Scott County, Tennessee
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 47151 · population 21,840 · 532 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 334 records for Scott County, Tennessee from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 247 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (172 records). The most damaging was the February 28, 2011 flood ($2.6 million in 2025 dollars). FEMA has issued 26 declarations naming the county since 1972, 24 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
- 334on 247 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 027 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $8.9Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 11strongest F3
- FEMA declarations
- 26latest 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 Scott County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 172 since 1957. 43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 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 | 172 | 136 | 1957-2026 | 0 | 0 | $1.4M | 73 of 95 |
| Winter storms | 54 | 51 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 75 of 95 |
| Hail | 50 | 39 | 1982-2025 | 0 | 0 | $46K | 88 of 95 |
| Floods | 40 | 34 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $4.7M | 67 of 95 |
| Tornadoes | 11 | 7 | 1974-2023 | 0 | 27 | $2.7M | 80 of 95 |
| High wind and dust storms | 3 | 3 | 2006-2025 | 0 | 0 | $37K | 92 of 95 |
| Lightning | 2 | 2 | 2005-2006 | 0 | 0 | $15K | 63 of 95 |
| Drought | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 87 of 95 |
| Landslides and avalanches | 1 | 1 | 2024-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 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 Scott County had?
NOAA records 11 tornadoes in Scott County from 1974 to 2023, the strongest rated F3, with 0 deaths and 27 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 11 tornadoes whose track touched Scott County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 11, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 0 people.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 22:50, as SPC files it | Sunbright | F3 | 12.2 mi | 0 |
| 1974-04-03 22:50, as SPC files it | Oneida to Winfield | F3 | 13 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Tennessee.
Every tornado record filed for Scott County (11)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-06-11 | Black Creek, Scott County | EF1 3.4 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-04-08 | Cordell, Scott County | EF0 2.63 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-04-08 | Dean, Scott County | EF2 1.84 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2021-04-08 | Norma, Scott County | EF2 1.31 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2009-05-08 | Winona, Scott County | EF2 4.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $124K |
| 2002-11-10 | Elgin, Scott County | F1 4.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $180K |
| 2002-11-10 | Winona, Scott County | F1 4.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $213K |
| 2000-04-20 | Huntsville, Scott County | F1 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $343K |
| 1996-03-16 | Oneida, Scott County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $301K |
| 1974-04-03 | Scott County | F3 8.6 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 5 | – |
| 1974-04-03 | Scott County | F3 13 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 21 | $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 Scott County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the May 8, 2025 hail ($5,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-28 | Flash FloodHighway, Scott County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Winter WeatherScott County · forecast zone Scott | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Thunderstorm WindOneida, Scott County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-01-30 | Winter WeatherScott County · forecast zone Scott | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter WeatherScott County · forecast zone Scott | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-10 | Winter WeatherScott County · forecast zone Scott | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindOneida, Scott County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindWest Oneida, Scott County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-17 | Thunderstorm WindWinfield, Scott County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-08 | HailLone Mtn, Scott County | 1.75 in hail | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-05-02 | Thunderstorm WindOneida, Scott County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-02 | Thunderstorm WindOneida, Scott County | 52 kt wind | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoScott County | F3 13 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 21 | $250K step |
| 1974-04-03 | TornadoScott County | F3 8.6 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 5 | – |
| 1996-03-16 | TornadoOneida, Scott County Trees were downed, one mobile home was destroyed injuring a man, and twelve homes sustained some structural damage by what was believed to be a small tornado. | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $301K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-02-28 | FloodNorma, Scott County | 0 | 0 | $2.6M | |
| 2021-03-28 | FloodNew River, Scott County | 0 | 0 | $1.9M | |
| 2000-04-20 | TornadoHuntsville, Scott County | F1 0.3 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | $343K |
| 1996-03-16 | TornadoOneida, Scott County | F0 1 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $301K |
| 2002-11-10 | TornadoWinona, Scott County | F1 4.2 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $213K |
| 2002-11-10 | TornadoElgin, Scott County | F1 4.1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $180K |
| 2009-05-08 | TornadoWinona, Scott County | EF2 4.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | $124K |
| 2004-06-12 | Thunderstorm WindOneida, Scott County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $23K |
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: April 3, 1974 (tornado, Scott 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 Scott 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 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 65 | 51 | 37 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 18 | 12 | 14 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 23 | 9 | 6 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 7 | 11 | 5 | 17 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
43% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1957 fell in May and June. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 29 · Feb 39 · Mar 32 · Apr 41 · May 57 · Jun 48 · Jul 36 · Aug 20 · Sep 7 · Oct 5 · Nov 6 · Dec 14 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Scott County
FEMA's register lists 26 declarations that include Scott County: 21 major disasters, 5 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (11) and flood (5).
| 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 |
| 2021-05-08 | DR-4601 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2021-04-21 | DR-4594 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storms |
| 2020-04-24 | DR-4541 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 2011-03-31 | DR-1965 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3217 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-03-20 | DR-1456 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2002-11-13 | DR-1441 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Tornados |
| 2002-04-05 | DR-1408 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1999-01-15 | DR-1260 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1998-04-20 | DR-1215 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1998-01-13 | DR-1197 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1994-02-28 | DR-1010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm,Flash Flooding |
| 1993-03-14 | EM-3095 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1977-04-29 | DR-533 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1975-03-22 | DR-459 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-04-04 | DR-424 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
| 1973-06-28 | DR-395 | Flood | Severe Storms & 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 Scott County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 40 flood or flash flood records for Scott County from 1996 to 2026, on 34 days, with 0 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Scott County ranks 2830th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $0 on 1 claim filed in Scott County; the most in one year was 1 in 2026. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
2026: 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 Scott County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Scott County Very Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $6.5 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 | $33K | 1.8 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.6M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $91K | 8.6 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | $276K | 57 a year (modeled) |
| Wildfire | Relatively Low | $120K | once in about 219 years (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $418K | 5.5 a year (modeled) |
| Hail | Relatively Low | $180K | 3.1 a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $825K | once in about 5 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Scott 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 Scott CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Scott County's FEMA declarations (CSV)26 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis