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Tennessee · County tornado history

Davidson County, Tennessee tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 53 tornadoes in Davidson County, Tennessee from 1950 through 2024, about one every 1.4 years. That ranks it 2 of 95 counties in Tennessee with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on December 9, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
53
Since 2000
35
Strongest
EF3, March 3, 2020
Most recent
EF2, December 9, 2023
Peak month
May (15)
Per 1,000 sq mi
100
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively High

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 Davidson County

May has brought the most, 15 of 53. About 45% touched down between 3 pm and 9 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 30% 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) 15
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 24
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 11
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 0
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 Davidson County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 7, 2006 F3 22.7 mi 880 yd 7 128
March 3, 2020 EF3 60.1 mi 1,600 yd 5 220
April 16, 1998 F3 42.1 mi 880 yd 1 60
December 9, 2023 EF2 34.8 mi 400 yd 3 22
April 1, 1974 F2 10.9 mi 440 yd 1 12
May 18, 1995 F2 15 mi 73 yd 28
April 7, 1972 F2 23.2 mi 200 yd 15
January 22, 1957 F2 15 mi 100 yd 4
December 9, 2023 EF2 18.4 mi 500 yd 2
December 11, 2021 EF2 12.6 mi 400 yd 1

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Davidson County was an F3 on April 7, 2006. It killed 7 people and injured 128 along its 22.7-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 9, 2023 EF2 34.8 mi 400 yd 3 22
December 9, 2023 EF2 18.4 mi 500 yd 2
December 11, 2021 EF0 1.4 mi 50 yd
December 11, 2021 EF1 7.7 mi 100 yd 1
December 11, 2021 EF1 6.8 mi 150 yd
December 11, 2021 EF0 9 mi 300 yd
December 11, 2021 EF2 12.6 mi 400 yd 1
May 4, 2021 EF0 6.4 mi 200 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 Davidson County as relatively high, with a score of 98 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 $23,591,585 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 Davidson County had?

53 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 35 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Davidson County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on December 9, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Davidson County?

An EF3 on March 3, 2020, with a 60.1-mile path.

When is tornado season in Davidson County?

May 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.