Live
Active alerts for this county
Heat Advisory
Stewart; Montgomery; Robertson; Sumner; Macon; Clay; Houston; Humphreys; Dickson; Cheatham; Davidson; Wilson; Trousdale; Smith; Jackson; Putnam; Overton; Perry; Hickman; Lewis; Williamson; Maury; Marshall; Rutherford; Cannon; De Kalb; White; Bedford; Coffee; Warren; Wayne; Lawrence; Giles
Dickson County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 484 recorded events between 1961 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 56.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #932 nationally and #16 in Tennessee.
484
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
12
Direct injuries
$20.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Dickson County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Dickson County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 7.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 164 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 18 events fall before 1990 and 466 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Dickson County, Tennessee record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $12.4M in reported property damage. In total, 8 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Dickson County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 274 | 0 | $4.1M | 85 | 1961–2026 |
| Hail | 107 | 0 | $25K | 3 | 1962–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 57 | 1 | $2.1M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 23 | 0 | $12.4M | F3 | 1974–2025 |
| Heavy Rain | 9 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2021 |
| Flood | 8 | 0 | $1.4M | 0 | 2009–2023 |
| Lightning | 4 | 0 | $216K | 0 | 1999–2005 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2012–2024 |
Decade by decade
Dickson County, Tennessee severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
23 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 21 touched down inside it and 2 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-04-07 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 18.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-04-16 | EF3 | 0 | 5 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-12-09 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 18.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-12-09 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 5.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-11 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 12.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-12-11 | EF2 | 0 | 2 | 10.9 mi | Crossed in |
| 2005-11-15 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2013-03-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 10.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2008-04-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Dickson County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17, 2002 | Flash Flood | NORTH PORTION | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 16, 1998 | Tornado | TIDWELL | 0 | 5 | $500K |
| Dec 9, 2023 | Tornado | CLAYLICK | 0 | 2 | $1.5M |
| Dec 9, 2023 | Tornado | WOODS VLY | 0 | 2 | $2.0M |
| Dec 11, 2021 | Tornado | OAK GROVE | 0 | 2 | $2.0M |
| Jun 17, 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | OAK GROVE | 0 | 1 | $5K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Sheriff reported Jones Creek Road was under water. Also, EMA reported that a 46 year old man was swept away near White Bluff around 8 PM CST on Trace Creek Rd. Rock Church Road near Dickson was under water. Dickson County Schools were closed Monday March 18 because of road closures.
The tornado touched down on Maple ValleyRoad in northern Dickson County as an F2. 3 mobile homes were leveled and demolished at this location. Numerous trees were uprooted and snapped. The tornado continued along Highway 49 and reached Bellsburg, TN as an F3. A one story brick home was demolished. No walls or roof were left standing, leaving only a basement and a garage. A truck was thrown into the basement by the tornado. The drywall, furniture, and appliances were hurled into the woods at least 100 yards. An aerial survey determined spotty rural damage to trees as this tornado continued into Cheatham County where it hit Greenbrier and then Ashland City. Dickson County had a total of 25 homes destroyed, 8 homes with major damage, and 24 homes and businesses with moderate damage.
This EF-2 tornado touched down southwest of the intersection of Woods Valley Road and Bone Road, then moved east-northeast where it snapped a few pine trees and caused roof damage to a home. Continuing east-northeast, the tornado damaged a mobile home and outbuilding on Gamble Hollow Road. The tornado intensified to EF-2 as it crossed Highway 48, causing the most significant damage along its path as it completely removed the top level of a home, leaving only the lower exterior walls in place. Winds were estimated at 125 mph in this area. The tornado maintained its strength as it continued toward Freeman Loop, striking an A-frame house and ripping off the top half of the home. As it continued eastward, the tornado did substantial damage to another mobile home and snapped and uprooted dozens of trees along Freeman Loop before finally lifting after crossing Barton's Creek.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
55,983
Population (ACS)
$306K
Median home value
27
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Jun 19, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 2, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM |
| Dec 13, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR |
| May 17, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADO | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Dickson 162
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Dickson County, Tennessee?
484 events are on record between 1961 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $20.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Dickson County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 274 recorded events — 56.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Dickson County?
23 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 21 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Dickson County?
27 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Dickson County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Dickson County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Dickson County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 53 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Dickson County, Tennessee severe weather history data come from?
Every figure is drawn from United States federal public-domain records: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events for the event archive, NOAA SPC SVRGIS for mapped tornado paths, FEMA for disaster declarations and risk ratings, and the U.S. Census for population context. Dates are shown in UTC and recent entries may still be revised by NOAA.
Nearby
Neighbouring counties
- DeKalb County 209
- Dyer County 263
- Decatur County 198
- Fayette County 356
- Davidson County 1,534
- Fentress County 298
Cite this page
“Dickson County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/dickson-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.