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McNairy County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 235 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 46.4% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,215 nationally and #70 in Tennessee.
235
Recorded events
19
Direct deaths
144
Direct injuries
$75.5M
Property damage
The record
What the McNairy County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, McNairy County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 3.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 79 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 16 events fall before 1990 and 219 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the McNairy County, Tennessee record is tornado, responsible for 18 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $69.3M 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 McNairy County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 109 | 1 | $3.6M | 83 | 1960–2026 |
| Hail | 74 | 0 | $54K | 3 | 1985–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 23 | 0 | $2.4M | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Tornado | 21 | 18 | $69.3M | F3 | 1957–2025 |
| Lightning | 6 | 0 | $176K | 0 | 1996–2021 |
| Flood | 2 | 0 | $1K | 0 | 1999–2018 |
Decade by decade
McNairy 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: 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-12-23 | EF4 | 9 | 36 | 75.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 1970-04-19 | EF4 | 4 | 78 | 47.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-03-31 | EF3 | 9 | 23 | 86.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-04-02 | EF3 | 5 | 14 | 29.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1991-03-22 | EF3 | 4 | 45 | 22.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-05-02 | EF3 | 3 | 9 | 29.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 1957-04-04 | EF3 | 0 | 11 | 7.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-03-31 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 18.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-05-02 | EF2 | 0 | 12 | 25.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-03-01 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in McNairy County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2023 | Tornado | ROSE CREEK | 9 | 21 | $20.0M |
| Apr 3, 2025 | Tornado | ROSE CREEK | 5 | 14 | $11.0M |
| Mar 22, 1991 | Tornado | 4 | 45 | $25.0M | |
| Oct 26, 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | EASTVIEW | 1 | 0 | $2.7M |
| Feb 22, 1971 | Tornado | 0 | 36 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 4, 1957 | Tornado | 0 | 11 | $250K | |
| May 2, 2010 | Tornado | FALCON | 0 | 10 | $7.3M |
| Apr 24, 1970 | 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
Straight line winds caused significant damage across McNairy County. 880 homes were damaged and 21 homes were destroyed. Trees and power lines were knocked down across the county. Adamsville was the hardest hit area of the county while Milledgeville and Miche also sustained damage. A man was killed by a falling tree in Milledgeville.
A levee broke outside of Selmer toward Purdy which, when combined with very heavy rainfall of up to eight inches, resulted in widespread flash flooding. Twenty people were rescued. Ten homes and 50 businesses were flooded and damaged. Roads and bridges were also damaged.
NWS damage surveys concluded that a tornado touched down just south of Bethel Springs on Main Street around 9:30 PM CDT on the evening of March 31, 2023. The tornado picked up in size and intensity as it moved northeast toward Murray School Road where a double-wide manufactured home was completely destroyed. EF-2 damage continued northeast on Bethel Purdy Road where wooden power poles were snapped. A nearly 5-mile-long swath of EF-1 damage was noted up through Good Hope Church Road where more structures were significantly damaged. EF-2 damage was observed at several locations off Good Hope Church Road, including significant roof damage to a single-family residence along with bent metal electrical transmission poles. Widespread tree damage continued for 10 miles to the northeast consistent with EF-1 wind ratings as the tornado crossed into Hardin County. Peak winds in McNairy County from this tornado were estimated at 115 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
25,970
Population (ACS)
$162K
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 |
| 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 |
| Apr 7, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADOES | DR |
| May 8, 2021 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in McNairy County, Tennessee?
235 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 19 direct deaths and $75.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in McNairy County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 109 recorded events — 46.4% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed McNairy County?
22 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 17 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover McNairy County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include McNairy County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is McNairy County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates McNairy County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 51 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the McNairy 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
- McMinn County 484
- Macon County 241
- Loudon County 325
- Madison County 493
- Lincoln County 541
- Marion County 383
Cite this page
“McNairy County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/mcnairy-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.