Washington County, Tennessee
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 47179 · population 132,934 · 327 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 405 records for Washington County, Tennessee from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 292 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (192 records). The deadliest single record is the September 27, 2024 flash flood: 4 deaths and $36.7 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 16 declarations naming the county since 1973, 14 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
- 405on 292 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 92 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $54Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 9strongest EF2
- FEMA declarations
- 16latest 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 Washington County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 192 since 1960. 46% of its severe thunderstorm wind events since 1960 fell in June and July. 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 | 155 | 1960-2025 | 0 | 1 | $2.3M | 21 of 95 |
| Winter storms | 78 | 55 | 1996-2026 | 3 | 0 | $1.8M | 25 of 95 |
| Hail | 56 | 45 | 1960-2026 | 0 | 0 | $194 | 30 of 95 |
| Floods | 46 | 39 | 1996-2026 | 5 | 1 | $44M | 14 of 95 |
| High wind and dust storms | 20 | 17 | 2003-2025 | 0 | 0 | $218K | 8 of 95 |
| Tornadoes | 9 | 6 | 1957-2014 | 1 | 0 | $5.7M | 73 of 95 |
| Drought | 1 | 1 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | 73 of 95 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 39 of 95 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2010-2010 | 0 | 0 | $203K | 69 of 95 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 1 | 1 | 2009-2009 | 0 | 0 | – | 41 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 Washington County had?
NOAA records 9 tornadoes in Washington County from 1957 to 2014, the strongest rated EF2, with 1 death 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 9 tornadoes whose track touched Washington County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 9, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 8 people, 1 of them in Washington County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-04-27 20:51, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 15.8 mi | 6 |
| 2011-04-27 22:40, as SPC files it | Unnamed | EF3 | 13.6 mi | 2 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Tennessee.
Every tornado record filed for Washington County (9)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-07-27 | Rock Spgs, Washington County | EF0 7.1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-27 | Milburnton, Washington County | EF2 4.2 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $656K |
| 2011-04-27 | Liberty, Washington County | EF1 3.9 mi x 500 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2011-04-27 | Liberty, Washington County | EF2 9.3 mi x 1,000 yd | 1 | 0 | $3.9M |
| 2011-04-09 | Mc Kinley, Washington County | EF1 0.61 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $13K |
| 2011-04-09 | Jonesboro, Washington County | EF1 3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $98K |
| 2009-05-08 | Gray, Washington County | EF0 0.1 mi x 20 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1997-06-13 | Limestone, Washington County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $919K |
| 1957-04-08 | Washington County | F2 3 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K 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 Washington County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the January 30, 2026 heavy snow (1 death).
A significant snowstorm struck Washington County, with the highest report of 13.2 inches of snow from Jonesborough. Additional measurements included 11.3 inches of snow in Limestone, 10.5 inches on the Washington side of Unicoi, 9.7 inches in Gray, 9.7 inches of snow in Johnson City.
National Weather Service event narrative, NOAA Storm Events Database (search the full record, event 1314750)
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-29 | HailAdams Mill, Washington County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2026-06-28 | Flash FloodPrinceton, Washington County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-16 | Winter WeatherWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Heavy SnowWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-19 | Thunderstorm WindFlourville, Washington County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-11-10 | Winter WeatherWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-23 | FloodBoones Creek, Washington County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-23 | FloodBoone, Washington County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-23 | FloodGray, Washington County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-23 | FloodGray, Washington County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-30 | Flash FloodGray, Washington 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 | Flash FloodEmbreeville, Washington County Flash flooding on the Nolichucky River flowed downstream from Unicoi County. This stretch of the river is a gorge that opens into the flood plain of the Bumpus Cove Road section of the town of Embreeville. Water rescue operations had begun by 9:00 am EST in Embreeville. The stream gauge in Embreeville crossed the 16 ... | 4 | 0 | $37M | |
