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Tennessee · County tornado history

Knox County, Tennessee tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 17 tornadoes in Knox County, Tennessee from 1950 through 2024, about one every 4.4 years. That ranks it 45 of 95 counties in Tennessee with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF2 on August 7, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
17
Since 2000
9
Strongest
F3, February 21, 1993
Most recent
EF2, August 7, 2023
Peak month
May (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
32
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 Knox County

May has brought the most, 6 of 17. About 71% 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) 7
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 6
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 3
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 1
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 Knox County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
February 21, 1993 F3 16 mi 150 yd 3
April 15, 1965 F2 7.4 mi 200 yd 6
May 2, 1953 F2 0.8 mi 100 yd
August 7, 2023 EF2 3.7 mi 200 yd
April 3, 1974 F1 1 mi 150 yd 2 21
May 23, 2000 F1 0.5 mi 40 yd 1
May 18, 1995 F1 2 mi 23 yd
May 15, 2003 F1 2.5 mi 50 yd
May 15, 2003 F1 1.5 mi 50 yd
April 27, 2011 EF1 1 mi 50 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Knox County was an F1 on April 3, 1974. It killed 2 people and injured 21 along its 1-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
August 7, 2023 EF2 3.7 mi 200 yd
March 2, 2012 EF0 2.1 mi 100 yd
March 2, 2012 EF0 0.3 mi 70 yd
June 23, 2011 EF0 1 mi 100 yd
April 27, 2011 EF0 1 mi 50 yd
April 27, 2011 EF1 1 mi 50 yd
May 15, 2003 F1 1.5 mi 50 yd
May 15, 2003 F1 2.5 mi 50 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 Knox County as relatively high, with a score of 97 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.16 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $19,962,060 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 Knox County had?

17 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 9 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Knox County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF2 on August 7, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Knox County?

An F3 on February 21, 1993, with a 16-mile path.

When is tornado season in Knox 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.