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Monroe County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 421 recorded events between 1960 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 69.8% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,169 nationally and #21 in Tennessee.
421
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
28
Direct injuries
$35.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Monroe County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Monroe County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 6.5 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 186 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 11 events fall before 1990 and 410 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flash flood, with $21.2M in reported property damage. In total, 7 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Monroe County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 294 | 0 | $2.3M | 85 | 1960–2025 |
| Hail | 73 | 0 | $12K | 2.75 | 1980–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 21 | 0 | $21.2M | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Tornado | 20 | 0 | $12.0M | F3 | 1974–2025 |
| Flood | 10 | 0 | $6K | 0 | 2002–2023 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2011–2011 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 1996–1996 |
Decade by decade
Monroe County, Tennessee severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
19 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 16 touched down inside it and 3 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 | 0 | 0 | 14.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-02-21 | EF3 | 0 | 17 | 19.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2012-03-02 | EF2 | 0 | 3 | 14.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 16.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 10.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-04-28 | EF2 | 0 | 1 | 3.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2015-07-14 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 11.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 11.4 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Monroe County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 1993 | Tornado | One home was destroye | 0 | 10 | $5.0M |
| Feb 21, 1993 | Tornado | Englewood to | 0 | 7 | $500K |
| Mar 2, 2012 | Tornado | TELLICO PLAINS | 0 | 3 | $5.0M |
| Mar 7, 1975 | Tornado | 0 | 3 | $25K | |
| May 30, 2025 | Tornado | NORTHPOINT | 0 | 2 | $50K |
| Apr 28, 2011 | Tornado | GUDGER | 0 | 1 | $100K |
| Apr 27, 2011 | Tornado | BROWNHILL | 0 | 1 | $500K |
| Apr 28, 1980 | Tornado | 0 | 1 | $250K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Multiple road closures due to flash flooding. Washouts occurred along the Cherohala Skyway at MM 4.5, and along Hwy 360 northeast of Tellico Plains. Other road damages in the Cherokee National Forest blocked access to homes. Floodwaters entered several buildings, and flooded the ball park to nearly a foot of depth. Rain gauge and radar estimates depicted around 5 inches of rain fell over this mountainous area. EM estimates $6 million in damages to the area, while another $4 million was requested for repairs in the National Forest. These estimates did not include apparent losses to agriculture.
An EF-2 tornado touched down in Tellico Plains, leaving a path of destruction 14 miles long through downtown and crossed Hwy 360 to Ballplay Road, and into the Citico Wilderness area. Property damage to residential and commercial buildings was extensive (30 buildings), but, although there were 3 injuries, miraculously, there were no fatalities. One of the TDS buildings and the police department annex were destroyed. The cabins, main lodge and pavilion at the KOA Campground were leveled. Downed, broken, and uprooted trees cover hillsides and roadsides in the tornado's path.
The tornado that was in McMinn County continued into Monroe County and produced considerable damage to the town of Tellico Plains. Over 100 houses were either damaged or destroyed. A high school had its gymnasium roof damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down. The tornado continued into part of the Cherokee National Forest and damaged numerous trees and closed a campground for the season.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
47,695
Population (ACS)
$228K
Median home value
18
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 |
| Apr 24, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 2, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Madisonville 140
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Monroe County, Tennessee?
421 events are on record between 1960 and 2025, causing 0 direct deaths and $35.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Monroe County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 294 recorded events — 69.8% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Monroe County?
19 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 16 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Monroe County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Monroe County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Monroe County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Monroe County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 61 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Monroe 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
- Meigs County 199
- Montgomery County 534
- Maury County 523
- Moore County 289
- Marshall County 265
- Morgan County 324
Cite this page
“Monroe County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/monroe-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.