Cannon County, Tennessee
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 47015 · population 14,490 · 266 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 309 records for Cannon County, Tennessee from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 243 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (122 records). The deadliest single record is the May 5, 2003 flash flood: 3 deaths. FEMA has issued 22 declarations naming the county since 1973, 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
- 309on 243 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 513 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $9.7Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 11strongest F3
- 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 Cannon County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 122 since 1979. 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 | 122 | 94 | 1979-2025 | 0 | 2 | $2.6M | 43 of 95 |
| Winter storms | 52 | 48 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $255K | 19 of 95 |
| Drought | 40 | 40 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 of 95 |
| Hail | 37 | 29 | 1976-2025 | 0 | 0 | $5K | 45 of 95 |
| Floods | 36 | 31 | 1996-2025 | 3 | 0 | $736K | 16 of 95 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 10 | 1974-2023 | 2 | 9 | $6.0M | 38 of 95 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 5 | 2012-2023 | 0 | 0 | $88K | 49 of 95 |
| Heat | 2 | 2 | 2023-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 of 95 |
| Lightning | 2 | 1 | 2004-2004 | 0 | 2 | $5K | 62 of 95 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 2022-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 40 of 95 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2015-2015 | 0 | 0 | – | 37 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 Cannon County had?
NOAA records 11 tornadoes in Cannon County from 1974 to 2023, the strongest rated F3, with 2 deaths and 9 injuries recorded in the county. That is 38th 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 11 tornadoes whose track touched Cannon County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 11, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 2 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 18:30, as SPC files it | Dowelltown | F3 | 14.6 mi | 1 |
| 2001-05-31 19:05, as SPC files it | Auburntown | F2 | 6.3 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Tennessee.
Every tornado record filed for Cannon County (11)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-01 | Readyville, Cannon County | EF2 6.05 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.9M |
| 2018-11-06 | Auburntown, Cannon County | EF1 3.94 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $118K |
| 2018-09-24 | Curlee, Cannon County | EF0 0.4 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $24K |
| 2013-01-30 | Woodbury, Cannon County | EF0 6.65 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $190K |
| 2009-04-10 | Readyville, Cannon County | EF0 0.8 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2003-05-05 | Woodbury, Cannon County | F1 3.3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-05 | Woodbury, Cannon County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $802K |
| 2002-04-28 | Bradyville, Cannon County | F2 0.9 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-05-31 | Auburntown, Cannon County | F2 6.3 mi x 440 yd | 1 | 2 | $133K |
| 1997-01-24 | Pleasant Ridge, Cannon County | F2 3.2 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 2 | $276K |
| 1974-04-03 | Cannon County | F3 5.2 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 3 | $250K 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 Cannon County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the December 18, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($2,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtCannon County · forecast zone Cannon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtCannon County · forecast zone Cannon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormCannon County · forecast zone Cannon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-18 | Thunderstorm WindHollow Spgs, Cannon County | 56 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2025-05-20 | HailAuburntown, Cannon County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-02 | Thunderstorm WindWoodbury, Cannon County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-04-23 | HailSheybogan, Cannon County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-04-23 | Flash FloodBurt, Cannon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-03-31 | Thunderstorm WindMitchelville, Cannon County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $20K |
| 2025-03-15 | Flash FloodAuburntown, Cannon County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-01 | DroughtCannon County · forecast zone Cannon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-09 | Winter StormCannon County · forecast zone Cannon | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-05-05 | Flash FloodAuburntown, Cannon County An outbreak of tornadic thunderstorms also produced locally heavy rainfall across middle Tennessee during the early morning hours of May 5, 2003. This series of storms also caused flooding on the Saunders Fork Creek in Cannon County, Tennessee. 3 people were drowned, in 2 separate vehicles, from the flooding waters of ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoCannon County | F3 5.2 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 3 | $250K step |
| 2001-05-31 | TornadoAuburntown, Cannon County The heaviest damage was at Marshall Creek Road. 2 homes were also damaged on Hughes Road. A farm house...where there was one fatality...was demolished on Marshall Creek Rd. There was destruction to a 2 story Cape Cod home, built in 1998, across the street. Bradley Jackson, age 64, was eating dinner when the tornado ... | F2 6.3 mi x 440 yd | 1 | 2 | $133K |
| 2023-04-01 | TornadoReadyville, Cannon County This narrative continues and concludes a tornado that began in Rutherford County. Near the Rutherford/Cannon county line, the tornado intensified even further to a strong EF2 and moved into the Readyville community on Murfreesboro Road, heavily damaging or destroying numerous homes and businesses. Several historic ... | EF2 6.05 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.9M |
