Unicoi County, Tennessee severe weather history spans 110 recorded events between 1967 and 2025. The dominant hazard is thunderstorm wind, accounting for 63.6% of all recorded events. It ranks #2,851 nationally and #92 in Tennessee.
110
Recorded events
9
Direct deaths
13
Direct injuries
$11.0M
Property damage
The record
What the Unicoi County, Tennessee severe weather history record shows
Across the archive, Unicoi County, Tennessee severe weather history averages 1.9 recorded events a year. The busiest stretch on record is the 2000s, with 41 events logged in that decade alone. Roughly 8 events fall before 1990 and 102 from 1990 onward — a gap that reflects the expansion of NOAA reporting practice as much as the weather itself.
The deadliest hazard in the Unicoi County, Tennessee record is flash flood, responsible for 9 direct deaths. The costliest is flash flood, with $9.9M 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 Unicoi County
| Hazard | Events | Deaths | Damage | Max | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 70 | 0 | $379K | 65 | 1967–2024 |
| Hail | 20 | 0 | $10K | 2.75 | 1967–2025 |
| Flash Flood | 14 | 9 | $9.9M | 0 | 1996–2024 |
| Flood | 3 | 0 | $420K | 0 | 2009–2020 |
| Tornado | 2 | 0 | $265K | F3 | 1980–2011 |
| Lightning | 1 | 0 | $0 | 0 | 2005–2005 |
Decade by decade
Unicoi County, Tennessee severe weather history by decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
Tornado tracks
Paths crossing this county
2 mapped tornado paths intersect this county: 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-07-10 | EF3 | 0 | 12 | 1.9 mi | Touched down here |
| 2011-04-09 | EF0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 mi | Touched down here |
Significant events
Deadliest events on record in Unicoi County
| Date | Type | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2024 | Flash Flood | ERWIN | 9 | 0 | $9.8M |
| Jul 10, 1980 | Tornado | 0 | 12 | $250K | |
| Aug 17, 2005 | Lightning | BUMPASS COVE | 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 were flooded or damaged across the county. Circumstantially, a motorist swerved off of Unicoi Drive around 12:30 AM on the 7th, hit a concrete bridge structure that crosses Buffalo Creek, and rolled over into the flooded creek. The trapped occupant drowned.
In and around town of Unicoi. Bedding of the railroad damaged. Serious flooding on Unicoi Drive, Massachusetts Avenue, and Pinnacle Road. Several residents were evacuated from Harris Hollow, Pippin Hollow, and Nelson Hollow Roads.
Nearby gauge reported 2.38 inches of rain in 30 to 45 minutes. High water was observed near Erwin Town Hall, where sandbagging occurred outside, while 6 to 8 inches of water came up into the basement from the sewer lines. Flooding also occurred in the Old Farm subdivision, in areas along 7th Street, on Rex Lewis Road, and on Zane Whitson Drive. City officials said water rushed through town as fast as it could. Water got inside two police cruisers. A few downtown businesses received flood damage.
Context
Risk, population and federal disasters
Very Low
FEMA NRI risk rating
17,756
Population (ACS)
$190K
Median home value
18
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 |
| Apr 24, 2020 | Severe Storm | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND FLOODING | DR |
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many severe weather events have been recorded in Unicoi County, Tennessee?
110 events are on record between 1967 and 2025, causing 9 direct deaths and $11.0M in property damage.
What is the most common severe weather hazard in Unicoi County?
Thunderstorm Wind, with 70 recorded events — 63.6% of everything in the archive for this county.
How many tornadoes have crossed Unicoi County?
2 mapped tornado paths intersect the county boundary; 2 of them touched down inside it. This is derived from path geometry, not county-tagged reports.
How many federal disaster declarations cover Unicoi County?
18 federal disaster declarations from FEMA include Unicoi County, each tied to a specific incident period.
How risky is Unicoi County compared with the rest of the country?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Unicoi County as very low risk, placing it in the 11 percentile of its state for expected annual loss.
Where does the Unicoi 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
- Trousdale County 124
- Union County 214
- Tipton County 357
- Van Buren County 103
- Sumner County 738
- Warren County 265
Cite this page
“Unicoi County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/unicoi-county/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.