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Sumner County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 738 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 57.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #362 nationally and #8 in Tennessee.
738
Recorded events
16
Direct deaths
225
Direct injuries
$117.2M
Property damage
The record
What the Sumner County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Sumner County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 10.4 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 288 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 51 events fall before 1990 and 687 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Sumner County, Tennessee record is tornado, responsible for 15 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $100.2M 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 Sumner County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 425 | 0 | $3.1M | 85 | 1960–2026 |
| Hail | 163 | 0 | $7K | 2.75 | 1959–2026 |
| Flash Flood | 72 | 1 | $13.3M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Tornado | 45 | 15 | $100.2M | F4 | 1955–2023 |
| Lightning | 11 | 0 | $619K | 0 | 1997–2018 |
| Heavy Rain | 10 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2016–2018 |
| Flood | 7 | 0 | $11K | 0 | 2010–2018 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2024 |
Decade by decade
Sumner County, Tennessee severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
51 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 38 touched down inside it and 13 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970-04-27 | EF4 | 3 | 85 | 42.6 mi | Crossed in |
| 2008-02-05 | EF3 | 22 | 63 | 50.3 mi | Touched down here |
| 2006-04-07 | EF3 | 7 | 128 | 22.7 mi | Crossed in |
| 1956-02-27 | EF3 | 0 | 4 | 15.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-12-09 | EF2 | 3 | 22 | 34.8 mi | Crossed in |
| 2002-11-10 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 2.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1999-05-05 | EF2 | 0 | 17 | 0.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1998-04-03 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 15.8 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-05-18 | EF2 | 0 | 28 | 15.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 1984-05-06 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Sumner County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 7, 2006 | Tornado | GALLATIN | 7 | 121 | $69.0M |
| Feb 6, 2008 | Tornado | CASTALIAN SPGS | 7 | 14 | $10.0M |
| Apr 27, 1970 | Tornado | 1 | 10 | $2.5M | |
| Dec 30, 2019 | Flash Flood | GALLATIN | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 18, 1995 | Tornado | 0 | 28 | $3.0M | |
| May 6, 1999 | Tornado | GALLATIN | 0 | 17 | $1.0M |
| Nov 10, 2002 | Tornado | PORTLAND | 0 | 6 | $500K |
| Mar 25, 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | CORINTH | 0 | 4 | $200K |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The Castalian Springs Post Office was completely destroyed. There were 85 homes destroyed in Sumner County. ||Also in Castalian Springs, a 180 year-old structure called Wynnewood, lost the top of its structure due to the tornado. The historic log structure served as a stagecoach stop. The structure had 3 chimneys and was 142 feet long, making it the longest log structure in Tennessee.||Officials say it would take 2 years and $6 million to restore Wynnewood. It is Sumner County's sole historic landmark.||Also, 102 trees were lost in the area by the tornado.||The 11-month-old son of Kerri Stowell survived the storm and was found miraculously unharmed in a field across the street from their home in Castalian Springs. Unfortunately, Kerri Stowell was killed in the tornado. ||The tornado directly killed 7 people in Sumner County, and there was one indirect fatality when Mr. Lampkin, age 63, died of a heart attack while seeking shelter in his home. There were 14 people injured in Sumner County. ||This tornado continued into Trousdale and Macon Counties, and also into Kentucky.
Major flash flooding affected northern and central Sumner County, especially the Portland, Oak Grove, and Bethpage areas. Numerous primary and secondary roads were flooded and closed or even washed out, including Highway 52, Highway 259, William Mack Lane, Harper Road, North Corinth Road, Cora Street, Harper Road, Jim Courtney Road, and Airport Road in Portland; Duffer Hollow Road, Rock Bridge Road, Chipman Road, Red Tuttle Road, Rogana Road, Alexander Road, and Rock Springs Road in Bethpage; and Highway 25 at the Bledsoe Creek Bridge in Castalian Springs. Several homes and businesses were flooded, including several homes in the Richland subdivision on William Mack Lane in Portland. At least 12 water rescues from vehicles and homes were conducted across Sumner County, and one 90 year old man that was rescued was reportedly transported to the Portland ER Hospital with hypothermia. The flooding across Sumner County was reportedly the worst since the historic May 2010 floods.
The tornado first touched down near Goodlettsville and moved northeast. The tornado struck near the Rivergate Mall. At least two dozen business were damaged. Nearly 500 cars were damaged beyond repair at a nearby auto dealership. In Sumner County, 35 apartments were destroyed along with three mobile homes. Several business were damaged. An elementary school in Westmoreland lost a large area of roofing above the gymnasium. The Gallatin Civic Center suffered major damage to its swimming pool. Several high tension towers were bent. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
204,424
Population (ACS)
$393K
Median home value
22
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 |
| Dec 13, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS AND TORNADOES | DR |
| May 17, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADO | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Gallatin 138
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Sumner County, Tennessee?
738 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 16 direct deaths and $117.2M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Sumner County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 425 recorded events — 57.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Sumner County?
51 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 38 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Sumner County?
22 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Sumner County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Sumner County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Sumner County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 88 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Sumner 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
- Sullivan County 421
- Tipton County 357
- Stewart County 299
- Trousdale County 124
- Smith County 266
- Unicoi County 110
Cite this page
“Sumner County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/sumner-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.