Tornadoes in Hardeman County, Tennessee

1. F0 / EF040 to 72 mph on the F scale, 65 to 85 mph on the EF scale

   Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

2. F1 / EF173 to 112 mph on the F scale, 86 to 110 mph on the EF scale

   Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

3. F2 / EF2113 to 157 mph on the F scale, 111 to 135 mph on the EF scale

   Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

4. F3 / EF3158 to 206 mph on the F scale, 136 to 165 mph on the EF scale

   Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

5. F4 / EF4207 to 260 mph on the F scale, 166 to 200 mph on the EF scale

   Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

6. F5 / EF5261 to 318 mph on the F scale, over 200 mph on the EF scale

   Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

7. Unrated

   The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

Tornadoes

22

Deaths

121

Injuries

1,036

F4 and above

3

Worst on record

F4, February 21, 1971

1. F4, Issaquena, Sharkey, Humphreys, Leflore and Hardeman counties, Mississippi and TennesseeFebruary 21, 197158 killed, 795 injured
2. F4, Hardeman, Chester and Henderson counties, TennesseeMarch 21, 195238 killed, 157 injured
3. EF4 Holly Springs–Ashland tornado, Mississippi and TennesseeDecember 23, 20159 killed, 36 injured
4. EF3 Adamsville–Corinth tornado, TennesseeMarch 31, 20239 killed, 23 injured
5. EF3, Benton, Tippah, Hardeman and McNairy counties, Mississippi and TennesseeMay 2, 20103 killed, 9 injured
6. EF3, Marshall, Benton, Fayette and Hardeman counties, Mississippi and TennesseeApril 3, 20252 killed, 3 injured
7. F1, Hardeman and Fayette counties, TennesseeJanuary 17, 19991 killed, 4 injured
8. F1, Hardeman County, TennesseeNovember 22, 19921 killed, 3 injured

1. F4, Issaquena, Sharkey, Humphreys, Leflore and Hardeman counties, Mississippi and TennesseeFebruary 21, 1971F4, 202.1 mi (325 km)
2. EF4 Holly Springs–Ashland tornado, Mississippi and TennesseeDecember 23, 2015EF4, 75.1 mi (121 km)
3. F4, Hardeman, Chester and Henderson counties, TennesseeMarch 21, 1952F4, 46.8 mi (75 km)
4. EF3 Adamsville–Corinth tornado, TennesseeMarch 31, 2023EF3, 86.0 mi (138 km)
5. EF3, Marshall, Benton, Fayette and Hardeman counties, Mississippi and TennesseeApril 3, 2025EF3, 39.5 mi (64 km)
6. EF3, Benton, Tippah, Hardeman and McNairy counties, Mississippi and TennesseeMay 2, 2010EF3, 29.6 mi (48 km)
7. EF2, Hardeman County, TennesseeMarch 31, 2023EF2, 12.8 mi (21 km)
8. EF2, Benton, Tippah and Hardeman counties, Mississippi and TennesseeApril 2, 2025EF2, 12.5 mi (20 km)
9. F2, Madison, Hardeman and Chester counties, TennesseeNovember 19, 1988F2, 12.0 mi (19 km)
10. F2, Hardeman County, TennesseeOctober 17, 1981F2, 1.5 mi (2 km)

Warnings in force in Hardeman CountyThe forecast for Hardeman CountyThe live radar over Hardeman CountyEvery county in Tennessee

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.