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Tennessee · County tornado history

Tipton County, Tennessee tornadoes

NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has recorded 25 tornadoes in Tipton County, Tennessee from 1950 through 2024, about one every 3.0 years. That ranks it 22 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
25
Since 2000
11
Strongest
EF3, March 31, 2023
Most recent
EF3, March 31, 2023
Peak month
February (5)
Per 1,000 sq mi
53
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 Tipton County

February has brought the most, 5 of 25. About 48% touched down between 4 pm and 10 pm (Central Standard Time, as the Storm Prediction Center records it). Winter tornadoes (December to February) make up 28% 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 11
F2 / EF2 Considerable: 111 to 135 mph 3
F3 / EF3 Severe: 136 to 165 mph 3
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 Tipton County

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
April 3, 1968 F3 28.8 mi 1,760 yd 4 32
March 31, 2023 EF3 72.5 mi 1,600 yd 4 26
March 31, 2023 EF3 39.2 mi 2,000 yd 1 28
March 4, 1964 F2 6.8 mi 200 yd 3
November 9, 2002 F2 50.6 mi 440 yd 1
February 5, 2008 EF2 8.1 mi 150 yd 1
May 31, 1967 F1 0.1 mi 10 yd 1 1
June 7, 1974 F1 0.3 mi 100 yd 1 1
April 25, 1975 F1 7.4 mi 440 yd 1 1
February 22, 1975 F1 0.1 mi 150 yd 2

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

The deadliest

The deadliest tornado to touch Tipton County was an F3 on April 3, 1968. It killed 4 people and injured 32 along its 28.8-mile path.

Most recent tornadoes

Date Rating Path length Path width Deaths Injuries
March 31, 2023 EF3 39.2 mi 2,000 yd 1 28
March 31, 2023 EF3 72.5 mi 1,600 yd 4 26
May 9, 2021 EF1 4.8 mi 300 yd
October 21, 2019 EF0 7.6 mi 200 yd
April 30, 2017 EF0 2.1 mi 100 yd
May 31, 2013 EF1 0.8 mi 250 yd
February 5, 2008 EF1 0.3 mi 50 yd
February 5, 2008 EF1 0.7 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 Tipton County as relatively high, with a score of 93 out of 100 compared with every other U.S. county. It estimates about 0.34 tornadoes a year here and an expected annual loss of about $7,093,786 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 Tipton County had?

25 from 1950 through 2024 in NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center database, 11 of them since 2000.

When was the last tornado in Tipton 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 Tipton County?

An EF3 on March 31, 2023, with a 72.5-mile path.

When is tornado season in Tipton County?

February 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.