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Tornado in Hamilton County, Tennessee
27 tornadoes events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Tornado.
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.
NCEI records 27 tornado events in Hamilton County, Tennessee, between 1950 and 2026, spread over 13 years.
April is the busiest month, with 17 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 20 events against 4 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 1.6% of the 1,704 tornado events recorded in Tennessee; its 5.0 per 100 square miles compares with 4.1 statewide.
NCEI attributes 11 deaths in the county to tornadoes.
By rating: 6 at (E)F0, 13 at (E)F1, 3 at (E)F2, 4 at (E)F3, 1 at (E)F4, 0 at (E)F5. Tornadoes before 2007 carry the original Fujita rating.
Compared with Tennessee
| Measure | Hamilton County | Tennessee | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado events since 1950 | 27 | 1,704 | 81,281 |
| Per 100 square miles | 5.0 | 4.1 | 2.3 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 0.7 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| Deaths recorded | 11 | 408 | 6,410 |
| Busiest month | April | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
2Mar
3Apr
17May
0Jun
1Jul
0Aug
1Sep
0Oct
3Nov
0Dec
0
Magnitude distribution
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 27 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Mar 2023 | Tornado | EF0 | — | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Apr 2020 | Tornado | EF3 | — | — | 2 | 18 | County |
| 2 Mar 2012 | Tornado | EF3 | $28M | — | — | 30 | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF2 | $750K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF4 | $20M | — | 8 | 100 | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $150K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $90K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF0 | $10K | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Feb 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $1.3M | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Feb 2011 | Tornado | EF1 | $5.0M | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Oct 2010 | Tornado | EF2 | $200K | — | — | 6 | County |
| 25 Oct 2010 | Tornado | EF0 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 2009 | Tornado | EF1 | $50K | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Mar 1997 | Tornado | F3 | $45M | — | — | 44 | County |
| 21 Apr 1995 | Tornado | F2 | $100K | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 1994 | Tornado | F3 | $5.0M | — | 1 | 7 | County |
| 4 Oct 1990 | Tornado | F1 | $250K | — | — | — | County |
| 24 Jun 1980 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 12 Aug 1977 | Tornado | F0 | $25K | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1974 | Tornado | F1 | $25K | — | — | 2 | County |
Questions and answers
How many tornado events has Hamilton County had?
27 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 Hamilton County?
2 Mar 2023 (Tornado, EF0). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging tornado event recorded in Hamilton County?
The tornado of 29 Mar 1997, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $45M.
How does Hamilton County compare with Tennessee for tornado?
5.0 events per 100 square miles against 4.1 statewide; the county holds 27 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.