Grundy County, Tennessee
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 47061 · population 13,485 · 360 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 302 records for Grundy County, Tennessee from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 247 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (107 records). The most damaging was the November 6, 2018 tornado ($881,000 in 2025 dollars). 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
- 302on 247 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 08 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $11Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 9strongest 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 Grundy County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 107 since 1963. 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 | 107 | 87 | 1963-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.5M | 79 of 95 |
| Winter storms | 59 | 57 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $2.5M | 30 of 95 |
| Hail | 48 | 38 | 1959-2017 | 0 | 0 | $15K | 51 of 95 |
| Drought | 45 | 45 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | $6K | 9 of 95 |
| Floods | 23 | 21 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 0 | $515K | 75 of 95 |
| High wind and dust storms | 9 | 9 | 2000-2025 | 0 | 0 | $712K | 33 of 95 |
| Tornadoes | 9 | 8 | 1952-2025 | 0 | 8 | $5.8M | 69 of 95 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 2022-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 53 of 95 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2005-2005 | 0 | 0 | $15K | 71 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 Grundy County had?
NOAA records 9 tornadoes in Grundy County from 1952 to 2025, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 8 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 10 tornadoes whose track touched Grundy County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 9: they file a crossing tornado once per county segment, and the two databases differ on some tracks); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959-03-26 18:10, as SPC files it | Carthage | F3 | 19.5 mi | 0 |
| 1952-02-13 23:00, as SPC files it | Monteagle to Tracy | F3 | 5.1 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Tennessee.
Every tornado record filed for Grundy County (9)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-04-05 | Monteagle, Grundy County | EF1 6.38 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $500K |
| 2021-12-11 | Dogtown, Grundy County | EF0 8.92 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $54K |
| 2018-11-06 | Counter Pen, Grundy County | EF1 15.2 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | $294K |
| 2018-11-06 | Pelham, Grundy County | EF2 10.2 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $881K |
| 2011-04-27 | Gruetli, Grundy County | EF0 1.16 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2004-05-30 | Tracy City, Grundy County | F1 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 1994-06-26 | Altamont To, Grundy County | F2 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 6 | $995K |
| 1955-02-01 | Grundy County | F1 2 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K step |
| 1952-02-13 | Grundy County | F3 5.1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 2 | $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 Grundy County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 7, 2025 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtGrundy County · forecast zone Grundy | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtGrundy County · forecast zone Grundy | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormGrundy County · forecast zone Grundy | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindDogtown, Grundy County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindClouse Hill, Grundy County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindClouse Hill, Grundy County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-06-06 | Thunderstorm WindClouse Hill, Grundy County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2025-05-27 | Thunderstorm WindClouse Hill, Grundy County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-04-05 | TornadoMonteagle, Grundy County | EF1 6.38 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $500K |
| 2025-04-05 | Thunderstorm WindMonteagle, Grundy County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $50K |
| 2025-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindPalmer, Grundy County | 83 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500K |
| 2025-03-04 | High WindGrundy County · forecast zone Grundy | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-06-26 | TornadoAltamont To, Grundy County A tornado touched down several just west of Altamont. One house and several mobile homes were destroyed. Numerous trees were uprooted. | F2 4 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 6 | $995K |
| 1952-02-13 | TornadoGrundy County | F3 5.1 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 2 | $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.
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-11-06 | TornadoPelham, Grundy County | EF2 10.2 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $881K |
| 2025-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindPalmer, Grundy County | 83 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $500K |
| 2025-04-05 | TornadoMonteagle, Grundy County | EF1 6.38 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $500K |
| 2018-11-06 | TornadoCounter Pen, Grundy County | EF1 15.2 mi x 700 yd | 0 | 0 | $294K |
| 2018-11-06 | Thunderstorm WindBarkertown, Grundy County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $118K |
| 2004-05-30 | TornadoTracy City, Grundy County | F1 1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $47K |
| 2018-11-06 | Thunderstorm WindBarkertown, Grundy County | 87 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $29K |
| 2025-03-04 | High WindGrundy County · forecast zone Grundy | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $15K |
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: February 13, 1952 (tornado, Grundy 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 Grundy 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 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 18 | 22 | 41 | 19 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 6 | 33 z | 16 |
| Hail | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 0 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 20 | 9 | 16 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 8 | 10 | 2 |
Winter storms in the 2010s: 33 records against 6 in the decade before, 33 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Grundy County days with a record above.
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 Grundy County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 39 · Feb 35 · Mar 30 · Apr 35 · May 31 · Jun 29 · Jul 24 · Aug 17 · Sep 8 · Oct 9 · Nov 25 · Dec 20 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Grundy County
FEMA's register lists 22 declarations that include Grundy County: 15 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 2 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (9) and flood (3).
| 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 |
| 2023-05-17 | DR-4712 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornado |
| 2020-04-02 | DR-4514 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3473 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2015-04-02 | DR-4211 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm 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 |
| 2001-11-03 | FM-2387 | Fire | Tn - Chattanooga Fire Complex - 11/03/01 |
| 1999-04-13 | FM-2250 | Fire | Tn - Wildfires 4/13/99 |
| 1999-01-15 | DR-1260 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1998-01-13 | DR-1197 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1997-04-02 | DR-1171 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornadoes |
| 1994-02-28 | DR-1010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm,Flash Flooding |
| 1993-03-14 | EM-3095 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1991-01-04 | DR-889 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-04-04 | DR-424 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
| 1973-06-28 | DR-395 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 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 Grundy County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 23 flood or flash flood records for Grundy County from 1998 to 2024, on 21 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Grundy County ranks 2685th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $36,000 on 3 claims filed in Grundy County; the most in one year was 1 in 1994. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1994: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 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 Grundy County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Grundy County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $1.8M | once in about 4 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | $379K | 5.6 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $338K | once in about 315 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $2K | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Low | $50K | 6.8 a year (modeled) |
| Drought | Relatively Low | $97K | 21 modeled event-days a year |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Low | $24K | about once 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 Grundy 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 Grundy CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Grundy County's FEMA declarations (CSV)22 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis