Hancock County, Tennessee
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 47067 · population 6,660 · 222 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 190 records for Hancock County, Tennessee from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 165 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (105 records). The deadliest single record is the January 24, 2026 winter weather, filed for the forecast zone Hancock, which covers the county: 1 death. FEMA has issued 19 declarations naming the county since 1973, 17 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
- 190on 165 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 10 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $2.8Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 3strongest F2
- FEMA declarations
- 19latest 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 Hancock County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 105 since 1974. 40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1974 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 | 105 | 91 | 1974-2024 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 29 of 95 |
| Winter storms | 49 | 48 | 1996-2026 | 1 | 0 | $27K | 13 of 95 |
| Hail | 15 | 13 | 1996-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 95 of 95 |
| Floods | 12 | 12 | 1999-2022 | 0 | 0 | $398K | 82 of 95 |
| High wind and dust storms | 5 | 4 | 2003-2024 | 0 | 0 | $60K | 51 of 95 |
| Tornadoes | 3 | 3 | 1980-2024 | 0 | 0 | $909K | 79 of 95 |
| Drought | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 66 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 Hancock County had?
NOAA records 3 tornadoes in Hancock County from 1980 to 2024, the strongest rated F2, with 0 deaths and 0 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 3 tornadoes whose track touched Hancock County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 3, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Tennessee.
Every tornado record filed for Hancock County (3)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-24 | Leaman, Hancock County | EF1 5.98 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-05-08 | Big Creek, Hancock County | EF1 3.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 1980-07-06 | Hancock County | F2 11.5 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $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 Hancock County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 24, 2026 winter weather (1 death).
Light snow between 1 and 8 pm LST during the first bout yielded an inch of snowfall north of Bean Station before freezing rain led to at least a glaze of ice accumulation on elevated surfaces. A CoCoRaHS report near Sneedville measured event total snowfall of 1.4 inches.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1315041)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-16 | Winter WeatherHancock County · forecast zone Hancock | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-22 | Winter WeatherHancock County · forecast zone Hancock | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Heavy SnowHancock County · forecast zone Hancock | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter WeatherHancock County · forecast zone Hancock | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-10 | Winter WeatherHancock County · forecast zone Hancock | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-19 | Winter WeatherHancock County · forecast zone Hancock | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-01-10 | Winter WeatherHancock County · forecast zone Hancock | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-09-24 | TornadoLeaman, Hancock County | EF1 5.98 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-09 | HailSneedville, Hancock County | 2.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-05-08 | TornadoBig Creek, Hancock County | EF1 3.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
| 2006-04-02 | Thunderstorm WindSneedville, Hancock County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $51K |
| 2005-06-14 | Thunderstorm WindEvanston, Hancock County | 70 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $27K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | Winter WeatherHancock County · forecast zone Hancock Light snow between 1 and 8 pm LST during the first bout yielded an inch of snowfall north of Bean Station before freezing rain led to at least a glaze of ice accumulation on elevated surfaces. A CoCoRaHS report near Sneedville measured event total snowfall of 1.4 inches. | 1 | 0 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-04-02 | Thunderstorm WindSneedville, Hancock County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $51K |
| 2004-07-13 | Thunderstorm WindSneedville, Hancock County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $39K |
| 2009-05-08 | TornadoBig Creek, Hancock County | EF1 3.5 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $14K |
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: July 6, 1980 (tornado, Hancock 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 Hancock 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 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 53 | 21 | 15 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 18 | 9 | 12 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 1 | 7 | 3 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
40% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1974 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 24 · Feb 17 · Mar 9 · Apr 12 · May 29 · Jun 22 · Jul 23 · Aug 18 · Sep 9 · Oct 2 · Nov 9 · Dec 16 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Hancock County
FEMA's register lists 19 declarations that include Hancock County: 13 major disasters, 5 emergencies and one fire management assistance declaration. Most were for severe storm (5) and flood (4).
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3217 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-03-20 | DR-1456 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2002-04-05 | DR-1408 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2000-11-03 | FM-2348 | Fire | Tn-Greeneville Fire Complex-11/03/00 |
| 1999-01-15 | DR-1260 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1998-04-20 | DR-1215 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1993-03-14 | EM-3095 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1984-05-25 | DR-708 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1977-04-29 | DR-533 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-04-04 | DR-424 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
| 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 Hancock County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 12 flood or flash flood records for Hancock County from 1999 to 2022, on 12 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Hancock County ranks 2181st of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $291,000 on 16 claims filed in Hancock County; the most in one year was 4 in 2015. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2002: 3 · 2013: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2025: 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 Hancock County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Hancock County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $3.1 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 | $37K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $171K | 4.7 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $243K | 1 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Very Low | $26K | once in about 255 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Very Low | $114K | once in about 384 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Very Low | $2.2M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Drought | Very Low | $9K | 16 modeled event-days a year |
| Hurricane | Very Low | $6K | once in about 109 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Hancock 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 Hancock CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Hancock County's FEMA declarations (CSV)19 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis