FEMA Records
5
Total declarations
Tennessee · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Clay County, TN
5 FEMA disaster declarations (2021–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Very Low. Most common hazard: Winter Storm.
- 5
- FEMA declarations
- 3
- Major disasters
- 13
- NRI risk · Very Low
- Winter Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Clay County in the top 87% of U.S. counties for overall natural-hazard risk, and its FEMA disaster-declaration count is higher than 72% of all 2,729 counties tracked.
How does Clay County compare?
- Clay County
- 5
- Tennessee county avg
- 4.8
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Clay County?
Clay County, Tennessee has recorded 5 FEMA disaster declarations between 2021 and 2026, of which 3 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.0 declarations per year across a 5-year record, or roughly 4% above the Tennessee county average of 4.8 and 34% above the national county average of 3.7.
The dominant disaster type on record is Winter Storm, with 2 of 5 declarations falling under this category. FEMA's National Risk Index places this county in the low end of the national distribution, composite score 13.3/100 (Very Low). Expected Annual Loss is rated Very Low (roughly $4.3M in annualized losses). Two modifiers shape how that exposure becomes real-world harm here: social vulnerability (Relatively High) and community resilience (Very Low). Even the county's top-rated hazard, Landslide, only reaches Very Low on FEMA's scale, none of the 18 modeled hazards stand out here.
Taken together, these indicators put Clay County at a moderate relative risk level, not the calmest county on record, but not among the most disaster-prone either.
Risk Assessment
Risk Level
Moderate
vs. Tennessee Avg
+4%
State avg: 4.8
vs. National Avg
+34%
National avg: 3.7
Avg Per Year
1.0
Over 5 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Clay County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Clay County's relative exposure to the eight headline natural hazards used by the FEMA National Risk Index. Each axis is the qualitative NRI risk rating (Very Low through Very High) re-expressed on a 0-100 scale so that the polygon shape lets you compare a county against another at a glance. A rounder polygon means broad multi-hazard exposure; a spiky polygon means one or two dominant hazards drive most of the modeled risk.
NRI Source
FEMA 2023
Latest NRI release
County FIPS
47027
TN state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Winter Storm 2
Severe Storm 2
Tornado 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Major Disaster - 3 60.0%
of all 5 declarations
Emergency - 2 40.0%
of all 5 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | |
| 2025 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4898 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Winter Storm | 2026-02-06 |
| 3635 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | EM | Winter Storm | 2026-01-24 |
| 3625 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | EM | Severe Storm | 2025-04-02 |
| 4712 | SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, AND TORNADO | DR | Severe Storm | 2023-05-17 |
| 4601 | SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING | DR | Tornado | 2021-05-08 |
Storm Events in Tennessee
| Storm Type | Events | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderstorm Wind | 7,216 | 23 | 62 | $112.6M |
| Hail | 2,072 | 0 | 0 | $630.5K |
| Heat | 1,802 | 11 | 15 | $0 |
| Flash Flood | 1,491 | 57 | 3 | $349.4M |
| Winter Weather | 1,161 | 5 | 0 | $261.0K |
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database NOAA Storm Events Database State-level aggregated data, 2015–2025
FEMA National Risk Index
Overall Risk
Very Low
Score: 13.3/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$4.3M/year
Social Vulnerability
Relatively High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Very Low
Hail Relatively Low
Earthquake Very Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Low
Winter Weather Relatively Low
Hurricane Very Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Drought Very Low
Lightning Very Low
Heat Wave Very Low
Wildfire Very Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) Ratings reflect relative scores among all US counties. Data: hazards.fema.gov/nri
Counties with Similar Risk in Tennessee
Disaster Preparedness Guides
Related
Frequently Asked Questions
How many natural disasters has Clay County, Tennessee had?
Clay County, Tennessee has received 5 FEMA disaster declarations from 2021 to 2026. Of these, 3 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Clay County?
The most common disaster type in Clay County is Winter Storm, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Severe Storm (2), Tornado (1).
How does Clay County's disaster risk compare to the Tennessee average?
Clay County has 5 disaster declarations, which is 4% higher than the Tennessee county average of 4.8 declarations. Compared to the national county average of 3.7, it is 34% higher.
How many major FEMA disaster declarations has Clay County received?
Clay County has received 3 major disaster declarations, representing 60% of all 5 disaster declarations. Major disaster declarations typically involve significant damage requiring federal assistance.
What types of storms are most common in Tennessee?
The most common storm types in Tennessee include Thunderstorm Wind (7,216 events), Hail (2,072 events), Heat (1,802 events). NOAA storm event data covers severe weather from 2015 to 2025.
What was the worst year for disasters in Clay County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Clay County was 2026, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2021 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Clay County?
With 5 FEMA disaster declarations on record, Clay County lands in the moderate-risk band, not unusually disaster-prone, but not spared either.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Clay County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Clay County, Tennessee has an overall risk score of 13.3 out of 100 (Very Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Relatively High and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $4.3M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Clay County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Clay County is Landslide (risk rating: Very Low). Other significant hazards include Hail (Relatively Low) and Earthquake (Very Low). These scores are based on FEMA's analysis of historical event frequency, exposed assets, and community vulnerability.
Data Sources & Methodology
Disaster declaration data comes from the FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 API, which includes all federally declared disasters, emergencies, and fire management assistance grants.
Storm event data is sourced from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025), which tracks significant weather events including thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms.
This data is provided for informational purposes only. FEMA disaster declarations represent federal response actions and may not capture all local emergencies or weather events.
What this means for Clay County
Clay County, TN has 5 FEMA disaster declarations on record, a moderate historical disaster load, 4% above the Tennessee county average.
- Its most common federal declaration type is major disaster (3 of 5) - know the hazards most likely here before they happen. Tennessee overview
- See how this county ranks against the rest of the country for disaster frequency. Most-disaster rankings
- Read how to read FEMA declarations, NRI risk scores, and what they do and don't tell you. Disaster-data guide
Historical declaration counts describe past federal response, not a forecast. For current threats, follow the National Weather Service and local officials; in an emergency call 911.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries v2 - all federally-declared disasters for this county. fema.gov/openfema/disaster-declarations
- FEMA National Risk Index (NRI) - per-county per-hazard risk ratings and expected annual loss. hazards.fema.gov/nri
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database - state-level storm/severe-weather event records, 2015–2025. ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHazard Editorial
Verify with FEMA → · Verify with FEMA NRI → · Verify with NOAA →
Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.