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Perry County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 222 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 59.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,306 nationally and #74 in Tennessee.
222
Recorded events
7
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$6.8M
Property damage
The record
What the Perry County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Perry County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 3.2 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 71 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 4 events fall before 1990 and 218 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Perry County, Tennessee record is tornado, responsible for 5 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $2.8M 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 Perry County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 132 | 0 | $2.1M | 83 | 1957–2026 |
| Hail | 38 | 0 | $10K | 3 | 1988–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 29 | 0 | $388K | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Tornado | 12 | 5 | $1.5M | F4 | 1999–2025 |
| Flood | 8 | 2 | $2.8M | 0 | 2009–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 3 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2018 |
Decade by decade
Perry County, Tennessee severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
12 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 10 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-05-05 | EF4 | 3 | 0 | 6.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-12-23 | EF2 | 2 | 0 | 14.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-11 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-03-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 9.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-04-24 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 25.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2010-05-02 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 6.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-02-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 22.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-02-05 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 10.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2025-03-30 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2017-08-31 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Perry County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 1999 | Tornado | LINDEN | 3 | 0 | $295K |
| Dec 24, 2015 | Tornado | SUGAR HILL | 2 | 0 | $500K |
| May 2, 2010 | Flood | LOBELVILLE | 2 | 0 | $2.8M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
An F4 tornado struck the town of Linden, located about 70 miles southwest of Nashville. The tornado damaged many homes, schools and businesses and churches. There were 3 fatalities. A 14 year old girl was sucked out of her home by the tornado as she, her father, and her mother were headed to the basement. Her dad was also sucked out of the home, but was found unharmed in the yard. The 14 year old girl was found 5 hours later in the rumble of their home. Hollis Hinson, 47 year old male and Perry County Trustee, was killed in his home. His girlfriend, 47 year old school teacher Patti Haston, was also killed in Mr. Hinson's house. The home was lifted off the foundation and flung into the woods and down a nearby hill. Both had gone to the bathroom to escape the tornado's fury. Ms. Hinson was found dead in a bathtub.
A father and his special needs daughter were killed when trying to evacuate their mobile home. Also, numerous homes, numerous businesses, numerous non comercial buildings, along with several county, state, and federal roads across the county received damage due to the flood.
A 5-10 mile wide swath of severe downburst winds struck the northwest portions of Perry County into adjacent eastern Decatur County along the Tennessee River. Dozens of power lines and power poles were blown down and thousands of trees were snapped or uprooted, with many falling on homes in the Deer Creek and Crooked Creek areas. A few homes received direct structural damage from the high winds, especially along the Tennessee River. Power outages lasted up to 2 weeks in this area, with most Perry County schools closed during this 2 week period. Damage estimates from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency across northwest Perry County reached $1.07 million. Winds were estimated up to 95 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
8,697
Population (ACS)
$127K
Median home value
24
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 |
| Mar 8, 2023 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Perry County, Tennessee?
222 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 7 direct deaths and $6.8M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Perry County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 132 recorded events — 59.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Perry County?
12 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 10 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Perry County?
24 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Perry County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Perry County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Perry County as very low risk, placing it in the 33 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Perry 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
- Overton County 290
- Pickett County 99
- Obion County 281
- Polk County 270
- Morgan County 324
- Putnam County 478
Cite this page
“Perry County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/perry-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.