Jackson, TN Tornado History — 92 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Jackson, TN had?
Jackson has had 92 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 14 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Jackson?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Jackson was an EF0 on May 20, 2025.
When is tornado season in Jackson?
May is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Jackson, with 18 on record. Spring through early summer (April–June) generally sees the highest activity across most of the central and southern United States.
At a Glance
Recent Tornado Activity Near Jackson
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 25 total, averaging 1.3 per year over this window.
Tornadoes by Decade
Tornadoes by Enhanced Fujita Rating
F0–F5 ratings (pre-2007) are grouped with their EF equivalents. The Enhanced Fujita scale replaced the original Fujita scale in February 2007.
Tornadoes by Month
Casualties on Record Near Jackson
76 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Jackson since 1950, across 14 events. 621 injuries have been reported across all events. 1952 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was a F4 on March 21, 1952, which caused 38 fatalities along a 46.8-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Jackson
About Tornadoes in Jackson
This overview was written August 10, 2026. The tornado counts and notable-event figures elsewhere on this page reflect the latest data and may differ from this summary.
Tornado accounts from the Jackson area have been kept in an organized way since around mid-century, long enough to show how regularly West Tennessee's atmosphere turns dangerous. The archive, maintained today by the NOAA Storm Prediction Center, reflects a setting built for severe weather: warm, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico streams north across the low, gently rolling country between the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers, and when sharp cold fronts or a vigorous jet stream cross the region, storms can begin rotating quickly. The threat spans the calendar here — the ledger holds damaging cool-season episodes in the depths of winter and in late autumn alongside classic springtime outbreaks, and many of them arrive after dark.
What sets the local record apart is its violent, long-track tornadoes. On March 22, 1952, an F4 carved a 46.8-mile path through the area, killing 38 people and injuring 157. The downtown core took a direct hit on January 18, 1999, when an F4 left 6 people dead and 106 injured. On May 5, 2003, another F4 tracked 39 miles across the region, killing 11 and injuring 86. During the nighttime outbreak of February 6, 2008, an EF4 swept through the city, injuring 51, while an EF3 on the same date killed 3 people along a 31.13-mile track. The event list elsewhere on this page traces the fuller sequence.