Fayette County, Tennessee
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 47047 · population 41,886 · 704 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 553 records for Fayette County, Tennessee from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 424 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (188 records). The deadliest single record is the March 21, 1952 tornado: 7 deaths and 50 injuries. FEMA has issued 21 declarations naming the county since 1994, 19 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
- 553on 424 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 15108 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $20Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 23strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 21latest 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 Fayette County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 188 since 1955. 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 | 188 | 146 | 1955-2026 | 0 | 5 | $3.9M | 88 of 95 |
| Hail | 110 | 71 | 1956-2025 | 0 | 0 | $93K | 59 of 95 |
| Heat | 101 | 99 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 20 of 95 |
| Winter storms | 54 | 54 | 1997-2025 | 0 | 0 | $89K | 87 of 95 |
| Floods | 32 | 30 | 1996-2023 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 93 of 95 |
| Tornadoes | 23 | 20 | 1952-2025 | 13 | 103 | $14M | 54 of 95 |
| Drought | 21 | 21 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 62 of 95 |
| Extreme cold | 11 | 10 | 2007-2026 | 1 | 0 | – | 24 of 95 |
| High wind and dust storms | 8 | 8 | 2002-2025 | 0 | 0 | $67K | 73 of 95 |
| Lightning | 4 | 4 | 2004-2018 | 1 | 0 | $16K | 51 of 95 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 1 | 1 | 2005-2005 | 0 | 0 | $30K | 35 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 Fayette County had?
NOAA records 23 tornadoes in Fayette County from 1952 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 13 deaths and 103 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 25 tornadoes whose track touched Fayette County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 23: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 28 people, 13 of them in Fayette County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952-03-21 22:00, as SPC files it | MoscowCrossed MS, TN | F4 | 29.6 mi | 16 |
| 2008-02-05 18:21, as SPC files it | Dancyville | EF3 | 31.13 mi | 3 |
| 1994-11-27 15:15, as SPC files it | Memphis | F3 | 16 mi | 3 |
| 1988-01-19 11:52, as SPC files it | Parker's Crossroads | F3 | 22 mi | 3 |
| 2025-04-03 00:13, as SPC files it | Grand JunctionCrossed MS, TN | EF3 | 39.55 mi | 2 |
| 1999-01-17 18:35, as SPC files it | Saulsbury | F1 | 12 mi | 1 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Tennessee.
Every tornado record filed for Fayette County (23)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-03 | Forty Five, Fayette County | EF2 6.92 mi x 1,200 yd | 2 | 3 | $100K |
| 2021-12-11 | Lambert, Fayette County | EF0 0.53 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-01-25 | Elba, Fayette County | EF0 1.26 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $11K |
| 2020-01-11 | Williston, Fayette County | EF0 1.98 mi x 90 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2013-04-27 | Belmont, Fayette County | EF1 1.12 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 1 | $127K |
| 2008-02-05 | Yum Yum, Fayette County | EF3 3.64 mi x 167 yd | 1 | 0 | $137K |
| 2008-02-05 | Hickory Withe, Fayette County | EF0 2.28 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $34K |
| 2006-04-02 | Longtown, Fayette County | F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 2 | $293K |
| 1999-01-17 | La Grange, Fayette County | F1 2 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 0 | $9K |
| 1998-11-10 | Liberty Hill, Fayette County | F1 5.5 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | $453K |
| 1995-05-18 | Eastern Fayette, Fayette County | F0 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $4K |
| 1994-06-26 | Moscow, Fayette County | F0 2 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $995 |
| 1994-06-26 | Laconia, Fayette County | F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $995 |
| 1994-06-26 | Laconia, Fayette County | F0 2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1994-06-09 | Oakland, Fayette County | F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 1989-06-11 | Fayette County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1989-06-04 | Fayette County | F0 0.9 mi x 17 yd | 0 | 0 | $250 step |
| 1988-01-19 | Fayette County | F3 22 mi x 200 yd | 3 | 24 | $2.5M step |
| 1973-11-27 | Fayette County | F2 15.4 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 1 | $250K step |
| 1972-04-15 | Fayette County | F1 0.3 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1971-05-24 | Fayette County | F2 10.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 22 | $250K step |
| 1965-02-11 | Fayette County | F2 0.1 mi x 7 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1952-03-21 | Fayette County | F4 18.7 mi x 427 yd | 7 | 50 | $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 Fayette County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the March 15, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | HeatFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-06-29 | HeatFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindSomerville, Fayette County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-31 | Cold/Wind ChillFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-27 | Cold/Wind ChillFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-26 | Cold/Wind ChillFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Cold/Wind ChillFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-25 | Strong WindFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-09-14 | DroughtFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-19 | HeatFayette County · forecast zone Fayette | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952-03-21 | TornadoFayette County | F4 18.7 mi x 427 yd | 7 | 50 | $250K step |
| 1988-01-19 | TornadoFayette County | F3 22 mi x 200 yd | 3 | 24 | $2.5M step |
