Tipton County, Tennessee

County storm and disaster record · FIPS 47167 · population 60,942 · 456 sq mi

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 582 records for Tipton County, Tennessee from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 452 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (173 records). The deadliest single record is the April 3, 1968 tornado: 4 deaths and 28 injuries. FEMA has issued 25 declarations naming the county since 1973, 23 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on February 6, 2026.

The record, 1950 to 2026

Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $100,000
  • $100,000 or more
  • $1 million or more
  • $10 million or more, or a death
  • $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
  • 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
  • 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
Storm records
582on 452 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
Deaths recorded
1368 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$151Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Tornadoes
28strongest EF3
FEMA declarations
25latest 2026

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.

What hazards hit Tipton County most?

The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 173 since 1968. The rank column places the county among Tennessee's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.

Tipton County: records by hazard, 1950 to June 30, 2026
HazardRecordsDaysFirst, lastKilledInjuredDamageRank in state
Severe thunderstorm wind 173 138 1968-2026 0 3 $3.6M 58 of 95
Heat 114 110 2007-2026 2 0 – 5 of 95
Hail 98 69 1971-2025 0 0 $63K 22 of 95
Winter storms 60 60 1997-2025 1 0 $225K 43 of 95
Floods 59 52 1996-2025 2 0 $35M 18 of 95
Tornadoes 28 21 1964-2023 8 65 $112M 20 of 95
Drought 25 25 2007-2026 0 0 – 46 of 95
Extreme cold 12 12 2007-2026 0 0 – 8 of 95
High wind and dust storms 6 6 2008-2024 0 0 $50K 69 of 95
Lightning 4 4 1996-2007 0 0 $110K 38 of 95
Heavy rain 1 1 2023-2023 0 0 – 47 of 95
Hurricanes and tropical storms 1 1 2005-2005 0 0 $45K 25 of 95
Wildfires 1 1 2019-2019 0 0 – 2 of 95

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.

How many tornadoes has Tipton County had?

NOAA records 28 tornadoes in Tipton County from 1964 to 2023, the strongest rated EF3, with 8 deaths and 65 injuries recorded in the county. That is 20th of 95 Tennessee counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.

Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 25 tornadoes whose track touched Tipton County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 28: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 12 people, 8 of them in Tipton County.

The deadliest and strongest tornadoes that touched Tipton County, whole tracks
DateTornadoRatingPathKilled
2023-03-31 15:30, as SPC files itWynne to GilmoreCrossed AR, TNEF372.55 mi4
1968-04-03 21:45, as SPC files itMillington to CovingtonF328.8 mi4
2023-03-31 16:48, as SPC files itMunford to CovingtonEF339.18 mi1
1975-04-25 01:00, as SPC files itGilt Edge to BurlisonF17.4 mi1
1974-06-07 11:30, as SPC files itCovingtonF10.3 mi1
1967-05-31 12:00, as SPC files itArlingtonF10.1 mi1

Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Tennessee.

Every tornado record filed for Tipton County (28)
Every tornado recorded in Tipton County, newest first
DatePlaceCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2023-03-31 Munford, Tipton County EF3 20.36 mi x 2,000 yd 1 28 $77M
2023-03-31 Dixonville, Tipton County EF2 15.57 mi x 1,600 yd 0 0 $242K
2023-03-31 Dixonville, Tipton County EF3 2.52 mi x 1,600 yd 0 0 $19K
2023-03-31 Dixonville, Tipton County EF2 1.76 mi x 1,600 yd 0 0 $10K
2021-05-09 Drummonds, Tipton County EF1 4.8 mi x 300 yd 0 0 $218K
2019-10-21 Jamestown, Tipton County EF0 2 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $12K
2019-10-21 Richardsons, Tipton County EF0 1.67 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $29K
2017-04-30 Covington, Tipton County EF0 2.1 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $120K
2013-05-31 Avrett, Tipton County EF1 0.83 mi x 250 yd 0 0 $228K
2008-02-05 Antioch, Tipton County EF1 0.29 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $69K
2008-02-05 Charleston, Tipton County EF1 0.73 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $103K
2008-02-05 Canaan Grove, Tipton County EF0 0.17 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $10K
2008-02-05 Gainesville, Tipton County EF0 0.97 mi x 50 yd 0 0 $7K
2002-11-09 Randolph, Tipton County F2 17 mi x 440 yd 0 1 $9.8M
1996-09-16 Covington, Tipton County F0 5 mi x 50 yd 0 0 –
1994-11-27 Detroit, Tipton County F1 0.5 mi x 20 yd 0 0 $100K
1989-06-04 Tipton County F0 0.9 mi x 17 yd 0 0 $250 step
1981-05-09 Tipton County F0 0.2 mi x 40 yd 0 0 $30 step
1978-12-07 Tipton County F0 0 0 $25K step
1978-01-07 Tipton County F1 3 mi x 100 yd 0 0 $250K step
1976-03-29 Tipton County F1 0.2 mi x 200 yd 0 0 $25K step
1975-04-25 Tipton County F1 7.4 mi x 440 yd 1 1 $25K step
1975-02-22 Tipton County F1 0.1 mi x 150 yd 0 2 $25K step
1974-06-07 Tipton County F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd 1 1 $25K step
1970-09-03 Tipton County F0 0.8 mi x 30 yd 0 0 $250 step
1968-04-03 Tipton County F3 24.3 mi x 1,760 yd 4 28 $2.5M step
1967-05-31 Tipton County F1 0.1 mi x 7 yd 1 1 $25K step
1964-03-04 Tipton County F2 6.8 mi x 200 yd 0 3 $25K step

A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.

When was the last damaging storm in Tipton County?

The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 13, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).

The 12 most recent records kept for Tipton County
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-30 HeatTipton County · forecast zone Tipton 0 0 –
2026-06-29 HeatTipton County · forecast zone Tipton 0 0 –
2026-06-13 Thunderstorm WindTipton County 50 kt wind 0 0 $2K
2026-06-13 Thunderstorm WindFlatwood, Tipton County 50 kt wind 0 0 $2K
2026-04-28 Thunderstorm WindBrighton Cates Airport, Tipton County 50 kt wind 0 0 $5K
2026-04-28 Thunderstorm WindPeckerwood Pt, Tipton County 50 kt wind 0 0 $7K
2026-04-28 Thunderstorm WindCovington, Tipton County 50 kt wind 0 0 $10K
2026-04-28 Thunderstorm WindBrighton, Tipton County 50 kt wind 0 0 $10K
2026-04-28 Thunderstorm WindHolly Grove, Tipton County 50 kt wind 0 0 $1K
2026-04-01 DroughtTipton County · forecast zone Tipton 0 0 –
2026-03-15 Thunderstorm WindCovington Municipal Airport, Tipton County 51 kt wind 0 0 –
2026-03-15 Thunderstorm WindCovington, Tipton County 50 kt wind 0 0 $5K

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.

The deadliest and costliest records

Records with deaths or injuries in Tipton County, most deaths first
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
1968-04-03 TornadoTipton County F3 24.3 mi x 1,760 yd 4 28 $2.5M step
2023-03-31 TornadoMunford, Tipton County The tornado developed along Highway 178 just northwest of Munford. A few fences were damaged in this area and small tree limbs were snapped. The tornado traveled east-northeast and damaged farm outbuildings along Beaver Road and then uprooted and snapped trees along Walker Field Road and Walker Field Lane. The tornado ... EF3 20.36 mi x 2,000 yd 1 28 $77M
1975-04-25 TornadoTipton County F1 7.4 mi x 440 yd 1 1 $25K step
1974-06-07 TornadoTipton County F1 0.3 mi x 100 yd 1 1 $25K step
1967-05-31 TornadoTipton County F1 0.1 mi x 7 yd 1 1 $25K step
2025-04-02 Flash FloodCovington, Tipton County Heavy rain led to creek overflow. A person whom was walking alongside the flooded roadway was swept away due to high water. This person was hospitalized before succumbing to their injuries a few days later. 1 0 $5K
2022-02-23 Ice StormTipton County · forecast zone Tipton Up to one-third of an inch of ice led to widespread tree and power line damage along with power outages. Over 100 trees had fallen due to ice with nearly 40 downed power lines. Three vehicle crashes occurred. One crash involved a fatality when a falling limb hit a vehicle. 1 0 –
2011-06-03 HeatTipton County · forecast zone Tipton One death occurred in Brighton as a result of the heat. 1 0 –

A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.

The costliest records in Tipton County since 1993, damage in 2025 dollars
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2023-03-31 TornadoMunford, Tipton County EF3 20.36 mi x 2,000 yd 1 28 $77M
2010-05-01 Flash FloodDetroit, Tipton County 1 0 $28M
2002-11-09 TornadoRandolph, Tipton County F2 17 mi x 440 yd 0 1 $9.8M
2025-06-19 Flash FloodMason, Tipton County 0 0 $5.0M
2011-04-19 Thunderstorm WindAtoka, Tipton County 65 kt wind 0 0 $2.2M
2011-05-01 FloodDixonville, Tipton County 0 0 $984K
1997-03-01 FloodTipton County · forecast zone Tipton 0 0 $368K
2013-05-31 TornadoAvrett, Tipton County EF1 0.83 mi x 250 yd 0 0 $228K

Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 3, 1968 (tornado, Tipton County, 4 killed).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.

Is it getting more frequent?

Records per decade for Tipton County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).

Tipton County: records per decade (the 2020s to June 30, 2026)
Hazard1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020-26
Severe thunderstorm wind014940394337
Heat––––013974
Hail001517323112
Winter storms––––3142815
Floods––––4211915
Tornadoes03722545

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).

What time of year?

Records by month in Tipton County. The two busiest months are in violet.

The values, month by month

Jan 43 · Feb 49 · Mar 55 · Apr 57 · May 69 · Jun 77 · Jul 95 · Aug 52 · Sep 22 · Oct 15 · Nov 23 · Dec 25 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

Federal disaster declarations for Tipton County

FEMA's register lists 25 declarations that include Tipton County: 21 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (15) and flood (3).

Declarations including Tipton County, newest first
DeclaredNumberTypeTitle
2026-02-06DR-4898Winter StormSevere Winter Storm
2026-01-24EM-3635Winter StormSevere Winter Storm
2025-06-19DR-4878Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2025-04-02EM-3625Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2023-09-04DR-4735Severe StormSevere Storms and Straight-Line Winds
2023-08-17DR-4729Severe StormSevere Storms and Straight-Line Winds
2023-05-17DR-4712Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornado
2023-04-07DR-4701Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes
2022-03-11DR-4645Severe StormSevere Winter Storm
2020-04-02DR-4514BiologicalCovid-19 Pandemic
2020-03-13EM-3473BiologicalCovid-19
2019-04-17DR-4427FloodSevere Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides
2014-08-13DR-4189Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2014-04-11DR-4171Severe Ice StormSevere Winter Storm
2011-05-09DR-1979Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2010-05-04DR-1909Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes
2008-02-07DR-1745Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding
2005-09-05EM-3217HurricaneHurricane Katrina Evacuation
2003-05-08DR-1464Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
2002-11-13DR-1441Severe StormSevere Storms and Tornados
1998-01-13DR-1197Severe StormSevere Storms and Flooding
1997-03-07DR-1167TornadoHeavy Rains, Tornadoes, Flooding, Hail, High Winds
1994-02-28DR-1010Severe StormSevere Winter Ice Storm,Flash Flooding
1975-03-22DR-459FloodSevere Storms & Flooding
1973-05-11DR-382FloodSevere Storms & Flooding

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.

How many floods has Tipton County had?

NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 59 flood or flash flood records for Tipton County from 1996 to 2025, on 52 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Tipton County ranks 1107th of 2,942 U.S. counties.

The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $5.2 million on 145 claims filed in Tipton County; the most in one year was 59 in 2010. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.

The values, year by year

1984: 2 · 1987: 1 · 1988: 2 · 1989: 1 · 1991: 4 · 1994: 2 · 1997: 1 · 2001: 3 · 2002: 1 · 2003: 2 · 2009: 1 · 2010: 59 · 2011: 4 · 2013: 6 · 2014: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2019: 21 · 2020: 7 · 2021: 2 · 2023: 9 · 2024: 3 · 2025: 11; the other years: 0.

Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.

FEMA's modeled risk for Tipton County

FEMA's National Risk Index rates Tipton County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $34.3 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.

National Risk Index ratings for Tipton County (December 2025 release), by FEMA's rating, then score
HazardRisk ratingExpected annual lossModeled frequency
TornadoRelatively High$7.1Monce in about 3 years (modeled)
Ice StormRelatively High$791K1.1 a year (modeled)
EarthquakeRelatively Moderate$13Monce in about 99 years (modeled)
Heat WaveRelatively Moderate$2.4M19 modeled event-days a year
Cold WaveRelatively Moderate$3.6M1.9 a year (modeled)
LightningRelatively Moderate$517K58 a year (modeled)
LandslideRelatively Low$5Konce in about 2 years (modeled)
DroughtRelatively Low$186K7.3 modeled event-days a year

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.

Counties that share a border with Tipton County

  1. Shelby County 1,466
  2. Mississippi County, AR 758
  3. Tipton County 582
  4. Fayette County 553
  5. Crittenden County, AR 550
  6. Lauderdale County 463
  7. Haywood County 392

Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.

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