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Tennessee · County tornado history

Madison County, Tennessee tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 33 tornadoes in Madison County, Tennessee from 1950 through 2024, about one every 2.3 years. That ranks it 9 of 95 counties in Tennessee with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF1 on May 26, 2024.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
33
Since 2000
15
Strongest
EF4, February 5, 2008
Most recent
EF1, May 26, 2024
Peak month
May (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
59
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 Madison County

May has brought the most, 6 of 33. About 55% touched down between 2 pm and 8 pm (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) 7
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 15
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 4
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 Madison County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 4, 2003 F4 39 mi 880 yd 11 86
January 17, 1999 F4 16 mi 500 yd 6 106
February 5, 2008 EF4 7.6 mi 125 yd 51
February 5, 2008 EF3 31.1 mi 600 yd 3 14
March 14, 1953 F3 24.7 mi 100 yd 3
January 17, 1999 F3 22 mi 300 yd 2
May 4, 2003 F3 21 mi 440 yd
November 19, 1988 F2 12 mi 90 yd 1
April 1, 1957 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd
April 1, 1970 F2 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 Madison County was an F4 on May 4, 2003. It killed 11 people and injured 86 along its 39-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
May 26, 2024 EF1 10.9 mi 550 yd
March 30, 2022 EF1 7.1 mi 250 yd
March 30, 2022 EF1 8.5 mi 175 yd
December 11, 2021 EF1 7.9 mi 300 yd
December 23, 2015 EF1 1.2 mi 50 yd
February 5, 2008 EF2 0.4 mi 150 yd
February 5, 2008 EF4 7.6 mi 125 yd 51
February 5, 2008 EF3 31.1 mi 600 yd 3 14

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 Madison County as relatively high, with a score of 97 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.38 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $14,798,057 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 Madison County had?

33 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 15 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Madison County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF1 on May 26, 2024. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in Madison County?

An EF4 on February 5, 2008, with a 7.6-mile path.

When is tornado season in Madison 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.