Cocke County, Tennessee
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 47029 · population 35,951 · 436 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 453 records for Cocke County, Tennessee from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 304 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (192 records). The deadliest single record is the September 27, 2024 flood: 2 deaths. FEMA has issued 24 declarations naming the county since 1972, 22 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
- 453on 304 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 413 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $19Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 6strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 24latest 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 Cocke County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 192 since 1959. 46% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1959 fell in May and June. 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 | 192 | 147 | 1959-2026 | 0 | 1 | $2.0M | 49 of 95 |
| Winter storms | 125 | 76 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $14K | 23 of 95 |
| High wind and dust storms | 46 | 31 | 1996-2025 | 0 | 0 | $701K | 7 of 95 |
| Floods | 43 | 28 | 1996-2026 | 2 | 0 | $984K | 66 of 95 |
| Hail | 37 | 31 | 1957-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 89 of 95 |
| Tornadoes | 6 | 4 | 1963-2011 | 1 | 11 | $16M | 89 of 95 |
| Drought | 2 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 82 of 95 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 1999-2004 | 0 | 1 | – | 56 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 Cocke County had?
NOAA records 6 tornadoes in Cocke County from 1963 to 2011, the strongest rated F2, with 1 death and 11 injuries recorded in the county. 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 6 tornadoes whose track touched Cocke County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 6, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-03-11 21:00, as SPC files it | Parrottsville | F2 | 6.2 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Tennessee.
Every tornado record filed for Cocke County (6)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 | Hartford, Cocke County | EF0 2.4 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $26K |
| 2011-04-27 | Tom Town, Cocke County | EF1 1.2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 2011-04-27 | Clevenger, Cocke County | EF1 7.1 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $131K |
| 1976-02-18 | Cocke County | F2 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 10 | $2.5M step |
| 1974-04-03 | Cocke County | F0 0.5 mi x 27 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1963-03-11 | Cocke County | F2 6.2 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 1 | $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 Cocke County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 18, 2025 flash flood ($500,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
Interstate 40 was closed by flooding and debris near mile marker 451, just west of the North Carolina state line. Multiple vehicles were stranded and water rescues were ongoing.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1264309)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-28 | Flash FloodBybee, Cocke County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-28 | Flash FloodParrottsville, Cocke County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-28 | Flash FloodParrottsville, Cocke County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-28 | Flash FloodLong Creek, Cocke County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-28 | Flash FloodParrottsville, Cocke County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-28 | Flash FloodBybee, Cocke County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-28 | Flash FloodBybee, Cocke County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-28 | Flash FloodHolttown, Cocke County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindClevenger, Cocke County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-30 | Heavy SnowCocke County · forecast zone Northwest Cocke | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Heavy SnowCocke County · forecast zone Cocke/Smoky Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-02 | Flash FloodHartford, Cocke County | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-27 | FloodLiberty Hill, Cocke County Flooding on the Cocke County side from the massive flood wave on the Nolichucky River near Lowland. The Lowland river gauge was above its previous record crest for nearly 20 hours, cresting at 35.16 feet at 10:15 am EST on the 28th, 9 feet above its previous record. Damaging flooding occurred, but in mostly rural and ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 1963-03-11 | TornadoCocke County | F2 6.2 mi x 200 yd | 1 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1998-01-27 | Winter StormCocke County · forecast zone Cocke/Smoky Mountains Heavy snow fell throughout most of northeast Tennessee. Most snowfall totals ranged from 5 to 10 inches. However, in the high mountain elevations of Johnson, Carter, Greene, Cocke, Sevier and Blount counties, as much as 2-3 feet of snow fell. 3-4 feet was reported on top of Roan Mountain in Carter county. The heavy ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 1976-02-18 | TornadoCocke County | F2 1 mi x 33 yd | 0 | 10 | $2.5M step |
| 2023-01-12 | Thunderstorm WindNorthport, Cocke County A portion of the roof was blown off of Newport Grammar School, and some windows were broken. One student sustained a minor injury. | 61 kt wind | 0 | 1 | – |
| 2004-05-10 | LightningDel Rio, Cocke County One person was injured by lightning while sitting on there porch in Del Rio. | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-18 | Flash FloodGrassy Fork, Cocke County | 0 | 0 | $500K | |
| 1999-07-06 | Flash FloodDel Rio, Cocke County | 0 | 0 | $399K | |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoTom Town, Cocke County | EF1 1.2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoHartford, Cocke County | EF0 2.4 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $26K |
| 2004-05-10 | Thunderstorm WindParrottsville, Cocke County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $23K |
| 2006-07-14 | Thunderstorm WindParrottsville, Cocke County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $22K |
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: February 18, 1976 (tornado, Cocke 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 Cocke 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 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 24 | 85 | 49 | 25 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 24 | 46 | 35 | 20 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 18 | 18 | 7 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 6 | 13 | 4 | 20 |
| Hail | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 10 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
46% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1959 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 65 · Feb 61 · Mar 29 · Apr 34 · May 65 · Jun 59 · Jul 45 · Aug 26 · Sep 13 · Oct 4 · Nov 13 · Dec 39 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Cocke County
FEMA's register lists 24 declarations that include Cocke County: 18 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (8) and flood (6).
| 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 |
| 2024-10-02 | DR-4832 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2024-09-27 | EM-3620 | Tropical Storm | Tropical Storm Helene |
| 2023-03-08 | DR-4691 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-04-02 | DR-4514 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3473 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-04-17 | DR-4427 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 2015-04-02 | DR-4211 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm and Flooding |
| 2011-05-01 | DR-1974 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Associated Flooding |
| 2010-09-15 | DR-1937 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3217 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2004-10-07 | DR-1568 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2003-05-08 | DR-1464 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2002-04-05 | DR-1408 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2001-08-15 | DR-1387 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1998-01-13 | DR-1197 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1994-04-14 | DR-1022 | Flood | Extensive Rainfall and Flash Flooding |
| 1993-03-14 | EM-3095 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1984-05-25 | DR-708 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-11-12 | DR-544 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1973-03-21 | DR-366 | Flood | Heavy Rains & Flooding |
| 1972-05-15 | DR-331 | 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 Cocke County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 43 flood or flash flood records for Cocke County from 1996 to 2026, on 28 days, with 2 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Cocke County ranks 1393rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Helene | 2024-09-27 | 1 | 2 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $5.8 million on 85 claims filed in Cocke County; the most in one year was 42 in 2024. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1984: 2 · 1994: 1 · 1996: 2 · 1999: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 5 · 2003: 4 · 2004: 10 · 2010: 1 · 2011: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 9 · 2024: 42 · 2026: 3; 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 Cocke County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Cocke County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $11.8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $85K | 1.6 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $353K | 53 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $428K | 3.8 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $841K | once in about 305 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $8.0M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $247K | 3.2 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $69K | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $685K | 1.7 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 Cocke 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 Cocke CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Cocke County's FEMA declarations (CSV)24 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis