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Rhea County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 333 recorded events between 1960 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 69.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,587 nationally and #34 in Tennessee.
333
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
6
Direct injuries
$13.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Rhea County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Rhea County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 5.0 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 125 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 11 events fall before 1990 and 322 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Rhea County, Tennessee record is flash flood, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $8.6M 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 Rhea County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 230 | 0 | $2.1M | 70 | 1960–2026 |
| Hail | 65 | 0 | $12K | 4 | 1977–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 20 | 1 | $8.6M | 0 | 1997–2023 |
| Flood | 10 | 0 | $252K | 0 | 1997–2021 |
| Tornado | 4 | 0 | $2.3M | F1 | 1983–2012 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1998–2019 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $400K | 0 | 2005–2005 |
| Heavy Rain | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2013–2013 |
Decade by decade
Rhea 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: 3 touched down inside it and 1 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 | 4 | 12 | 40.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2011-04-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1983-06-04 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 20.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.7 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Rhea County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 24, 2015 | Flash Flood | DAYTON | 1 | 0 | $15K |
| Mar 20, 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | COUNTYWIDE | 0 | 4 | $25K |
| Apr 28, 2011 | Tornado | MORGAN SPGS | 0 | 2 | $2.0M |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
New Harmony Tornado. This tornado continued its destuctive path into Rhea County. The 190 mph wind destroyed 19 roofs and 21 homes had damage. Trees and powerlines were also downed. Two people were injured.||This tornado had a total path length of 40.2 miles and was responsible for four deaths in Bledsoe County.
High wind flipped a boat dock at the Arrowhead Marina onto an adjacent boat dock.|Twenty five boats were damaged during the event and a HAZMAT team arrived at the scene to contain gasoline and oil leaks from the damaged boats.
This tornado formed east of Dayton and moved to the east-northeast. It destroyed one shed, caused light to moderate damage to four barns, and knocked down several trees along its path through rural areas, south of Highway 30. The maximum wind was estimated at 80 mph.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
33,992
Population (ACS)
$206K
Median home value
21
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 |
| Sep 27, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADO | DR |
| May 17, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADO | DR |
| Apr 2, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Rhea County, Tennessee?
333 events are on record between 1960 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $13.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Rhea County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 230 recorded events — 69.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Rhea County?
4 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 3 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Rhea County?
21 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Rhea County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Rhea County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Rhea County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 49 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Rhea 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
- Putnam County 478
- Roane County 383
- Polk County 270
- Robertson County 501
- Pickett County 99
- Rutherford County 762
Cite this page
“Rhea County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/rhea-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.