Benton County, Tennessee
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 47005 · population 15,849 · 394 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 458 records for Benton County, Tennessee from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 364 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (148 records). The deadliest single record is the January 22, 1999 tornado: 1 death, 5 injuries and $1.8 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1971, 20 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Severe Winter Storm” on February 6, 2026.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 458on 364 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 48 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $29Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 25strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 22latest 2026
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Benton County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 148 since 1971. The rank column places the county among Tennessee's counties by days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land over each hazard's complete period.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 148 | 122 | 1971-2026 | 0 | 0 | $3.6M | 57 of 95 |
| Heat | 70 | 69 | 2010-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 of 95 |
| Hail | 60 | 45 | 1989-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 of 95 |
| Winter storms | 56 | 55 | 1996-2025 | 2 | 1 | $68K | 37 of 95 |
| Floods | 52 | 41 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $948K | 26 of 95 |
| Drought | 26 | 26 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 30 of 95 |
| Tornadoes | 25 | 21 | 1952-2025 | 2 | 7 | $24M | 12 of 95 |
| Extreme cold | 8 | 7 | 2022-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 21 of 95 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 8 | 2005-2023 | 0 | 0 | $181K | 44 of 95 |
| Heavy rain | 2 | 1 | 2013-2013 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 95 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2005-2009 | 0 | 0 | $16K | 55 of 95 |
| Rip currents and high surf | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 2 of 95 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
How many tornadoes has Benton County had?
NOAA records 25 tornadoes in Benton County from 1952 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 2 deaths and 7 injuries recorded in the county. That is 12th of 95 Tennessee counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. A tornado that crossed a county line is counted in each county it touched, with the length of its path inside the county.
Counted as whole tornadoes rather than county records, the Storm Prediction Center's database holds 26 tornadoes whose track touched Benton County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 25: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 5 people, 2 of them in Benton County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-05-07 17:45, as SPC files it | Huntingdon | F4 | 50.9 mi | 3 |
| 1999-01-22 03:20, as SPC files it | Camden | F3 | 15 mi | 1 |
| 2020-03-02 23:05, as SPC files it | Camden to Waverly | EF2 | 18.72 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Tennessee.
Every tornado record filed for Benton County (25)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-05 | Lick Creek, Benton County | EF1 2.62 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2024-05-09 | Mc Illwain, Benton County | EF0 1.31 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K |
| 2023-03-31 | Liberty, Benton County | EF0 0.62 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2021-12-11 | Mc Illwain, Benton County | EF0 1.01 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $22K |
| 2021-05-04 | Lick Creek, Benton County | EF0 3.14 mi x 80 yd | 0 | 0 | $82K |
| 2020-03-02 | Liberty, Benton County | EF2 10.01 mi x 250 yd | 1 | 2 | $1.1M |
| 2016-03-27 | Gismonda, Benton County | EF1 2.01 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $31K |
| 2009-04-10 | Way, Benton County | EF1 4 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $688K |
| 2008-02-05 | Faxon, Benton County | EF2 4.23 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $14M |
| 2008-02-05 | Big Sandy, Benton County | EF1 2.02 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2006-04-07 | Big Sandy, Benton County | F0 1.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $73K |
| 2006-04-07 | Camden, Benton County | F2 6 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $366K |
| 2006-04-02 | Camden, Benton County | F1 0.2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $7K |
| 2005-11-15 | Holladay, Benton County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2005-11-15 | Camden, Benton County | F2 1.2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $604K |
| 2005-11-15 | Camden, Benton County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $76K |
| 2004-06-13 | Camden, Benton County | F1 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-05-27 | Big Sandy, Benton County | F1 4.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-05-26 | Big Sandy, Benton County | F1 5.8 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2000-05-25 | Camden, Benton County | F1 5.4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1999-01-22 | Camden, Benton County | F3 15 mi x 220 yd | 1 | 5 | $1.8M |
| 1998-06-14 | Big Sandy, Benton County | F1 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $18K |
| 1991-03-22 | Benton County | F2 7 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $2.5M step |
| 1971-05-07 | Benton County | F4 17.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1952-02-13 | Benton County | F2 0.3 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
A damage figure marked "step" is a record from before 1993: NOAA then filed damage by category, and the figure is the category as entered, in the dollars of that year, not an estimate of the loss.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, tornado records by county (path length in the county, maximum width); ratings as published: F scale before February 1, 2007, EF scale after. Whole-track figures: NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database (1950-2025). SPC severe weather database.
When was the last damaging storm in Benton County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 28, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($20,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | HeatBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-29 | HeatBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-01 | DroughtBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-28 | Thunderstorm WindGismonda, Benton County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2026-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindLiberty, Benton County | 55 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | HailLick Creek, Benton County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Cold/Wind ChillBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-27 | Cold/Wind ChillBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Cold/Wind ChillBenton County · forecast zone Benton | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-01-22 | TornadoCamden, Benton County This tornado resulted in the only fatality in Middle Tennessee from the severe weather outbreak of January 22,1999. The tornado killed a 50 year old woman who left her shelter in a brick ranch home located on Cedar Grove Road. She went outside to get her dogs inside her home, and that's when the tornado struck and ... | F3 15 mi x 220 yd | 1 | 5 | $1.8M |
| 2020-03-02 | TornadoLiberty, Benton County The tornado started in Benton County northwest of Camden and caused a substantial amount of tree damage along the path the extended into the Tennessee River. Several homes and mobile homes were damaged along the path in Benton County. The most damage, in Benton County, was in the Ballard Road area. Peak winds were ... | EF2 10.01 mi x 250 yd | 1 | 2 | $1.1M |
| 2015-02-20 | Winter StormBenton County · forecast zone Benton Around a quarter of an inch of ice fell with less than an inch of sleet and snow. One death and one injury occurred with a car accident. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2011-01-26 | Heavy SnowBenton County · forecast zone Benton Three to four inches of total snowfall accumulation on average occurred across the county. A newspaper reported that a 63 year old man was traveling south on Divider Natchez Trace in Benton County, about 4 miles west of Holladay, around 6 AM on Wednesday, January 26, when his 2009 Chevrolet slid off the icy roadway, ... | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-01-22 | TornadoCamden, Benton County | F3 15 mi x 220 yd | 1 | 5 | $1.8M |
| 2020-03-02 | TornadoLiberty, Benton County | EF2 10.01 mi x 250 yd | 1 | 2 | $1.1M |
| 2021-07-08 | Thunderstorm WindMt Moriah, Benton County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.1M |
| 2009-04-10 | TornadoWay, Benton County | EF1 4 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $688K |
| 2005-11-15 | TornadoCamden, Benton County | F2 1.2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $604K |
| 2004-06-13 | Thunderstorm WindCamden, Benton County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $434K |
| 2010-05-02 | FloodBig Sandy, Benton County | 0 | 0 | $407K | |
| 2011-04-25 | Thunderstorm WindLipe, Benton County | 85 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $394K |
Before 1993 NOAA filed damage by category, not amount, so the list above starts in 1993. The highest category filed here before then (entered as $2.5M, in the dollars of the day) holds: March 22, 1991 (tornado, Benton County).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Benton County's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Severe thunderstorm wind | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 34 | 34 | 45 | 30 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 11 | 59 z |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 16 | 6 | 24 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 5 | 9 | 26 | 16 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 14 | 17 | 12 | 9 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 6 | 11 | 9 |
Heat in the 2020-26: 59 records against 11 in the decade before, 59 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Benton County days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Benton County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 41 · Feb 47 · Mar 40 · Apr 40 · May 47 · Jun 64 · Jul 68 · Aug 35 · Sep 11 · Oct 13 · Nov 22 · Dec 30 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Benton County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Benton County: 18 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (14) and tornado (3).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-06 | DR-4898 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2026-01-24 | EM-3635 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025-04-02 | EM-3625 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2023-05-17 | DR-4712 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornado |
| 2020-07-09 | DR-4550 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2020-04-02 | DR-4514 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3473 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2020-03-05 | DR-4476 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2019-12-06 | DR-4471 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2011-05-09 | DR-1979 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2011-05-01 | DR-1974 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Associated Flooding |
| 2010-05-04 | DR-1909 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2009-05-15 | DR-1839 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2008-02-07 | DR-1745 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2006-04-05 | DR-1634 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3217 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-05-08 | DR-1464 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2000-06-12 | DR-1331 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1999-01-19 | DR-1262 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and High Winds |
| 1997-03-07 | DR-1167 | Tornado | Heavy Rains, Tornadoes, Flooding, Hail, High Winds |
| 1994-02-28 | DR-1010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm,Flash Flooding |
| 1971-05-18 | DR-306 | Tornado | Tornado |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
How many floods has Benton County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 52 flood or flash flood records for Benton County from 1996 to 2025, on 41 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Benton County ranks 2105th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $511,000 on 19 claims filed in Benton County; the most in one year was 8 in 2010. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 1 · 1984: 1 · 1997: 1 · 2010: 8 · 2011: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 5; the other years: 0.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims, as of September 8, 2026; claims by year of loss, payments in the dollars of the year paid. OpenFEMA dataset page.
FEMA's modeled risk for Benton County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Benton County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.7 million. These are FEMA's model estimates of future loss from 18 hazards, not a count of what happened; they can differ from the record above.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Expected annual loss | Modeled frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.0M | 1.7 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $472K | 3.5 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $3.3M | once in about 163 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $10K | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $89K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.2M | once in about 3 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $297K | 7.8 modeled event-days a year |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $169K | 58 a year (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Benton County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
Next
- Tornadoes in TennesseeEvery Tennessee tornado since 1950 and the counties with the most per square mile
- Severe thunderstorm wind in TennesseeThe state's severe thunderstorm wind events, by county, year and month
- The Tennessee recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Benton CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Benton County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis