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Lawrence County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 733 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 51.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #365 nationally and #9 in Tennessee.
733
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
153
Direct injuries
$33.1M
Property damage
The record
What the Lawrence County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Lawrence County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 10.3 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2020s, with 212 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 31 events fall before 1990 and 702 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Lawrence County, Tennessee record is flash flood, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $22.8M 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 Lawrence County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 380 | 0 | $2.9M | 80 | 1958–2026 |
| Hail | 146 | 0 | $6K | 2.75 | 1955–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 118 | 3 | $6.3M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 42 | 3 | $22.8M | F5 | 1955–2026 |
| Flood | 20 | 0 | $212K | 0 | 2000–2025 |
| Lightning | 15 | 0 | $890K | 0 | 2000–2025 |
| Funnel Cloud | 7 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2021 |
| Heavy Rain | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2016–2021 |
Decade by decade
Lawrence County, Tennessee severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
44 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 35 touched down inside it and 9 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-04-16 | EF5 | 3 | 36 | 69.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 1995-05-18 | EF4 | 3 | 32 | 29.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2015-12-23 | EF3 | 0 | 7 | 48.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-04-11 | EF3 | 0 | 1 | 10.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1994-06-26 | EF3 | 0 | 22 | 38.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1972-04-21 | EF3 | 0 | 10 | 32.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1956-02-17 | EF3 | 0 | 0 | 10.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-03-25 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 22.1 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-01-10 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 mi | Crossed in |
| 1996-04-20 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Lawrence County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 18, 1995 | Tornado | Piney to | 3 | 32 | $4.6M |
| Jul 13, 1998 | Flash Flood | LAWRENCEBURG | 2 | 20 | $4.0M |
| Jun 5, 2014 | Flash Flood | NEW HAVEN | 1 | 0 | $500K |
| Apr 16, 1998 | Tornado | DEERFIELD | 0 | 21 | $4.0M |
| Jun 27, 1994 | Tornado | Wayne and | 0 | 19 | $5.0M |
| Jul 2, 2002 | Lightning | LAWRENCEBURG | 0 | 18 | $0 |
| Apr 20, 1996 | Tornado | BARNESVILLE | 0 | 12 | $1.3M |
| Apr 22, 1972 | Tornado | 0 | 6 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The tornado touched down near the Lawrence/Wayne County line near Deerfield and lifted near Campbellsville in Giles County. Two people were killed while outside their trailer in the extreme western part of Lawrence County and a third person was killed while inside a house near Deerfield. Thirty-four houses, 16 mobile homes and one business were destroyed. Ninety-eight houses, three mobile homes and two other buildings were damaged. The tornado pulled corn stalks that were two feet tall out fo the ground and destroyed 6 TVA steel high-tension-wire towers. Three of these towers were never found. A cancelled check from Etheridge was found in Cannon County, some 90 miles away. Seventy-five to 100 people were evacuated in Ethridge because of downed power lines. (F48H,M65H,M67H)
Major and widespread flash flooding occurred across northern Lawrence County, with several homes flooded and road closures due to roads being washed out in up to 20 different places. A 72 year old man drowned when his car was swept off the washed-out roadway at the intersection of Denson Road and Highway 240 in Summertown. Three people were rescued out of a flooded house at 35 Waterfork Road in Henryville. Buffalo Road at Highway 242 was down to one lane due to flooding. Highway 240 had 1 foot of water over the roadway. Branch Drive and Lance Drive in Lawrenceburg were also flooded.
The tornado first touched down near the town of Lutts in Wayne County and continued southeast into Lawrence. The tornado hit the towns of Iron City and St. Joseph before moving into Lauderdale County, Alabama. Several homes were damaged in Wayne County but the most significant damage occurred in Lawrence County. About 75% of the buildings in Iron City were damaged. Over 100 buildings were damaged in both St. Joseph and Iron City. Some cars were twisted and numerous trees were blown down. Nineteen persons were injured, most of them in Iron City.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
45,385
Population (ACS)
$194K
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 |
| May 17, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADO | DR |
| Jul 9, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 2, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Lawrenceburg 221
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Lawrence County, Tennessee?
733 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths and $33.1M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Lawrence County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 380 recorded events — 51.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Lawrence County?
44 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 35 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Lawrence County?
25 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Lawrence County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Lawrence County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Lawrence County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 70 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Lawrence 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
- Lauderdale County 235
- Lewis County 191
- Lake County 108
- Lincoln County 541
- Knox County 774
- Loudon County 325
Cite this page
“Lawrence County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/lawrence-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.