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Tennessee · County tornado history

Carroll County, Tennessee tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 26 tornadoes in Carroll County, Tennessee from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.9 years. That ranks it 18 of 95 counties in Tennessee with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on March 31, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
26
Since 2000
13
Strongest
F4, May 7, 1971
Most recent
EF0, March 31, 2023
Peak month
March (8)
Per 1,000 sq mi
43
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Moderate

F0/EF0 1 2 3 4 5 · Lines run from where each tornado touched down to where it lifted; dots are short paths. Neighboring counties are outlined.

When tornadoes hit Carroll County

March has brought the most, 8 of 26. About 69% touched down between 5 pm and 11 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 15% of the total, a sign of the cool-season storms common in the South.

By decade

More tornadoes in recent decades mostly reflects better detection and reporting (Doppler radar, storm spotters, damage surveys), especially for weak EF0 tornadoes, not necessarily more storms. The 2020s bar covers only 2020 to 2024.

How strong they were

Rating Estimated 3-second gust Tornadoes
F0 / EF0 Light damage: 65 to 85 mph (EF scale) 5
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 11
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 6
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 0

Tornadoes before February 2007 were rated on the original Fujita (F) scale; since then the National Weather Service uses the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale. Wind speeds above are EF-scale estimates from damage, not measurements. See what the EF scale means.

The strongest tornadoes in Carroll County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 7, 1971 F4 50.9 mi 100 yd 3 137
April 2, 2006 F3 31 mi 880 yd 6 44
March 21, 1952 F3 5.1 mi 177 yd 19
March 21, 1952 F3 0.1 mi 100 yd 3
November 9, 2002 F2 10 mi 220 yd 2 6
March 21, 1952 F2 0.1 mi 150 yd 1 8
April 7, 2006 F2 9 mi 100 yd 5
March 1, 1997 F2 10 mi 100 yd
February 24, 2011 EF2 12.2 mi 400 yd
March 2, 2020 EF2 14.8 mi 100 yd

Deaths and injuries are for each tornado’s whole path, which can cross other counties.

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Carroll County was an F3 on April 2, 2006. It killed 6 people and injured 44 along its 31-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 31, 2023 EF0 1.3 mi 50 yd
March 30, 2022 EF1 9.2 mi 150 yd
June 4, 2020 EF0 15.1 mi 90 yd
March 2, 2020 EF2 14.8 mi 100 yd
July 5, 2017 EF1 1.5 mi 200 yd
March 9, 2017 EF0 1 mi 150 yd
April 25, 2011 EF0 17 mi 200 yd
February 24, 2011 EF2 12.2 mi 400 yd

The official database ends with 2024. For storms since then, see the Storm Prediction Center’s reports and your local National Weather Service office.

FEMA’s tornado risk rating

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates the tornado risk in Carroll County as relatively moderate, with a score of 87 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.43 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $4,586,523 to buildings, people and farming. The index mixes how often tornadoes strike with what is exposed and how well a community can recover, so a busy rural county can rate lower than a less active city.

Neighboring counties

Staying safe

When a tornado warning is issued, act at once. Go to a basement, storm shelter or safe room. With none, use a small windowless room on the lowest floor, as far from outside walls as you can, and cover your head and neck. Mobile homes and cars are not safe places to ride out a tornado: leave early for a sturdy building or shelter. Read the full tornado safety guide and the National Weather Service advice linked below.

Sources

Sources last checked 1 November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How many tornadoes has Carroll County had?

26 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 13 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Carroll County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on March 31, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Carroll County?

An F4 on May 7, 1971, with a 50.9-mile path.

When is tornado season in Carroll County?

March has had the most tornadoes here. Across the U.S. the peak runs from spring into early summer, and the South also sees tornadoes in late fall and winter.