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Tennessee · County tornado history

Franklin County, Tennessee tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 34 tornadoes in Franklin County, Tennessee from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.2 years. That ranks it 8 of 95 counties in Tennessee with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on May 9, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
34
Since 2000
20
Strongest
EF5, April 27, 2011
Most recent
EF1, May 9, 2024
Peak month
March (8)
Per 1,000 sq mi
59
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 Franklin County

March has brought the most, 8 of 34. About 56% touched down between 6 pm and 12 am (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 21% 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) 6
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 19
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
F5 / EF5 Incredible: over 200 mph 2

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 Franklin County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 27, 2011 EF5 132 mi 2,200 yd 72 145
April 3, 1974 F5 83.3 mi 500 yd 16 190
April 3, 1974 F4 27.5 mi 800 yd 11 121
February 13, 1952 F4 12.7 mi 100 yd 3 44
April 3, 1974 F3 7.1 mi 100 yd 1
February 28, 2011 EF2 16.1 mi 600 yd 1 4
November 7, 1996 F2 7.9 mi 175 yd 1
May 2, 1997 F2 0.9 mi 150 yd
November 6, 2018 EF2 29.4 mi 500 yd
April 4, 1968 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Franklin County was an EF5 on April 27, 2011. It killed 72 people and injured 145 along its 132-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 9, 2024 EF1 10.2 mi 194 yd
March 15, 2024 EF0 0.3 mi 20 yd
March 24, 2023 EF1 15.3 mi 240 yd
May 4, 2020 EF0 1.1 mi 100 yd
March 24, 2020 EF1 4.8 mi 175 yd
November 6, 2018 EF2 29.4 mi 500 yd
March 19, 2018 EF0 3.7 mi 150 yd
March 9, 2017 EF1 4.2 mi 320 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 Franklin County as relatively moderate, with a score of 77 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.51 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $3,438,305 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 Franklin County had?

34 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 20 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Franklin County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on May 9, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Franklin County?

An EF5 on April 27, 2011, with a 132-mile path.

When is tornado season in Franklin 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.