44
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
0
Direct injuries
$9.4M
Property damage
Flash Flood in Wayne County, Tennessee: 44 recorded events between 1996 and 2025. The strongest on record measured 0. That places the county #723 nationally and #20 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Flash Flood in Wayne County, Tennessee: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for flash flood in Wayne County is the 2000s, when 24 of the county's 44 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 Wayne County archive, flash flood makes up 15.6% of all recorded severe weather across 8 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #723 for this hazard and #20 within Tennessee, putting it in the 76.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for flash flood in Wayne County with 7 recorded events, while Dec 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 2003 | WAYNESBORO | 0 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 9, 2025 | FAIRVIEW | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2021 | WAYNESBORO | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2021 | SOUTH HIGHLAND | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 31, 2021 | HOUSTON | 0 | $0 |
| Mar 24, 2020 | CLIFTON | 0 | $0 |
| Feb 6, 2020 | CLIFTON HASSELL ARPT | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 2014 | WOODLAWN | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 2014 | WOODLAWN | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 9, 2014 | WAYNESBORO | 0 | $0 |
| Aug 18, 2010 | WAYNESBORO | 0 | $8.0M |
Other hazards here
More from Wayne County
- Thunderstorm Wind 144
- Hail 65
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
A Lawrence County man was killed on Buttermilk Ridge Road, about 3.3 miles from U.S. Highway 64 east. His 1996 Pontiac Sunfire suddenly came upon a section of road that was completely washed away by flood waters. About 40 feet of the road was completely gone. The vehicle went airborne and struck the far side of the washed out road, then came to rest in the rushing flood waters. 50 individuals had to be rescued from flooded homes or assisted in getting out of the flloded areas. 18 people had to be rescued from the Tennessee-Fitness Spa by airboat. On Cantrell Lane, just south of Waynesboro, several families were rescued by boat. 5 mentally challenged individuals had to be rescued by boat at Belew Hollow Rd. 100 homes were under water in Wayne County. 18 roads and bridges were washed out in southern Wayne County.
Flooding of 35 homes along the Green River in the northern half of the county. The hardest hit area was Green River Drive and Cantrell Lane in Waynesboro. The Green River came out of its banks and flooded the Waynesboro Water Treatment Plant with 4 feet of water. The water heavily damaged the plant, including the equipment and computers. Wayne County schools were closed because of high water on roads and drinking water problems.
50 homes had 18 to 20 inches of water in them in and around the city of Waynesboro. The Waynesboro water treatment plant was flooded with six feet of water. It was the second time in 2 years that the water plant was breached by flooding waters. The water plant lies along the Green River. On Oct. 19, Waynesboro was under a state of water emergency. Under a water emergency, water rationing is imposed. All non-essential businesses, factories and restaurants are closed. All residential customers are asked to voluntarily conserve water for essential uses only. It would take 2 or 3 days before water service could be restored. Donald Miller, who lives at 1751 Downing Hollow Road, which is about 6 miles south-sothwest of Waynesboro, measured 9.6 inches of rain in his rain gage during this rain event.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many flash flood events are on record in Wayne County, Tennessee?
44 flash flood events are recorded in Wayne County between 1996 and 2025, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest flash flood recorded in Wayne County?
The strongest flash flood on record in Wayne County measured 0.
Where does the flash flood data for Wayne 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 Wayne County, Tennessee.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/tennessee/wayne-county/flash-flood/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.