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Scott County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 271 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 63.5% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,957 nationally and #58 in Tennessee.
271
Recorded events
0
Direct deaths
27
Direct injuries
$5.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Scott County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Scott County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 3.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 101 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 7 events fall before 1990 and 264 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The costliest is flood, with $3.7M 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 Scott County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 172 | 0 | $826K | 78 | 1957–2026 |
| Hail | 50 | 0 | $22K | 1.75 | 1982–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 25 | 0 | $35K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 11 | 0 | $940K | F3 | 1974–2023 |
| Flood | 10 | 0 | $3.7M | 0 | 1998–2023 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $10K | 0 | 2005–2006 |
| Debris Flow | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2024–2024 |
Decade by decade
Scott County, Tennessee severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
13 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 0 | 11 | 12.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 1974-04-03 | EF3 | 0 | 21 | 13.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 1980-04-08 | EF2 | 2 | 9 | 11.2 mi | Crossed in |
| 2021-04-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2021-04-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 2009-05-08 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 4.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 11 | 27.4 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-06-11 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-11-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 2002-11-10 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 4.1 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Scott County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 21 | $250K | |
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 0 | 5 | $0 | |
| Mar 16, 1996 | Tornado | ONEIDA | 0 | 1 | $160K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Record flooding on the Big South Fork Cumberland River at Leatherwood Ford washed away a portion of the historic Burnt Mill Bridge in the Big South Fork Recreation Area. The river crested at 42.50 feet at 10:15 AM EST. For the entire flood event throughout Scott County, damages totaled $1.725 million.
Twenty one homes in the Scenic Hills Estates subdivision received damage. One was totaled. The storm moved in from the southwest. The main damage came from straight-line winds, however, the one home that was totally destroyed was clearly from tornado damage. Winds were estimated in the 70-90 mph range.
An EF2 tornado with a maximum wind speed of 135 miles an hour occurred around five miles southeast of Huntsville. The tornado initially touched down just west of the Fairview community with a maximum wind speed of 90 mph (EF-1) and a width of 100 yards. The tornado continued along an east path and increased in size and intensity to an EF-2 with a maximum wind speed at 135 mph and a width of 200 yards. Several large hardwood trees were snapped off near trunk level and a free standing cell phone tower was collapsed and twisted by the tornado winds. Extensive damage occurred in a concentrated path at least 80 yards in length at the 135 mph EF-2 level. The tornado continued east and finally weakened to an EF-1 with a maximum wind speed of 100 mph as it dissipated at the foothill of Gray Mountain. At least seven homes suffered minor to moderate wind damage along the 4.5 mile path of the tornado.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
22,113
Population (ACS)
$125K
Median home value
26
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 8, 2021 | Tornado | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR |
| Apr 21, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS | DR |
| Apr 24, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Oneida 100
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Scott County, Tennessee?
271 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 0 direct deaths and $5.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Scott County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 172 recorded events — 63.5% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Scott County?
13 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 10 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Scott County?
26 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Scott County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Scott County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Scott County as very low risk, placing it in the 26 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Scott 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
- Rutherford County 762
- Sequatchie County 231
- Robertson County 501
- Sevier County 411
- Roane County 383
- Shelby County 1,180
Cite this page
“Scott County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/scott-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.