Knox County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 774 recorded events between 1955 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 63.0% of all recorded events. It ranks #317 nationally and #6 in Tennessee.
774
Recorded events
6
Direct deaths
37
Direct injuries
$57.4M
Property damage
The record
What the Knox County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Knox County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 10.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2010s, with 213 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 41 events fall before 1990 and 733 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Knox County, Tennessee record is thunderstorm wind, responsible for 3 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $34.5M 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 Knox County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 488 | 3 | $3.0M | 76 | 1955–2026 |
| Hail | 169 | 0 | $51K | 3 | 1961–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 68 | 0 | $3.1M | 0 | 1997–2025 |
| Flood | 29 | 1 | $34.5M | 0 | 1998–2025 |
| Tornado | 15 | 2 | $16.7M | F3 | 1965–2023 |
| Heavy Rain | 4 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2022–2022 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $25K | 0 | 2006–2006 |
Decade by decade
Knox County, Tennessee severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
15 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-02-21 | EF3 | 0 | 3 | 16.0 mi | Crossed in |
| 2023-08-07 | EF2 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 mi | Touched down here |
| 1965-04-15 | EF2 | 0 | 6 | 7.4 mi | Touched down here |
| 1974-04-03 | EF1 | 2 | 21 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-27 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2003-05-15 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 1.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2000-05-23 | EF1 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1995-05-18 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2012-03-02 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Knox County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 4, 1974 | Tornado | 2 | 21 | $25K | |
| Nov 9, 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | KNOXVILLE | 2 | 0 | $3K |
| Feb 23, 2019 | Flood | HALLS XRDS | 1 | 0 | $32.5M |
| Jul 8, 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | ROCKY HILL | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 15, 1965 | Tornado | 0 | 6 | $2.5M | |
| Feb 21, 1993 | Tornado | Oak Ridge to | 0 | 3 | $5.0M |
| Apr 29, 1991 | Thunderstorm Wind | 0 | 3 | $0 | |
| Dec 11, 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | BYRDS CHAPEL | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Numerous roadways and structures were flooded. East Emory Road near Hallbrook Road near Halls Crossroads was closed. Flooding also reported on Northshore Drive near Ebenezer Road. South Peters Road was closed by flooding late in the evening, but a motorist still became submerged and, after being taken to a hospital, died shortly after midnight. All told, there was about 32.5 million dollars in damages across Knox County from this flooding event.
The tornado that went through Anderson County continued into Knox County affecting the towns of Powell and Northbrook. Eleven homes were destroyed and another 75 homes were damaged. Numerous trees were knocked down as well.
The tornado started near Oak Ridge, moved through the Bull Run Steam Plant and went through the town of Claxton. Fifty homes were damaged and six mobile homes were destroyed. Two business were destroyed and another 10 were damaged including a weapons plant. Twelve electric transmission towers were knocked down.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Moderate
FEMA NRI risk rating
494,148
Population (ACS)
$321K
Median home value
19
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 |
| Mar 8, 2023 | Winter Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR |
| Apr 2, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Knoxville 261
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Knox County, Tennessee?
774 events are on record between 1955 and 2026, causing 6 direct deaths and $57.4M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Knox County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 488 recorded events — 63.0% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Knox County?
15 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 14 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Knox County?
19 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Knox County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Knox County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Knox County as relatively moderate risk, placing it in the 92 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Knox 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
- Johnson County 119
- Lake County 108
- Jefferson County 307
- Lauderdale County 235
- Jackson County 211
- Lawrence County 733
Cite this page
“Knox County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/knox-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.