FEMA Records
5
Total declarations
Tennessee · FEMA + NOAA + National Risk Index
Cocke County, TN
5 FEMA disaster declarations (2023–2026), with a FEMA National Risk Index rating of Relatively Low. Most common hazard: Winter Storm.
- 5
- FEMA declarations
- 2
- Major disasters
- 55
- NRI risk · Relatively Low
- Winter Storm
- Top hazard
FEMA's National Risk Index places Cocke County in the top 45% 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 Cocke County compare?
- Cocke County
- 5
- Tennessee county avg
- 4.8
- National county avg
- 3.7
How disaster-prone is Cocke County?
Cocke County, Tennessee has recorded 5 FEMA disaster declarations between 2023 and 2026, of which 2 were classified as Major Disaster declarations (DR) requiring federal individual and public assistance. That puts the county's average at 1.7 declarations per year across a 3-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. This county carries a high composite score on FEMA's National Risk Index, 54.5/100, rated Relatively Low. Its Expected Annual Loss rating is Very Low (roughly $11.8M in annualized losses), and a Very High social-vulnerability profile combined with Very Low community resilience shapes how much of that raw exposure becomes realized harm. Among the 18 modeled hazards, Landslide carries the county's highest rating, a mid-range Relatively Moderate.
Taken together, these indicators put Cocke 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
1.7
Over 3 years
FEMA NRI 8-hazard radar - Cocke County
How to read this radar
The radar plots Cocke 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
47029
TN state code
Source: FEMA National Risk Index FEMA National Risk Index Per-county per-hazard ratings, 2023 release
Disaster Types
Winter Storm 2
Tropical Storm 2
Severe Storm 1
Declaration Types
What DR / EM / FM mean
FEMA categorizes declarations as Major Disasters (DR), Emergencies (EM), or Fire Management Assistance (FM).
Emergency - 3 60.0%
of all 5 declarations
Major Disaster - 2 40.0%
of all 5 declarations
FEMA Declarations Timeline
| Year | Declarations | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | |
| 2025 | 2 | |
| 2024 | 1 | |
| 2023 | 1 | |
Disaster Declarations
| DR# | Title | Type | Incident | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 4832 | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | DR | Tropical Storm | 2024-10-02 |
| 3620 | TROPICAL STORM HELENE | EM | Tropical Storm | 2024-09-27 |
| 4691 | SEVERE WINTER STORM | DR | Winter Storm | 2023-03-08 |
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
Relatively Low
Score: 54.5/100
Expected Annual Loss
Very Low
$11.8M/year
Social Vulnerability
Very High
Community Resilience
Very Low
Hazard Risk Breakdown
Landslide Relatively Moderate
Earthquake Relatively Low
Lightning Relatively Moderate
Wildfire Very Low
Hail Relatively Low
Strong Wind Relatively Moderate
Ice Storm Relatively Low
Cold Wave Relatively Low
Drought Relatively Low
Tornado Relatively Low
Hurricane Very Low
Winter Weather Very Low
Heat Wave 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 Cocke County, Tennessee had?
Cocke County, Tennessee has received 5 FEMA disaster declarations from 2023 to 2026. Of these, 2 were major disaster declarations.
What is the most common disaster type in Cocke County?
The most common disaster type in Cocke County is Winter Storm, with 2 declarations. Other disaster types include Tropical Storm (2), Severe Storm (1).
How does Cocke County's disaster risk compare to the Tennessee average?
Cocke 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 Cocke County received?
Cocke County has received 2 major disaster declarations, representing 40% 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 Cocke County?
The most active year for disaster declarations in Cocke County was 2025, with 2 declarations. The county has FEMA disaster data spanning 2023 to 2026.
What is the overall disaster risk level for Cocke County?
With 5 FEMA disaster declarations on record, Cocke County lands in the moderate-risk band, not unusually disaster-prone, but not spared either.
What is the FEMA National Risk Index score for Cocke County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, Cocke County, Tennessee has an overall risk score of 54.5 out of 100 (Relatively Low). The county's social vulnerability rating is Very High and community resilience is Very Low. The Expected Annual Loss (EAL) score is Very Low, representing $11.8M in annualized losses.
Which natural hazard poses the greatest risk to Cocke County?
Based on FEMA NRI data, the highest-risk natural hazard in Cocke County is Landslide (risk rating: Relatively Moderate). Other significant hazards include Earthquake (Relatively Low) and Lightning (Relatively Moderate). 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 Cocke County
Cocke 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 emergency (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.