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Tennessee · County tornado history

McNairy County, Tennessee tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 20 tornadoes in McNairy County, Tennessee from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.8 years. That ranks it 37 of 95 counties in Tennessee with a recorded tornado. The most recent was an EF3 on March 31, 2023.

By Twisters.us · Updated · How we count

Tornadoes since 1950
20
Since 2000
10
Strongest
EF4, December 23, 2015
Most recent
EF3, March 31, 2023
Peak month
May (6)
Per 1,000 sq mi
36
FEMA tornado risk
Relatively Low

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 McNairy County

May has brought the most, 6 of 20. About 40% 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 25% 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) 3
F1 / EF1 Moderate: 86 to 110 mph 5
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 7
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 4
F4 / EF4 Devastating: 166 to 200 mph 1
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 McNairy County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
December 23, 2015 EF4 75.1 mi 1,300 yd 9 36
March 31, 2023 EF3 86 mi 1,400 yd 9 23
March 22, 1991 F3 22 mi 200 yd 4 45
May 2, 2010 EF3 29.6 mi 880 yd 3 9
April 4, 1957 F3 7.3 mi 50 yd 11
February 21, 1971 F2 1.5 mi 67 yd 36
May 2, 2010 EF2 25.7 mi 880 yd 12
January 21, 1959 F2 4.1 mi 500 yd 3
April 24, 1970 F2 0.1 mi 10 yd 3
May 8, 1961 F2 17.2 mi 300 yd

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch McNairy County was an EF4 on December 23, 2015. It killed 9 people and injured 36 along its 75.1-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 31, 2023 EF3 86 mi 1,400 yd 9 23
March 31, 2023 EF2 18.9 mi 800 yd
February 16, 2023 EF1 3.1 mi 105 yd
December 23, 2015 EF4 75.1 mi 1,300 yd 9 36
May 2, 2010 EF2 25.7 mi 880 yd 12
May 2, 2010 EF0 0.2 mi 50 yd
May 2, 2010 EF3 29.6 mi 880 yd 3 9
February 5, 2008 EF1 8.9 mi 150 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 McNairy County as relatively low, with a score of 60 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 $1,574,514 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 McNairy County had?

20 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 10 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in McNairy County?

The most recent in the official record was an EF3 on March 31, 2023. Later storms are not yet in the final database.

What was the strongest tornado in McNairy County?

An EF4 on December 23, 2015, with a 75.1-mile path.

When is tornado season in McNairy 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.