Atoka

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond this area.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Flood insurance figures are for Tipton County, the county that contains Atoka.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

The drought index is for Tipton County, the county that contains Atoka.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the city centre.
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Mar 31, 2023Tornado$80.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   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 then crossed Cattle Branch Creek causing minor tree damage. The first structural damage occurred along Laxton Lane and Fite Road where houses had some minor roof damage. The tornado began to intensify as it crossed Akins Road and approached Marshall Drive. A few power poles were broken in this area. The first EF-3 damage occurred along Myron Creek Drive where…

2. May 1, 2010Flash Flood$20.5 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Very heavy rain produced widespread flash flooding across Tipton County. Up to 20 inches of rain fell causing devastating damage to homes, businesses, roads and bridges. In fact, 40 roads were impassable in Tipton County due to the flooding. Twenty-one of those roads and 14 bridges were washed out as a result of the flooding. Other roads received damage just from the heavy rain. Damage was particularly bad in Atoka and Mason. Numerous vehicles were completely submerged in water. Two apartment complexes in Covington sustained major damage. In total, 309 homes received damage from the flooding. Of those, 96 homes were completely destroyed. As many as 93 businesses were flooded and…

3. Nov 9, 2002Tornado$6.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado moved into Tipton county from Mississippi county in Arkansas and moved northeast. The tornado produced significant damage across the county. One man was injured was injured by bricks blown down from the facade of a building in downtown Covington. Across the county, twenty-eight mobile homes, five houses and one business were destroyed. Approximately 275 homes and business were damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down.

4. Jun 19, 2025Flash Flood$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Heavy rain caused flash flooding throughout the Covington area and across much of Tipton County. Over 7 inches of rain fell in a short period of time, causing flooding on Highway 59 and Highway 51, along with South Main Street in Covington. There were multiple water rescues. Thirty-two homes and businesses were flooded. Many roads and bridges were damaged throughout the county.

5. Apr 19, 2011Thunderstorm Wind$1.7 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Straight line winds caused damage from Atoka to Brighton. Six houses, four mobile homes, three businesses and eight farm buildings were destroyed. Many trees and signs were also knocked down.

6. May 1, 2011Flood$750,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Mississippi River rose to near record levels during the beginning to middle part of May. A few homes along the river were flooded and sustained damage. Several thousand acres of agriculture fields were flooded. Several roads were flooded and/or damaged. The river remained above flood stage through the end of the month.

7. Mar 31, 2023Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The tornado that heavily damaged Wynne, Arkansas crossed the Mississippi River into Tipton County, Tennessee where it produced EF-2 damage across Wilder Farms. As the tornado climbed the Bluff, the tornado circulation began to weaken. From the top of the Bluff at the intersection of Pryor and Leach Roads to south of Burlison where the tornado appears to have lifted, EF-1 and EF-0 damage was observed. Peak winds from this tornado in Tipton County were estimated at 130 mph. It is important to note that as the long-tracked Wynne, Arkansas tornado was dissipating, the Covington, Tennessee tornado was on the ground approximately 3.5 miles away to the south.

8. Mar 1, 1997Flood, Tipton$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Excessive rainfall during the first few days of March along with rivers that were already high caused prolonged flooding along the Mississippi and Tennessee rivers as well as their tributaries. Along the Mississippi, the river reached levels that had not been seen since 1937. Numerous roads were closed for days. In several counties people had to be evacuated from homes including 400 persons in the town of Rives in Obion county. In Madison county, two persons were killed when their car was swept off a flooded road. One person was killed in Shelby county when his car went over a flooded bridge. One man was also killed in Obion county when he fell out of a boat helping people out of…

9. May 9, 2021Tornado$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The first observed damage was east of Dolan Road and west of Glen Springs Road. The tornado uprooted trees and caused roof damage just west of Glen Springs Road. Across Glen Springs Road, the tornado damaged a storage building and additional trees. The tornado crossed Glen Springs Lake and uprooted trees along Slough Road. Evidence suggested the tornado weakened in this area. The tornado strengthened as it approached Campground Road and Munford Giltedge Road. The tornado damaged a barn, large storage shed and caused roof damage to homes in the area. Trees were uprooted, and a couple of tree trunks were snapped. The tornado continued east and uprooted trees along Plantation Road.…

10. May 31, 2013Tornado$180,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The tornado touched down on Mount Lebanon Road and tracked east destroying two homes. The wind moved cars and trucks a significant amount. There was also damage to grain bins and trees were knocked down. A shop was destroyed.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

108°FJul 13, 1980

All-time low

−13°FDec 24, 1963

Warmest night

84°F4 times, most recently Aug 3, 2010

Coldest day

6°FJan 10, 1962

Wettest day

5.88 inNov 28, 2001

Snowiest day

14.3 inDec 22, 1963

Hottest year

2012mean 65.9°F

Coldest year

1958mean 59.8°F

Wettest year

195776.85 in

Driest year

200734.81 in

Snowiest season

23.8 in1967-68

Station Memphis International Airport (USW00013893), 251 ft elevation, 28.0 miles from the city centre. Daily records from 1948 to October 27, 2026; 100.0% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

Declarations for Tipton County.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00013893.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.