118
Recorded events
3
Direct deaths
21
Direct injuries
$6.3M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Lawrence County, Tennessee: 118 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #123 nationally and #3 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Lawrence County, Tennessee: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Lawrence County is the 2020s, when 40 of the county's 118 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Lawrence County archive, flash flood makes up 16.1% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #123 for this hazard and #3 within Tennessee, putting it in the 96.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Mar is the peak month for flash flood in Lawrence County with 22 recorded events, while Nov is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 13, 1998 | LAWRENCEBURG | 0 | 2 | 20 | $4.0M |
| Jun 5, 2014 | NEW HAVEN | 0 | 1 | 0 | $500K |
| Aug 14, 1998 | LAWRENCEBURG | 0 | 0 | 1 | $20K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9, 2025 | LORETTO | 0 | $50K |
| May 2, 2025 | RAMAH | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 25, 2025 | SOUTH FAIRVIEW | 0 | $10K |
| Apr 25, 2025 | BROWN XRDS | 0 | $0 |
| Apr 25, 2025 | BROWN XRDS | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 16, 2025 | WESTPOINT | 0 | $10K |
| Mar 15, 2025 | LORETTO | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 15, 2025 | LEOMA | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 12, 2023 | ETHRIDGE | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 13, 2022 | FLATWOODS | 0 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Lawrence County
- Thunderstorm Wind 380
- Hail 146
- Tornado 42
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Major and widespread flash flooding occurred across northern Lawrence County, with several homes flooded and road closures due to roads being washed out in up to 20 different places. A 72 year old man drowned when his car was swept off the washed-out roadway at the intersection of Denson Road and Highway 240 in Summertown. Three people were rescued out of a flooded house at 35 Waterfork Road in Henryville. Buffalo Road at Highway 242 was down to one lane due to flooding. Highway 240 had 1 foot of water over the roadway. Branch Drive and Lance Drive in Lawrenceburg were also flooded.
Flooding was occurring countywide. Several people had to be evacuated. U.S. Highway 64 had to be closed due to high water near David Crockett State Park around 0844 AM CDT. 3 bridges have to be replaced (Waterloo Road, Shoally Branch Drive and Chief Creek Rd.) , 5 low water crossings will have to be reworked and miscellaneous metal culverts installed. Estimated cost of flood damage by EMA is $1.3 million.
Urban street flooding was occurring. At 212 AM CST water was getting into homes in Lawrenceburg. A newspaper story said water rescues were made by the Swift Water Rescue Team, including one at Galbreath Subdivision, Jackson Street, Kathy Drive, Weakley Creek Road and Maple Avenue in Lawrenceburg. Other rescues were done on Prosser Road. 2 people were rescued at St. Joseph on U.S. Highway 64, as their car was swept 15 to 20 feet off the side of the roadway. As much as 5 inches of rain fell in 2 hours, and in some places 6 inches were reported. A water main bursted near Lawrenceburg, in the Stud Horse Canyon area just off Highway 64. The water main burst made matters worse. Water pressure became low to many businesses and residences. Schools were closed Tuesday and Wednesday, October 19th and 20th. Some roads in Lawrence County were completely washed out.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Lawrence County, Tennessee?
118 flash flood events are recorded in Lawrence County between 1996 and 2025, causing 3 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Lawrence County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Lawrence County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Lawrence County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Flash Flood in Lawrence County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/lawrence-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.