| 2020-05-03 | Thunderstorm WindWoodbury, Cannon County Numerous trees and power lines were blown down with power outages across Cannon County. A tree fell onto an ATV injuring 2 people. | 61 kt wind | 0 | 2 | $60K |
| 1997-01-24 | TornadoPleasant Ridge, Cannon County The tornado destroyed 1 home and damaged 10 others. 2 mobile homes were damaged. 2 people were injured, but they were treated and released. Many barns and outbuildings were damaged. Numerous trees were down on State Rt 53 causing portions of the road to be blocked. Tornado path width and length are approximations. | F2 3.2 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 2 | $276K |
| 2004-05-10 | LightningWoodbury, Cannon County A man was estimating the cost to heat a 900 square foot horse barn for an efficiency apartment on top of the barn. A poplar tree 30 feet away from the barn was struck by lightning. The man was on the gravel floor in the barn. He was struck by lightning. He drove himself to the hospital where he was treated and ... | 0 | 1 | $5K | |
| 2004-05-10 | LightningWoodbury, Cannon County A man was outside clearing a clogged gutter. He was struck by lightning and rushed to the hospital. He was placed under intensive care Monday night and Tuesday morning. | 0 | 1 | – |
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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-01 | TornadoReadyville, Cannon County | EF2 6.05 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 2 | $2.9M |
| 2006-04-07 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Cannon County | 60 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1.5M |
| 2003-05-05 | TornadoWoodbury, Cannon County | F1 3 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $802K |
| 1996-07-21 | Flash FloodAuburntown, Cannon County | 0 | 0 | $376K | |
| 1997-01-24 | TornadoPleasant Ridge, Cannon County | F2 3.2 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 2 | $276K |
| 2023-08-07 | Thunderstorm WindBradyville, Cannon County | 78 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $194K |
| 2013-01-30 | TornadoWoodbury, Cannon County | EF0 6.65 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $190K |
| 2023-08-07 | Thunderstorm WindIvy Bluff, Cannon County | 74 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $145K |
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 $250K, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 3, 1974 (tornado, Cannon County, 1 killed).
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 Cannon 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 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 35 | 30 | 36 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 8 | 22 | 18 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 19 | 6 | 15 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 11 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 13 | 7 | 8 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
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 Cannon County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 38 · Feb 29 · Mar 36 · Apr 22 · May 48 · Jun 34 · Jul 33 · Aug 20 · Sep 8 · Oct 9 · Nov 14 · Dec 18 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Cannon County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Cannon County: 17 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and winter storm (2).
| 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 |
| 2024-06-17 | DR-4792 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2023-04-07 | DR-4701 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2021-05-08 | DR-4601 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2021-04-21 | DR-4594 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2020-04-02 | DR-4514 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3473 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2010-05-04 | DR-1909 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 2003-03-20 | DR-1456 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2002-04-05 | DR-1408 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1999-01-15 | DR-1260 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1998-01-13 | DR-1197 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1994-02-28 | DR-1010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm,Flash Flooding |
| 1993-03-14 | EM-3095 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1975-03-22 | DR-459 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-04-04 | DR-424 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
| 1973-03-21 | DR-366 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
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 Cannon County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 36 flood or flash flood records for Cannon County from 1996 to 2025, on 31 days, with 3 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Cannon County ranks 1678th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.4 million on 48 claims filed in Cannon County; the most in one year was 11 in 2024. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1984: 1 · 1994: 1 · 1999: 1 · 2000: 1 · 2002: 2 · 2003: 1 · 2010: 4 · 2013: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2017: 5 · 2019: 4 · 2020: 7 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 1 · 2024: 11 · 2025: 1; 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 Cannon County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cannon County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $7.1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.4M | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $132K | 18 modeled event-days a year |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $48K | 5.6 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $404K | 5.9 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.3M | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $104K | 60 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $343K | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $289K | once in about 323 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Cannon 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 Cannon CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Cannon County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis