56
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
131
Direct injuries
$178.4M
Property damage
Tornado in Shelby County, Tennessee: 56 recorded events between 1950 and 2019. The strongest on record measured F3. That places the county #292 nationally and #1 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Tornado in Shelby County, Tennessee: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for tornado in Shelby County is the 1960s, when 14 of the county's 56 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Shelby County archive, tornado makes up 4.7% of all recorded severe weather across 7 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #292 for this hazard and #1 within Tennessee, putting it in the 89.9 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Apr is the peak month for tornado in Shelby County with 13 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
| Date | Scale | Path length | Max width | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-12-14 | EF3 | 25.0 mi | 200 yd | Crossed in |
| 1968-04-03 | EF3 | 28.8 mi | 1,760 yd | Touched down here |
| 1994-11-27 | EF3 | 16.0 mi | 200 yd | Touched down here |
| 1984-04-21 | EF3 | 3.0 mi | 20 yd | Touched down here |
| 1970-04-24 | EF3 | 17.0 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 1970-04-24 | EF3 | 12.3 mi | 50 yd | Crossed in |
| 1970-04-24 | EF3 | 10.4 mi | 50 yd | Touched down here |
| 2008-02-05 | EF2 | 10.2 mi | 440 yd | Crossed in |
| 2008-02-05 | EF2 | 8.1 mi | 150 yd | Touched down here |
| 1989-06-04 | EF2 | 7.0 mi | 100 yd | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 27, 1994 | F3 | 3 | 25 | $50.0M | |
| Feb 5, 2008 | WHITEHAVEN | EF2 | 3 | 13 | $100.0M |
| Aug 30, 1978 | F2 | 0 | 26 | $2.5M | |
| Dec 15, 1987 | F3 | 0 | 21 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 24, 1970 | F3 | 0 | 13 | $2.5M | |
| Feb 13, 1950 | F1 | 0 | 8 | $3K | |
| Apr 24, 1970 | F3 | 0 | 5 | $2.5M | |
| Apr 4, 1968 | F3 | 0 | 4 | $2.5M |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 21, 2019 | (MEM)MEMPHIS INTL AR | EF1 | $1.5M |
| Apr 28, 2014 | ROSEMARK | EF0 | $25K |
| May 2, 2010 | LUCY | EF1 | $10K |
| Jul 30, 2009 | SHELBY CENTER | EF1 | $250K |
| Jun 12, 2009 | BARTLETT | EF1 | $25K |
| Feb 6, 2008 | EADS | EF0 | $25K |
| Feb 5, 2008 | WHITEHAVEN | EF2 | $100.0M |
| Feb 5, 2008 | BOLTON | EF2 | $1.0M |
| Jun 17, 2006 | CORDOVA | F1 | $100K |
| Apr 22, 2004 | FISHERVILLE | F0 | $25K |
Other hazards here
More from Shelby County
- Thunderstorm Wind 571
- Hail 311
- Flash Flood 195
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado started just southwest of Germantown and moved northeast through the eastern part of Shelby County and then continued into the northwest part of Fayette County. Three persons were killed in Germantown when the tornado struck a home where 16 people had gathered for a family reunion. Twenty-five persons were injured in the Germantown area. Overall, 28 homes were destroyed and 300 other homes were damaged. Houston High School was badly damaged and a nearby church sustained significant damage. Thirty utility poles were blown down along with a several trees. Two mobile homes were destroyed in Fayette County. M44H,M11H,M48H
Tornado began at the Memphis International Airport and lifted in the Balmoral area of East Memphis. The most significant damage occurred at the Cottonwood Apartments. Significant roof damage occurred at the apartments. Numerous trees and business signs down along the track.
A tornado started near the National Weather Service Forecast Office and continued across the extreme eastern part of Memphis. A nearby apartment complex had considerable roof damage. A two-story house and barn each lost their top floor. A few houses had some minor roof damage. Several large trees were blown down.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many tornado events are on record in Shelby County, Tennessee?
56 tornado events are recorded in Shelby County between 1950 and 2019, causing 6 direct deaths.
What is the strongest tornado recorded in Shelby County?
The strongest tornado on record in Shelby County measured F3.
Where does the tornado data for Shelby County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Tornado in Shelby County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/shelby-county/tornado/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.