| 2025-04-03 | TornadoForty Five, Fayette County The tornado then crossed into Tennessee in Fayette County, along Sweet Road and Yager Road, where a manufactured home was destroyed, as well as more uprooted trees and snapped trunks. More sporadic tree damage was observed south of La Grange along Highway 18 before crossing into Hardeman County. Peak winds were ... | EF2 6.92 mi x 1,200 yd | 2 | 3 | $100K |
| 2026-02-01 | Cold/Wind ChillFayette County · forecast zone Fayette Minimum wind chill of 6F reported. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-07-14 | LightningGriffen, Fayette County A man was killed while mowing the lawn when lightning struck a nearby tree off Feathers Chapel Drive. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2008-02-05 | TornadoYum Yum, Fayette County A tornado touched down near Akin Road. Shortly after touchdown, the tornado crossed Yum Yum Road. A man sitting in his truck in a shed was killed when the tornado struck the shed. The truck tumbled at least 40 feet and was severely damaged. Other vehicles were tossed about from the tornado. Substantial damage to large ... | EF3 3.64 mi x 167 yd | 1 | 0 | $137K |
| 1971-05-24 | TornadoFayette County | F2 10.9 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 22 | $250K step |
| 2006-04-02 | TornadoLongtown, Fayette County A tornado briefly touched down near the town of Longtown and moved east. Ten homes and two businesses were damaged, along with many barns and outbuildings. Numerous trees and power lines were downed. | F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 2 | $293K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-07-22 | Thunderstorm WindCountywide, Fayette County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $1.6M |
| 1998-11-10 | TornadoLiberty Hill, Fayette County | F1 5.5 mi x 1,000 yd | 0 | 0 | $453K |
| 2009-06-14 | Flash FloodOakland, Fayette County | 0 | 0 | $413K | |
| 2010-05-01 | Thunderstorm WindOakland, Fayette County | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $338K |
| 2010-05-01 | Flash FloodCanadaville, Fayette County | 0 | 0 | $338K | |
| 2011-04-27 | FloodPiperton, Fayette County | 0 | 0 | $328K | |
| 2006-04-02 | TornadoLongtown, Fayette County | F1 0.5 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 2 | $293K |
| 2023-06-25 | Thunderstorm WindCanadaville, Fayette County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $194K |
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: January 19, 1988 (tornado, Fayette County, 3 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 Fayette 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 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 53 | 46 | 27 | 39 |
| Hail | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 34 | 26 | 17 | 26 |
| Heat | – | – | – | – | 0 | 1 | 29 | 71 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 13 | 24 | 14 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 8 | 11 | 12 | 1 |
| Tornadoes | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
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 Fayette County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 41 · Feb 44 · Mar 50 · Apr 69 · May 56 · Jun 91 · Jul 90 · Aug 48 · Sep 8 · Oct 17 · Nov 23 · Dec 16 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Fayette County
FEMA's register lists 21 declarations that include Fayette County: 17 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (15) 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 |
| 2025-06-19 | DR-4878 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2025-04-02 | EM-3625 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2023-09-04 | DR-4735 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2023-08-17 | DR-4729 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Straight-Line Winds |
| 2022-03-11 | DR-4645 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2020-04-02 | DR-4514 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3473 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2017-06-23 | DR-4320 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2014-04-11 | DR-4171 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
| 2009-07-13 | DR-1851 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, 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 |
| 2003-07-29 | DR-1482 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, High Winds, and Heavy Rain |
| 2003-05-08 | DR-1464 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 1999-01-19 | DR-1262 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and High Winds |
| 1994-02-28 | DR-1010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm,Flash 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 Fayette County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 32 flood or flash flood records for Fayette County from 1996 to 2023, on 30 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Fayette County ranks 1976th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $830,000 on 26 claims filed in Fayette County; the most in one year was 3 in 2010. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1984: 1 · 1986: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1996: 1 · 1997: 2 · 1998: 2 · 1999: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2002: 1 · 2010: 3 · 2011: 3 · 2012: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2023: 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 Fayette County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Fayette County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $29.7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | $13M | once in about 124 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $5.7M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.4M | 17 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $305K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $505K | 59 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $2.2M | 1.5 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $4K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $209K | 9.6 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Fayette 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 Fayette CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Fayette County's FEMA declarations (CSV)21 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis