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Hamilton County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 780 recorded events between 1956 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 62.9% of all recorded events. It ranks #312 nationally and #5 in Tennessee.
780
Recorded events
22
Direct deaths
213
Direct injuries
$170.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Hamilton County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Hamilton County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 11.1 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 234 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 86 events fall before 1990 and 694 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Hamilton County, Tennessee record is tornado, responsible for 11 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $106.3M in reported property damage. In total, 9 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Hamilton County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 491 | 5 | $3.8M | 78 | 1956–2026 |
| Hail | 168 | 0 | $30K | 2.75 | 1956–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 59 | 2 | $52.0M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 27 | 11 | $106.3M | F3 | 1974–2023 |
| Flood | 20 | 1 | $3.5M | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Lightning | 8 | 0 | $1.9M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 4 | 0 | $20K | 0 | 1998–2011 |
| Debris Flow | 2 | 0 | $2.5M | 0 | 2020–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 3 | $25K | 0 | 2025–2025 |
Decade by decade
Hamilton County, Tennessee severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
30 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | EF4 | 20 | 335 | 48.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2020-04-12 | EF3 | 2 | 18 | 19.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1994-04-15 | EF3 | 1 | 9 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-02 | EF3 | 0 | 44 | 41.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1997-03-29 | EF3 | 0 | 44 | 8.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 2.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2010-10-26 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-04-21 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 5.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF1 | 1 | 0 | 17.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Hamilton County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 2011 | Tornado | APISON | 8 | 100 | $20.0M |
| Aug 13, 2025 | Heavy Rain | EAST RIDGE | 3 | 0 | $25K |
| Apr 13, 2020 | Tornado | EAST RIDGE | 2 | 18 | $0 |
| Jul 5, 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | BARTLEBAUGH | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 1994 | Tornado | 1 | 7 | $5.0M | |
| Sep 20, 2009 | Flood | TIFTONA | 1 | 1 | $455K |
| Oct 25, 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | RED BANK | 1 | 1 | $75K |
| Aug 12, 2025 | Flash Flood | WORLEY | 1 | 0 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Ringgold-Apison Tornado. An EF4 tornado touched down in north Georgia and continued into southeast Hamilton county, just south of Apison, Tennessee. It tracked northeast across SE Hamilton County before moving across Bradley County and into Polk County. It had a path length of 4.9 mile path length in Hamilton county and a path width of 800 yards. The 190 mph wind completely leveled several homes and an additional 150 homes were damaged. Eight fatalities were attributed directly to the tornado along with 100 injuries. Victims from Apison include a 77 year old grandmother along with her 17 year old grandson as well the 56 year old mother and 31 year old male cousin who died in their home. In addition, a 63 year old man along with his 60 wife died in their home. Also, a 70 year old man died with his 62 year old wife died in their home.
A 61 year old woman was swept away by flood waters while attempting to retrieve her dog. Extensive flood damages in the community around Soddy-Daisy occurred throughout the event, and the damage estimate obtained from the Emergency Manager is included in this entry.
Widespread minor street flooding began, and eventually escalated into areal and river flooding. The South Chickamauga Creek exceeded its banks and flooded surrounding areas of Chattanooga and East Ridge. The West Chickamauga Creek also contributed to flooding along the South Chickamauga, and areas of East Ridge. The South Chickamauga stage reached 28.54', which is the second highest recorded stage on that river. Numerous businesses and roads were affected by the high waters, with several drivers having to be rescued after driving into flooded streets. Creeks flowing off the Cumberland Plateau in northern Hamilton County also caused flooding in the Soddy Daisy areas, closing roads. One fatality occurred on 9/20/2009, when a 46 year old man, on a wager, tried to swim across a drainage ditch full of rushing water, and was swept into the aqueduct system. His friend, a 36 year old man, tried to rescue him and sustained minor injuries. Officials report that alcohol was possibly involved. According to officials, the ditch was not out of its banks at the time.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
376,192
Population (ACS)
$313K
Median home value
25
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 |
| Jun 17, 2024 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| May 17, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADO | DR |
| Apr 24, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Chattanooga 158
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Hamilton County, Tennessee?
780 events are on record between 1956 and 2026, causing 22 direct deaths and $170.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Hamilton County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 491 recorded events — 62.9% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Hamilton County?
30 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 28 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Hamilton County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Hamilton County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Hamilton County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hamilton County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 93 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Hamilton 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
- Hamblen County 270
- Hancock County 131
- Grundy County 186
- Hardeman County 287
- Greene County 399
- Hardin County 256
Cite this page
“Hamilton County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/hamilton-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.