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Tennessee · County tornado history

McMinn County, Tennessee tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 24 tornadoes in McMinn County, Tennessee from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.1 years. That ranks it 23 of 95 counties in Tennessee with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF0 on March 17, 2018.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
24
Since 2000
12
Strongest
EF4, April 27, 2011
Most recent
EF0, March 17, 2018
Peak month
April (11)
Per 1,000 sq mi
55
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 McMinn County

April has brought the most, 11 of 24. About 67% 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 17% 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) 8
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 4
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 4
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 6
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 2
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 McMinn County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 27, 2011 EF4 48 mi 800 yd 20 335
May 2, 1953 F4 4.2 mi 33 yd 4 8
April 3, 1974 F3 21.2 mi 500 yd 3 50
April 15, 1994 F3 15 mi 880 yd 1 9
March 2, 2012 EF3 41 mi 400 yd 44
February 21, 1993 F3 19 mi 73 yd 17
February 6, 1986 F3 10 mi 270 yd 5
April 8, 1974 F3 2 mi 440 yd 1
April 27, 2011 EF2 27.9 mi 250 yd 4
November 30, 2016 EF2 11.3 mi 200 yd 20

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch McMinn County was an EF4 on April 27, 2011. It killed 20 people and injured 335 along its 48-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 17, 2018 EF0 0.4 mi 100 yd
November 30, 2016 EF2 11.3 mi 200 yd 20
March 2, 2012 EF3 41 mi 400 yd 44
April 27, 2011 EF1 12.5 mi 200 yd 1
April 27, 2011 EF4 48 mi 800 yd 20 335
April 27, 2011 EF0 0.7 mi 20 yd
April 27, 2011 EF0 2.3 mi 50 yd
April 27, 2011 EF2 27.9 mi 250 yd 4

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 McMinn County as relatively moderate, with a score of 71 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.21 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $2,240,377 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 McMinn County had?

24 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 12 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in McMinn County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF0 on March 17, 2018. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in McMinn County?

An EF4 on April 27, 2011, with a 48-mile path.

When is tornado season in McMinn County?

April 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.