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Roane County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 383 recorded events between 1957 and 2026. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 73.1% of all recorded events. It ranks #1,322 nationally and #27 in Tennessee.
383
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$18.5M
Property damage
The record
What the Roane County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Roane County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 5.6 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 169 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 15 events fall before 1990 and 368 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Roane County, Tennessee record is lightning, responsible for 1 direct deaths. The costliest is flood, with $10.8M 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 Roane County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 280 | 0 | $1.9M | 74 | 1957–2026 |
| Hail | 51 | 0 | $51K | 2.75 | 1958–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 29 | 0 | $5.6M | 0 | 1996–2025 |
| Flood | 12 | 0 | $10.8M | 0 | 1998–2024 |
| Tornado | 6 | 0 | $180K | F1 | 1977–2025 |
| Lightning | 3 | 1 | $0 | 0 | 1996–2018 |
| Funnel Cloud | 2 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2010–2011 |
Decade by decade
Roane 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-02-21 | EF3 | 1 | 55 | 30.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2025-05-20 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2023-08-03 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 1993-02-21 | EF1 | 0 | 0 | 3.0 mi | Touched down here |
| 2014-06-10 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-06-22 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 mi | Touched down here |
| 1977-10-01 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Roane County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 6, 2018 | Lightning | KINGSTON | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| May 14, 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | KINGSTON | 0 | 2 | $3K |
| Jul 6, 2018 | Lightning | KINGSTON ARPT | 0 | 1 | $0 |
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
The flooding of numerous structures and roads was reported across the county. All told, Emergency Management estimated $10.5 million in total damages to property and infrastructure throughout the county for the overall event.
Broadcast media reported heavy rain from a thunderstorm caused flooding countywide. 48 homes suffered minor to moderate flood related damage due to the high waters. The Magnolia Estates Apartments also had four units that were flooded.
A 100 yard wide EF-1 tornado with peak winds near 100 mph started near Blair Road and Butler Drive where several trees were uprooted and trunks snapped. The tornado tracked near Old Harriman Highway where numerous tree trunks were snapped along the path. The tornado lifted near Whaley Road and Old Harriman Highway. Tornado was on the ground for roughly a 0.5 mile.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Relatively Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
55,208
Population (ACS)
$233K
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 |
| Sep 27, 2023 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADO | DR |
| Apr 2, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC | DR |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | COVID-19 | EM |
Within the county
Most affected places
- Kingston 104
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Roane County, Tennessee?
383 events are on record between 1957 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths and $18.5M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Roane County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 280 recorded events — 73.1% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Roane 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 Roane County?
24 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Roane County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Roane County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Roane County as relatively low risk, placing it in the 69 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Roane 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
- Rhea County 333
- Robertson County 501
- Putnam County 478
- Rutherford County 762
- Polk County 270
- Scott County 271
Cite this page
“Roane County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/roane-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.