| 2024-01-15 | Winter StormWashington County · forecast zone Washington Event began with a period of snow, before transitioning to rain and some freezing rain, before ending late with light snow. Two public reports from Johnson City of 4.5 inches were received, along with an inch in Telford, 5 inches in Jonesborough, 3 inches in Gray, and 6 inches in Leesburg. The COOP observer in ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-30 | Heavy SnowWashington County · forecast zone Washington A significant snowstorm struck Washington County, with the highest report of 13.2 inches of snow from Jonesborough. Additional measurements included 11.3 inches of snow in Limestone, 10.5 inches on the Washington side of Unicoi, 9.7 inches in Gray, 9.7 inches of snow in Johnson City. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-05-26 | FloodGray, Washington County Toddler wandered into a swollen creek near the home and drowned. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoLiberty, Washington County Horse Creek Tornado. A NWS storm survey reported an EF3 tornado that initially touched in the Horse Creek area in Greene county, continued a northeast path into Washington county. The tornado had weakened to an EF2 by the time it was in Washington County with 115 mph winds, but still caused extensive damage. One ... | EF2 9.3 mi x 1,000 yd | 1 | 0 | $3.9M |
| 2012-08-05 | Flash FloodJonesboro, Washington County Significant Flash Flooding on Dry Creek. Several houses damaged, one house destroyed. A dozen miniature horses killed on a horse farm. Some automobiles destroyed. A mudslide uphill at the Methodist Camp may have temporarily dammed water whose release contributed to the flash flood. The mudslide carried large rocks and ... | 0 | 1 | $6.4M | |
| 1990-06-22 | Thunderstorm WindWashington County | 0 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-27 | Flash FloodEmbreeville, Washington County | 4 | 0 | $37M | |
| 2012-08-05 | Flash FloodJonesboro, Washington County | 0 | 1 | $6.4M | |
| 2011-04-27 | TornadoLiberty, Washington County | EF2 9.3 mi x 1,000 yd | 1 | 0 | $3.9M |
| 1998-01-27 | Winter StormWashington County · forecast zone Washington | 0 | 0 | $1.8M | |
| 1997-06-13 | TornadoLimestone, Washington County | F1 0.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $919K |
| 2019-02-23 | FloodMc Kinley, Washington County | 0 | 0 | $374K | |
| 2011-04-09 | TornadoJonesboro, Washington County | EF1 3 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $98K |
| 2005-06-07 | Thunderstorm WindJohnson City, Washington County | 65 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $27K |
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 $3K, in the dollars of the day) holds: April 8, 1957 (tornado, Washington 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 Washington 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 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 34 | 68 | 56 | 21 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 10 | 15 | 40 | 13 |
| Hail | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 21 | 12 | 12 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 12 | 15 | 16 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 0 | 7 | 10 | 3 |
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 1960 fell in June and July. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 37 · Feb 33 · Mar 16 · Apr 38 · May 56 · Jun 63 · Jul 66 · Aug 41 · Sep 13 · Oct 6 · Nov 8 · Dec 28 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Washington County
FEMA's register lists 16 declarations that include Washington County: 10 major disasters, 6 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (5) and winter storm (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 |
| 2025-04-02 | 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 |
| 2020-04-24 | 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 |
| 2011-05-01 | DR-1974 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Associated Flooding |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3217 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2001-08-15 | DR-1387 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1998-01-13 | DR-1197 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1993-03-14 | EM-3095 | Snowstorm | Severe Snowfall, Winter Storm |
| 1977-11-12 | DR-544 | 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 Washington County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 46 flood or flash flood records for Washington County from 1996 to 2026, on 39 days, with 5 deaths. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Washington County ranks 1083rd of 2,942 U.S. counties.
| Storm | Began | Records | Deaths in the county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm Helene | 2024-09-27 | 1 | 4 |
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $6.1 million on 152 claims filed in Washington County; the most in one year was 31 in 2012. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1979: 10 · 1980: 1 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 1 · 1984: 4 · 1987: 3 · 1990: 1 · 1991: 1 · 1994: 3 · 1995: 2 · 1998: 3 · 2000: 1 · 2001: 8 · 2002: 2 · 2003: 30 · 2004: 2 · 2008: 4 · 2009: 2 · 2012: 31 · 2013: 8 · 2016: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 8 · 2021: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 14 · 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 Washington County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Washington County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $22.6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $1.8M | 3.2 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively High | $1.0M | 51 a year (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | $45K | about once a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | $169K | once in about 6 years (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $2.6M | once in about 409 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $14M | 1.1 a year (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Low | $1.1M | about once a year (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | $1.3M | once in about 16 years (modeled) |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Washington 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 Washington CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Washington County's FEMA declarations (CSV)16 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis