Weakley County, Tennessee
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 47183 · population 32,891 · 580 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 528 records for Weakley County, Tennessee from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 408 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (167 records). The deadliest single record is the May 4, 2021 thunderstorm wind: 1 death. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1975, 19 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
- 528on 408 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 464 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $33Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 29strongest EF3
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 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 Weakley County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 167 since 1961. 44% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 fell in May and June. 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.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 167 | 123 | 1961-2026 | 1 | 7 | $5.4M | 86 of 95 |
| Heat | 88 | 88 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 17 of 95 |
| Hail | 75 | 57 | 1969-2025 | 0 | 0 | $67K | 64 of 95 |
| Winter storms | 67 | 66 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $53K | 58 of 95 |
| Floods | 37 | 29 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $3.9M | 87 of 95 |
| Drought | 32 | 32 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 45 of 95 |
| Tornadoes | 29 | 25 | 1953-2025 | 0 | 46 | $24M | 27 of 95 |
| Extreme cold | 12 | 12 | 2007-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 14 of 95 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 8 | 1999-2026 | 0 | 0 | $215K | 67 of 95 |
| Lightning | 8 | 8 | 1996-2018 | 2 | 11 | $141K | 25 of 95 |
| Heavy rain | 3 | 1 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 55 of 95 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 2 | 2 | 2005-2008 | 0 | 0 | $152K | 15 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 Weakley County had?
NOAA records 29 tornadoes in Weakley County from 1953 to 2025, the strongest rated EF3, with 0 deaths and 46 injuries recorded in the county. That is 27th 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 28 tornadoes whose track touched Weakley County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 29: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 6 people, 0 of them in Weakley County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-04-02 19:09, as SPC files it | Dyer to Bradford | F3 | 31 mi | 6 |
| 1994-11-27 15:05, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 6 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Tennessee.
Every tornado record filed for Weakley County (29)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-02 | Fairview, Weakley County | EF1 3.41 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2025-04-02 | Ruthville, Weakley County | EF2 6.38 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K |
| 2023-12-09 | Sidonia, Weakley County | EF1 15.29 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 2 | $484K |
| 2021-12-10 | Sidonia, Weakley County | EF3 25.83 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 30 | $6.6M |
| 2020-01-11 | Hillside, Weakley County | EF0 0.08 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $17K |
| 2018-02-24 | Liberty, Weakley County | EF0 7.38 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2018-02-24 | Ruthville, Weakley County | EF0 5.15 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $59K |
| 2011-04-25 | Ruthville, Weakley County | EF1 10.25 mi x 225 yd | 0 | 0 | $66K |
| 2008-02-05 | Palmersville, Weakley County | EF0 0.76 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2006-04-02 | Greenfield, Weakley County | F3 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 2 | $732K |
| 2005-11-15 | Greenfield, Weakley County | F1 2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $151K |
| 2003-05-04 | Martin, Weakley County | F2 4 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2003-05-04 | Gleason, Weakley County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $48K |
| 1994-11-27 | Latham, Weakley County | F3 6 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 2 | $10.0M |
| 1994-06-09 | Sharon, Weakley County | F0 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $995 |
| 1988-05-03 | Weakley County | F0 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1984-07-26 | Weakley County | F1 0.6 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1982-04-02 | Weakley County | F2 5.5 mi x 77 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1977-12-04 | Weakley County | F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1975-04-24 | Weakley County | F1 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1973-11-26 | Weakley County | F2 0.5 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1972-04-21 | Weakley County | F1 1.3 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 1 | $3K step |
| 1971-04-27 | Weakley County | F1 21 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 3 | $25K step |
| 1967-12-11 | Weakley County | F1 0.1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1967-05-15 | Weakley County | F1 0.1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1957-07-04 | Weakley County | F2 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1957-07-04 | Weakley County | F2 2 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1953-04-15 | Weakley County | F1 0.5 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 1 | $25K step |
| 1953-03-14 | Weakley County | F2 0.3 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 1 | $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 Weakley County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 13, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($10,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | HeatWeakley County · forecast zone Weakley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-29 | HeatWeakley County · forecast zone Weakley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindSharon, Weakley County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtWeakley County · forecast zone Weakley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindLiberty, Weakley County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtWeakley County · forecast zone Weakley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-16 | Strong WindWeakley County · forecast zone Weakley | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindRalston, Weakley County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtWeakley County · forecast zone Weakley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-24 | DroughtWeakley County · forecast zone Weakley | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindMartin, Weakley County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillWeakley County · forecast zone Weakley | 0 | 0 | – |
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
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-05-04 | Thunderstorm WindLiberty, Weakley County Straight-line winds knocked down numerous trees and power lines south of Dresden. Trees fell on a total of seven mobile homes resulting in significant damage. A fatality occurred in one of the mobile homes. A metal building was also damaged near Dresden. | 74 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2018-05-28 | LightningPillowville, Weakley County Weakley County Sheriff stated deputies and a McKenzie ambulance responded to 1280 Blaylock Store Road late Monday afternoon. A group of children had been playing outside under a tree at the residence when the tree was struck by lightning. One of the children was killed by the lightning strike. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-02-17 | Cold/Wind ChillWeakley County · forecast zone Weakley Bitter cold caused a hypothermia death. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2006-09-10 | LightningMartin, Weakley County A child was killed by a lightning strike while playing outdoors. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2021-12-10 | TornadoSidonia, Weakley County The tornado tracked from Gibson County northeast into Weakley County. The tornado passed north of Sharon mainly uprooting and snapping trees. The tornado strengthened as it approached Dresden causing significant damage to several homes along Highway 89. The tornado was at its peak intensity as it moved through ... | EF3 25.83 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 30 | $6.6M |
| 2001-08-11 | LightningDresden, Weakley County Eleven people were injured when lightning struck during a burial ceremony at a cemetery. | 0 | 11 | – | |
| 1977-12-04 | TornadoWeakley County | F0 0.1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1971-04-27 | TornadoWeakley County | F1 21 mi x 73 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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-10 | TornadoSidonia, Weakley County | EF3 25.83 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 30 | $6.6M |
| 1997-03-01 | FloodWeakley County · forecast zone Weakley | 0 | 0 | $2.8M | |
| 2011-04-25 | Thunderstorm WindSharon, Weakley County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $1.3M |
| 2003-05-04 | TornadoMartin, Weakley County | F2 4 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $1.2M |
| 2006-04-02 | TornadoGreenfield, Weakley County | F3 5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 2 | $732K |
| 2011-04-19 | Thunderstorm WindSharon, Weakley County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $731K |
| 2023-08-04 | Flash FloodMt Pelia, Weakley County | 0 | 0 | $484K | |
| 2023-12-09 | TornadoSidonia, Weakley County | EF1 15.29 mi x 600 yd | 0 | 2 | $484K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: December 4, 1977 (tornado, Weakley County); April 2, 1982 (tornado, Weakley County).
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 Weakley 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).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 31 | 37 | 39 | 39 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 24 | 63 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 19 | 23 | 12 | 13 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 15 | 31 | 18 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 4 | 7 | 14 | 12 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 5 | 15 z | 12 |
Drought in the 2010s: 15 records against 5 in the decade before, 15 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Weakley County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
44% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1961 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 40 · Feb 63 · Mar 32 · Apr 68 · May 81 · Jun 64 · Jul 78 · Aug 37 · Sep 10 · Oct 8 · Nov 20 · Dec 27 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Weakley County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Weakley County: 16 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and tornado (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-06 | DR-4898 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3635 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-04-02 | EM-3625 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2023-12-13 | DR-4751 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 2022-03-11 | DR-4645 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2022-01-14 | DR-4637 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2021-12-13 | EM-3576 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2020-07-09 | DR-4550 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2020-04-02 | DR-4514 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3473 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2014-08-13 | DR-4189 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2011-05-09 | DR-1979 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2011-05-01 | DR-1974 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Associated Flooding |
| 2009-02-17 | DR-1821 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2006-04-05 | DR-1634 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3217 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-05-08 | DR-1464 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2000-06-12 | DR-1331 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1997-03-07 | DR-1167 | Tornado | Heavy Rains, Tornadoes, Flooding, Hail, High Winds |
| 1994-02-28 | DR-1010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm,Flash Flooding |
| 1975-03-22 | DR-459 | Flood | Severe 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 Weakley County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 37 flood or flash flood records for Weakley County from 1997 to 2025, on 29 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Weakley County ranks 2155th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $74,000 on 17 claims filed in Weakley County; the most in one year was 3 in 1982. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1980: 2 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 3 · 1990: 3 · 1997: 1 · 1998: 1 · 2002: 2 · 2003: 1 · 2005: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2023: 1; 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 Weakley County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Weakley County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $34.6 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.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.5M | 57 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $18M | once in about 96 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $5.2M | 2.4 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $483K | 1.4 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $3.8M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $146K | 7.2 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $1.0M | 3 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Moderate | $437K | 9.2 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 Weakley County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in TennesseeEvery Tennessee tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in TennesseeThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Tennessee recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Weakley CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Weakley County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis