County Hazards

States › Tennessee › Carroll County › Tornado

Tornado in Carroll County, Tennessee

26 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.

26 events · 8 deaths recorded · peak month March · county share of state 1.5%

2023-03-31: Tornado2022-03-30: Tornado2020-06-04: Tornado2020-03-02: Tornado2017-07-05: Tornado2017-03-09: Tornado2011-04-25: Tornado2011-02-24: Tornado2006-04-07: Tornado2006-04-02: Tornado2003-05-04: Tornado2002-11-10: Tornado2002-11-09: Tornado1999-01-17: Tornado1997-03-01: Tornado1988-01-19: Tornado1984-10-16: Tornado1984-05-07: Tornado1977-12-04: Tornado1973-05-27: Tornado1971-05-07: Tornado1971-05-07: Tornado1970-11-19: Tornado1952-03-21: Tornado1952-03-21: Tornado1952-03-21: Tornado
Tornado event locations in and around Carroll County. Dots: Tornado event locations in the kept record. Boundaries: US Census Bureau.

NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.

Carroll County, Tennessee, has 26 tornado events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 17 different years.

March is the busiest month, with 8 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 8 events against 8 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.

The county holds 1.5% of the 1,704 tornado events recorded in Tennessee; its 4.4 per 100 square miles compares with 4.1 statewide.

NCEI attributes 8 deaths in the county to tornadoes.

By rating: 5 at (E)F0, 11 at (E)F1, 6 at (E)F2, 3 at (E)F3, 1 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.

Compared with Tennessee

MeasureCarroll CountyTennesseeUS
Tornado events since 1950261,70481,281
Per 100 square miles4.44.12.3
Per 10,000 residents9.12.42.4
Deaths recorded84086,410
Busiest monthMarchAprilMay

By year

195019882026
Tornado events recorded in Carroll County per year, 1950 to 2026 (2026 is partial).

Seasonality

Jan
2
Feb
1
Mar
8
Apr
3
May
5
Jun
1
Jul
1
Aug
0
Sep
0
Oct
1
Nov
3
Dec
1
Tornado events in Carroll County by month of occurrence, all years.

Magnitude distribution

EF0/F05
EF1/F111
EF2/F26
EF3/F33
EF4/F41
EF5/F50
Unrated0
Enhanced Fujita scale wind estimates
EF0/F0
65–85 mph (EF0)
EF1/F1
86–110 mph (EF1)
EF2/F2
111–135 mph (EF2)
EF3/F3
136–165 mph (EF3)
EF4/F4
166–200 mph (EF4)
EF5/F5
over 200 mph (EF5)
Unrated
no rating recorded

Tornado rating as recorded (Fujita scale before February 2007, Enhanced Fujita after).

Recorded events

All 26 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.

DateEvent typeMagnitudeProperty damageCrop damageDeathsInjuriesGeography
31 Mar 2023TornadoEF0$30K———County
30 Mar 2022TornadoEF1$200K———County
4 Jun 2020TornadoEF0$50K———County
2 Mar 2020TornadoEF2$500K———County
5 Jul 2017TornadoEF1$750K———County
9 Mar 2017TornadoEF0$30K———County
25 Apr 2011TornadoEF0$5K———County
24 Feb 2011TornadoEF2$25K———County
7 Apr 2006TornadoF2$2.0M——5County
2 Apr 2006TornadoF3$1.0M———County
4 May 2003TornadoF1$2.0M——3County
10 Nov 2002TornadoF0$10K———County
9 Nov 2002TornadoF2$500K—26County
17 Jan 1999TornadoF1$750K—11County
1 Mar 1997TornadoF2$2.0M———County
19 Jan 1988TornadoF1$25K———County
16 Oct 1984TornadoF1$2.5M—12County
7 May 1984TornadoF1$250K———County
4 Dec 1977TornadoF1$250K——1County
27 May 1973TornadoF1$3K———County
7 May 1971TornadoF1$250K———County
7 May 1971TornadoF4$2.5M—3137County
19 Nov 1970TornadoF1$25K——1County
21 Mar 1952TornadoF3$250K——3County
21 Mar 1952TornadoF2$250K—18County
21 Mar 1952TornadoF3$250K——19County

Questions and answers

How many tornado events has Carroll County had?

26 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of tornadoes became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.

When was the last recorded tornado event in Carroll County?

31 Mar 2023 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.

What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Carroll County?

The tornado of 7 May 1971, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $2.5M; 3 deaths recorded.

How does Carroll County compare with Tennessee for tornado?

4.4 events per 100 square miles against 4.1 statewide; the county holds 26 of the state's 1,704 recorded events.

Provenance

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Tornado hub and the county page.