power lines south of Dresden. Trees fell on a total of seven mobile homes resulting in significant damage. A fatality occurred in one of the mobile homes. A metal building was also damaged near Dresden.
Weakley County Sheriff stated deputies and a McKenzie ambulance responded to 1280 Blaylock Store Road late Monday afternoon. A group of children had been playing outside under a tree at the residence when the tree was struck by lightning. One of the children was killed by the lightning strike.
The tornado tracked from Gibson County northeast into Weakley County. The tornado passed north of Sharon mainly uprooting and snapping trees. The tornado strengthened as it approached Dresden causing significant damage to several homes along Highway 89. The tornado was at its peak intensity as it moved through Dresden. Numerous homes and businesses were destroyed or damaged in Dresden. In total, 187 homes were damaged in Weakley County with 100 of those being complete losses. Twenty-one businesses were also affected across the county. The tornado continued northeast and moved into Henry County. Peak winds were estimated at 160 mph in Weakley County.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
33,016
Population (ACS)
$151K
Median home value
21
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Apr 2, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM |
| Dec 13, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR |
| Mar 11, 2022 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Jan 14, 2022 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Weakley County, Tennessee?
316 events are on record between 1953 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $18.9M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Weakley County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 165 recorded events — 52.2% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Weakley County?
30 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 24 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Weakley County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Weakley County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Weakley County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Weakley County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 74 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Weakley 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
- Wayne County 282
- White County 258
- Washington County 299
- Williamson County 787
- Warren County 265
- Wilson County 885
Cite this page
“Weakley County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/weakley-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.