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Warnings by state

Tennessee tornado warnings

The National Weather Service issued 826 tornado warnings, 5,203 severe thunderstorm warnings and 1,091 flash flood warnings for Tennessee from 2016 to 2025, about 83, 520 and 109 a year. That ranks 14th of 52 states and territories for tornado warnings. Franklin County had the most of any county: 51 tornado warnings.

Tennessee warnings and radar right now

Checking the National Weather Service for Tennessee…

Tennessee counties ranked by tornado warnings

Warnings that listed each county, 2016 to 2025, and tornadoes recorded in the county since 1950. A warning can list several counties, so the county numbers add up to more than the state total.

CountyTornado warningsSevere thunderstormFlash floodTornadoes since 1950
Franklin County512472337
Maury County472136022
Hickman County452225422
Hardeman County452114222
Henderson County441823724
Rutherford County422865746
Lauderdale County422335028
Williamson County413076726
Lincoln County402172345
Dickson County392536623
McNairy County371683121
Hardin County371322922
Lewis County361363515
Carroll County351694326
Wilson County343237745
Gibson County341614334
Chester County321653614
Dyer County321533933
Henry County321464015
Decatur County32131288
Cumberland County321041424
Davidson County313349554
Wayne County311434319
Perry County311184412
Tipton County302595425
Fayette County302567125
Lawrence County301674945
Bedford County301502122
Madison County292045735
Sumner County282779246
Robertson County272405530
Humphreys County271784726
Moore County271591913
Weakley County271314328
Montgomery County252124636
Putnam County251863920
Benton County251473426
White County251362120
Obion County251183726
Shelby County2430211256
Haywood County242055116
Giles County241593523
Cannon County241422311
Coffee County241361229
Smith County232174716
Houston County21156377
Warren County211562121
Crockett County211393213
Cheatham County202476914
Macon County201723913
Stewart County201563013
Scott County201462211
Overton County191703216
Marshall County191663522
Fentress County191182220
Lake County1992279
Morgan County18134249
Trousdale County171464514
Bledsoe County17134238
Campbell County16183231
DeKalb County161672716
Hamilton County152253929
McMinn County142082824
Bradley County141652328
Grundy County1496710
Jackson County131843311
Clay County13145273
Polk County131401014
Van Buren County1392142
Claiborne County121762611
Sequatchie County121432510
Roane County11179267
Marion County111522521
Knox County102894517
Monroe County102153219
Rhea County10159294
Anderson County9207365
Hawkins County7197243
Meigs County7181275
Hancock County7144153
Loudon County6182309
Grainger County5214194
Jefferson County52112610
Sullivan County5144303
Pickett County592237
Carter County589234
Blount County42313716
Greene County42082312
Sevier County4206453
Hamblen County4166193
Washington County4128229
Cocke County3165246
Johnson County376213
Union County2184203
Unicoi County072142

Tennessee warnings by year

Each warning counts once for the state, however many counties it covered. 2008 is the first full year the National Weather Service drew an outline around every warning.

Tornadoes since 1950

1,485 tornadoes have been recorded in Tennessee since 1950, 35 of them rated 4 or 5 on the F or EF scale. They killed 405 people and injured 5,019. April had the most (367).

Warnings for Tennessee by year
YearTornadoSevere thunderstormFlash flood
2026 to Oct 1926455162
2025196741200
202476488107
2023111733102
20222943272
2021108431152
20206244468
201951344106
20185854689
20178148080
201654564115
20153945585
201487549116
201375401128
201215488472
20113071,081149
2010158802225
2009182855234
200811462284

What stands out in Tennessee

2011 was the busiest year for tornado warnings in Tennessee since 2008, with 307 tornado warnings. The busiest year for flash flood warnings was 2009, with 234.

Since 2008, 27 tornado warnings and 33 flash flood warnings for Tennessee were raised to a tornado emergency or a flash flood emergency for at least part of the warned area: the Weather Service’s rarest warning, used when a severe threat to life is happening or about to happen.

23 severe thunderstorm warnings for Tennessee carried the “destructive” tag (winds of 80 mph or more, or hail 2.75 inches or larger) since the tag started in August 2021. Only those severe thunderstorm warnings set off Wireless Emergency Alerts on phones.

The strongest tornado recorded in Tennessee since 1950 was rated F5 on April 16, 1998.

National Weather Service warnings from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet archive through October 19, 2026; tornado ratings from the Storm Prediction Center and NOAA Storm Events.

States next to Tennessee

Tornado warnings for each neighboring state, 2016 to 2025.

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Tennessee tornado warnings: questions people ask

How many tornado warnings does Tennessee get a year?

About 83 a year: the National Weather Service issued 826 tornado warnings for Tennessee from 2016 to 2025, 14th of 52 states and territories.

Which Tennessee county gets the most tornado warnings?

Franklin County has the most: 51 tornado warnings listed it from 2016 to 2025, ahead of Maury County with 47. A warning can list several counties, so county counts add up to more than the state total.

Which Tennessee city gets the most tornado warnings?

Dickson has the most among cities and towns with 10,000 people or more: the outlines of 15 tornado warnings covered its center from 2016 to 2025.

When is tornado season in Tennessee?

April and May: 44% of the 1,485 tornadoes recorded in Tennessee since 1950 came in those two months. Tornadoes have struck Tennessee in every month of the year.

About these numbers

Counts are National Weather Service warnings that listed a Tennessee county, through October 19, 2026. How Kinwarn counts · Tennessee data (CSV)

Cite: Kinwarn. “Tennessee tornado warnings.” kinwarn.com/tennessee. National Weather Service data through October 19, 2026.

Sources: IEM warning archive · NWS 2007 outlines · SPC tornado database · Census places · Census population estimates · NWS tornado alerts