Johnson City, TN Tornado History — 28 Tornadoes Since 1950
How many tornadoes has Johnson City, TN had?
Johnson City has had 28 tornadoes on record within 25 miles since 1950, including 3 violent (EF3+) tornadoes.
When was the most recent tornado near Johnson City?
The most recent tornado within 25 miles of Johnson City was an EF1 on August 14, 2023.
When is tornado season in Johnson City?
April is historically the peak month for tornadoes near Johnson City, with 13 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 Johnson City
The last 20 years of confirmed tornadoes within 25 miles — 15 total, averaging 0.8 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 Johnson City
11 fatalities have been recorded within 25 miles of Johnson City since 1950, across 4 events. 135 injuries have been reported across all events. 2011 was the deadliest year on record.
The deadliest single event was an EF3 on April 27, 2011, which caused 6 fatalities along a 15.8-mile track.
Notable Tornadoes Near Johnson City
About Tornadoes in Johnson City
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.
Long quiet stretches broken by sudden, crowded outbreak days give Johnson City's tornado history its rhythm, and the ledger spans generations in upper East Tennessee. An F2 crossed the area on April 8, 1957, and another F2 on March 12, 1967 killed one person and injured five along a sixteen-mile track. An F1 on October 1, 1977 injured ten people in a reminder that autumn storms reach these valleys, and a midsummer F3 on July 10, 1980 injured twelve. Decades later, April 28, 2011 brought the other extreme: an EF3 killed six people and injured thirty-three on a track approaching sixteen miles, a second EF3 killed two and injured seventy, and EF2 tornadoes struck neighboring communities the same day. An EF1 on August 15, 2023 added a present-day chapter.
The meteorology behind that rhythm is durable: warm Gulf of Mexico moisture streams into the Tennessee Valley ahead of spring cold fronts, and when strong jet-stream winds overspread it, rotating storms can survive the crossing of southern Appalachia's ridges. Terrain disrupts some circulations and channels others, so activity tends to arrive with well-organized systems rather than as a steady drumbeat. The NOAA Storm Prediction Center maintains the database behind the events listed elsewhere on this page, a record stretching from the 1950s to the 2020s and touching every generation of Johnson City residents in between.