Grainger County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 232 recorded events between 1958 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 77.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,236 nationally and #72 in Tennessee.
232
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
2
Direct injuries
$2.3M
Property damage
The record
What the Grainger County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Grainger County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 3.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 117 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 11 events fall before 1990 and 221 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Grainger County, Tennessee record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is thunderstorm wind, with $905K in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Grainger County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 180 | 0 | $905K | 80 | 1959–2025 |
| Hail | 35 | 0 | $120K | 2.75 | 1958–2026 |
| Flood | 6 | 0 | $780K | 0 | 1998–2022 |
| Flash Flood | 5 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 1997–2023 |
| Tornado | 4 | 0 | $358K | F1 | 1973–2025 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $150K | 0 | 1997–1999 |
Decade by decade
Grainger County, Tennessee severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
4 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 4 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-06 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-05-08 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 9.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1973-05-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-10-01 | EF0 | 0 | 2 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Grainger County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 1997 | Flash Flood | BUFFALO SPGS | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Oct 1, 1977 | Tornado | 0 | 2 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado began near McAnally Rd and Campground Rd before moving east along Highway 131. Tree damage began sporadically at first, with a few cedar trees split or blown over, tree damage then began to intensify towards the heart of the damage path. There were several barns and outbuildings with roof damage along 131, and numerous snapped trees. A small chicken coop was lofted up and over the pen around the coop, and left upside down in a ditch but with no scratches or visible damage to the coop. The most significant damage was to a large barn on Highway 131 that was completely destroyed. The tornado continued to Clinch River Hardwoods and Thorn Hill Church. At that location a large tanker trailer was overturned, and the church had some light damage to siding and windows. The tornado lifted where trees were snapped on the side of Clinch Mountain near US Highway 25E.
Several reports of tennis ball sized hail from both broadcast media and public reports were received. Significant damage was inflicted in Grainger County, with farmers reporting their tomato greenhouses were significantly damaged by the hail.
A 68-foot high sycamore tree, certified by the state as the fourth largest sycamore tree, was toppled. Other trees and power lines were knocked down. Some of the fallen trees damaged vehicles and the roofs of several homes.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
24,266
Population (ACS)
$189K
Median home value
20
Federal declarations
| Declared | Incident | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 6, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Jan 24, 2026 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM |
| Apr 2, 2025 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM |
| Oct 2, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | DR |
| May 8, 2021 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 2, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Grainger County, Tennessee?
232 events are on record between 1958 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $2.3M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Grainger County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 180 recorded events — 77.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Grainger County?
4 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 4 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Grainger County?
20 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Grainger County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Grainger County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Grainger County as very low risk, placing it in the 19 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Grainger 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
- Giles County 327
- Greene County 399
- Gibson County 399
- Grundy County 186
- Franklin County 449
- Hamblen County 270
Cite this page
“Grainger County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/grainger-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.