Cocke County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 264 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 72.7% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,013 nationally and #64 in Tennessee.
264
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
13
Direct injuries
$4.6M
Property damage
The record
What the Cocke County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Cocke County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 3.8 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 103 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 17 events fall before 1990 and 247 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Cocke County, Tennessee record is flood, responsible for 2 direct deaths. The costliest is tornado, with $2.9M in reported property damage. In total, 6 distinct hazard types appear in this county archive, each listed with its own dated record below.
By hazard type
Every hazard type recorded in Cocke County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 192 | 0 | $942K | 87 | 1959–2026 |
| Hail | 37 | 0 | $0 | 2 | 1957–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 17 | 0 | $740K | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 10 | 2 | $56K | 0 | 1999–2025 |
| Tornado | 6 | 1 | $2.9M | F2 | 1963–2011 |
| Lightning | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 1999–2004 |
Decade by decade
Cocke County, Tennessee severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
7 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 7 touched down inside it and 0 crossed in from a neighbouring county. This comes from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
| Date | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Path length | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-03-11 | EF2 | 1 | 1 | 6.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1976-02-18 | EF2 | 0 | 10 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 7.1 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.2 mi | Touched down here |
| 1955-03-25 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 2.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Cocke County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 28, 2024 | Flood | LIBERTY HILL | 2 | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 12, 1963 | Tornado | 1 | 1 | $250K | |
| Feb 18, 1976 | Tornado | 0 | 10 | $2.5M | |
| Jan 12, 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | NORTHPORT | 0 | 1 | $0 |
| May 10, 2004 | Lightning | DEL RIO | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Flooding on the Cocke County side from the massive flood wave on the Nolichucky River near Lowland. The Lowland river gauge was above its previous record crest for nearly 20 hours, cresting at 35.16 feet at 10:15 am EST on the 28th, 9 feet above its previous record. Damaging flooding occurred, but in mostly rural and agricultural areas. As the river swelled out of its banks in the area where it becomes the border between Greene and Cocke counties, it flooded Goodwater Road around midnight where an elderly couple were swept away in their vehicle trying to escape. All told, Cocke County estimates $24.3 million in total county damages, which are included in the entry for the Pigeon River record flooding.
An EF1 tornado touched downed near Newport. It formed near the Jefferson and Cocke county line at Highway 441 then tracked across the county to near Newport where it dissipated. The max wind of 90 mph caused damage to the local hospital and downed numerous trees.
The river gauge on the Pigeon River at Newport exceeded the 12 foot major flood stage at 5:30 am EST on the 27th. (This stage is not unusual, and has happened over a dozen times in the 2000s.) However, the gauge remained above major flood stage for 23 hours, cresting at 29.57 feet at 5:07 pm EST on the 27th, more than 6 feet above the previous record crest that stood for over 120 years. As the flood wave moved down from the state line, it destroyed portions of I-40 and a popular rafting venue. A river gauge near Hartford was destroyed, and flooding in Hartford occurred. Structures and agricultural land near Edwina were ruined. Numerous structures in and around the river in the vicinity of Newport were destroyed or damaged. Substantial and damaging flooding occurred in downtown Newport. All damages for Cocke County (which suffered two other river floods elsewhere) will be included in this entry. Rumors during the afternoon of the 27th that Walters Dam had failed were false, but its power station outside of Hartford had to be evacuated due to the excessive river flooding.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
36,813
Population (ACS)
$158K
Median home value
24
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 |
| Oct 2, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | DR |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Tropical Storm | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | EM |
| Mar 8, 2023 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Cocke County, Tennessee?
264 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 3 direct deaths and $4.6M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Cocke County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 192 recorded events — 72.7% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Cocke County?
7 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 7 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Cocke County?
24 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Cocke County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Cocke County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cocke County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 55 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Cocke 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
- Clay County 187
- Coffee County 406
- Claiborne County 289
- Crockett County 177
- Chester County 189
- Cumberland County 304
Cite this page
“Cocke County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/cocke-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.