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Tennessee · County tornado history

Dyer County, Tennessee tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 31 tornadoes in Dyer County, Tennessee from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.4 years. That ranks it 12 of 95 counties in Tennessee with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF3 on December 10, 2021.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
31
Since 2000
14
Strongest
F4, March 1, 1997
Most recent
EF3, December 10, 2021
Peak month
March (7)
Per 1,000 sq mi
58
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 Dyer County

March has brought the most, 7 of 31. About 61% touched down between 3 pm and 9 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it).

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) 10
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 10
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 3
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 5
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 3
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 Dyer County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 21, 1952 F4 2 mi 200 yd 4 5
March 21, 1952 F4 4.7 mi 200 yd 2 10
March 1, 1997 F4 15 mi 200 yd 1 15
April 2, 2006 F3 18 mi 880 yd 16 70
March 21, 1952 F3 18.1 mi 1,000 yd 10 30
April 16, 1998 F3 4 mi 100 yd 2 3
December 10, 2021 EF3 122.6 mi 2,000 yd 38
April 2, 1982 F3 8 mi 77 yd 1
May 4, 2003 F2 15 mi 200 yd 10
March 22, 1953 F2 30.1 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 Dyer County was an F3 on April 2, 2006. It killed 16 people and injured 70 along its 18-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 10, 2021 EF3 122.6 mi 2,000 yd 38
July 3, 2017 EF0 0.3 mi 75 yd
March 1, 2017 EF0 3.7 mi 50 yd
May 24, 2009 EF0 5.2 mi 25 yd
May 2, 2008 EF2 1.4 mi 40 yd
January 8, 2008 EF1 7.8 mi 25 yd
April 2, 2006 F3 18 mi 880 yd 16 70
October 18, 2004 F1 0.5 mi 100 yd 1

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 Dyer County as relatively moderate, with a score of 88 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 $4,902,459 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 Dyer County had?

31 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 14 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Dyer County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF3 on December 10, 2021. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Dyer County?

An F4 on March 1, 1997, with a 15-mile path.

When is tornado season in Dyer 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.