Wayne County, Tennessee
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 47181 · population 16,204 · 734 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 357 records for Wayne County, Tennessee from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 262 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (145 records). The deadliest single record is the April 16, 1998 tornado: 3 deaths, 6 injuries and $7.2 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 27 declarations naming the county since 1973, 25 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
- 357on 262 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 528 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $66Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 19strongest F4
- FEMA declarations
- 27latest 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 Wayne County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 145 since 1971. 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 | 145 | 115 | 1971-2026 | 0 | 1 | $2.1M | 92 of 95 |
| Hail | 65 | 46 | 1984-2025 | 0 | 0 | $67K | 92 of 95 |
| Floods | 51 | 38 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $14M | 86 of 95 |
| Winter storms | 34 | 33 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $40K | 95 of 95 |
| Drought | 26 | 26 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 59 of 95 |
| Tornadoes | 19 | 18 | 1963-2023 | 4 | 27 | $50M | 63 of 95 |
| High wind and dust storms | 7 | 7 | 2004-2023 | 0 | 0 | $527K | 79 of 95 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 2010-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 46 of 95 |
| Extreme cold | 2 | 2 | 2022-2024 | 0 | 0 | – | 54 of 95 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 2 | 2 | 2010-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 95 |
| Heavy rain | 1 | 1 | 2017-2017 | 0 | 0 | – | 57 of 95 |
| Lightning | 1 | 1 | 2003-2003 | 0 | 0 | $802 | 82 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 Wayne County had?
NOAA records 19 tornadoes in Wayne County from 1963 to 2023, the strongest rated F4, with 4 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 19 tornadoes whose track touched Wayne County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 19, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 12 people, 4 of them in Wayne County.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-31 22:04, as SPC files it | Selmer to Clifton | EF3 | 86.01 mi | 9 |
| 1998-04-16 15:50, as SPC files it | Waynesboro | F5 | 69.4 mi | 3 |
| 2015-12-23 18:55, as SPC files it | Mount Pleasant | EF3 | 48.38 mi | 0 |
| 1994-06-26 20:00, as SPC files it | IronCrossed AL, TN | F3 | 38 mi | 0 |
| 1964-03-04 11:00, as SPC files it | Clifton | F3 | 27.6 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Tennessee.
Every tornado record filed for Wayne County (19)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-03-31 | Clifton, Wayne County | EF2 21.39 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 2 | $533K |
| 2021-03-25 | Forty Eight Creek Br, Wayne County | EF2 8.95 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 1 | $327K |
| 2018-11-05 | Cypress Inn, Wayne County | EF0 3.13 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $12K |
| 2015-12-23 | Ransom Stand, Wayne County | EF1 7.43 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $125K |
| 2015-12-23 | Lutts, Wayne County | EF3 25.29 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 4 | $3.1M |
| 2013-01-30 | Moccasin, Wayne County | EF1 7.97 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $127K |
| 2011-04-27 | Ransom Stand, Wayne County | EF0 0.17 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2008-02-05 | Clifton, Wayne County | EF1 8.74 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-01-10 | North Highland, Wayne County | EF2 1.29 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | $274K |
| 2005-11-15 | Collinwood, Wayne County | F2 6 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 1 | $151K |
| 1998-04-16 | Clifton, Wayne County | F4 23 mi x 1,760 yd | 3 | 6 | $7.2M |
| 1997-03-01 | Waynesboro, Wayne County | F2 2.9 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 2 | $184K |
| 1995-05-18 | Western Wayne Co, Wayne County | F0 0.5 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 1994-11-27 | Lauderdale And, Wayne County | F3 16 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 3 | $10.0M |
| 1994-06-26 | Topsy To 2 Ne, Wayne County | F1 5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $100K |
| 1991-03-22 | Wayne County | F1 1 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1988-11-04 | Wayne County | F2 13 mi x 73 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1964-03-04 | Wayne County | F3 13.8 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.5M step |
| 1963-03-11 | Wayne County | F2 7.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $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 Wayne County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the June 1, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-01 | Thunderstorm WindLeatherwood, Wayne County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-11 | Thunderstorm WindNorth Highland, Wayne County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-03-01 | DroughtWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-01-24 | Ice StormWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-29 | Excessive HeatWayne County · forecast zone Wayne | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-09 | Flash FloodFairview, Wayne County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-25 | Thunderstorm WindWaynesboro, Wayne County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2025-05-20 | Thunderstorm WindCollinwood, Wayne County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2025-05-02 | HailCollinwood, Wayne County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-05-02 | HailWaynesboro, Wayne County | 1.00 in hail | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998-04-16 | TornadoClifton, Wayne County The tornado killed 3 people in Wayne county. 2 females, their ages 75 and 57, were killed in a modular home on Lay Creek Rd. Another female, age 69, was killed on Chalk Creek Road in a wooden frame home. The tornado left nothing but the foundation. A lumber yard was destroyed. Many trees were down in the path of the ... | F4 23 mi x 1,760 yd | 3 | 6 | $7.2M |
| 1994-11-27 | TornadoLauderdale And, Wayne County The tornado first touched down about one mile west of the town of Woodville in Lauderdale County. The tornado then continued northeast in Crockett County. The towns of Chestnut Bluff and Crockett Mills were the hardest hit. One woman was killed as the tornado struck her house. Three other persons were injured. ... | F3 16 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 3 | $10.0M |
| 2003-05-06 | Flash FloodWaynesboro, Wayne County A Lawrence County man was killed on Buttermilk Ridge Road, about 3.3 miles from U.S. Highway 64 east. His 1996 Pontiac Sunfire suddenly came upon a section of road that was completely washed away by flood waters. About 40 feet of the road was completely gone. The vehicle went airborne and struck the far side of the ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2015-12-23 | TornadoLutts, Wayne County This strong, long-track EF3 tornado touched down just east of the Hardin County/Wayne County line about 2.5 miles southwest of the town of Lutts. At touchdown, hundreds of trees were snapped and uprooted before the tornado reached its peak strength about one half mile west-southwest of Lutts along Lutts Road where the ... | EF3 25.29 mi x 800 yd | 0 | 4 | $3.1M |
| 1964-03-04 | TornadoWayne County | F3 13.8 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 4 | $2.5M step |
| 1963-03-11 | TornadoWayne County | F2 7.7 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 4 | $250K step |
| 2023-03-31 | TornadoClifton, Wayne County This major, long track tornado began in National Weather Service Memphis's area as an EF3 tornado in Hardeman, McNairy, and Hardin counties before entering Wayne County as an EF2 tornado. The tornado entered National Weather Service Nashville's area about two miles south of Clifton and continued northeast, passing ... | EF2 21.39 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 2 | $533K |
| 1997-03-01 | TornadoWaynesboro, Wayne County 2 houses were damaged and 2 trailers were destroyed in Wayne county. There were 2 injuries in Wayne county. The damage was on Buttermilk Ridge. | F2 2.9 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 2 | $184K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-08-18 | Flash FloodWaynesboro, Wayne County | 0 | 0 | $11M | |
| 1994-11-27 | TornadoLauderdale And, Wayne County | F3 16 mi x 100 yd | 1 | 3 | $10.0M |
| 1998-04-16 | TornadoClifton, Wayne County | F4 23 mi x 1,760 yd | 3 | 6 | $7.2M |
| 2002-01-24 | Flash FloodCountywide, Wayne County | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 2010-05-02 | FloodAshland, Wayne County | 0 | 0 | $813K | |
| 2004-05-30 | Thunderstorm WindFairview, Wayne County | 80 kt wind | 0 | 1 | $781K |
| 2023-03-31 | TornadoClifton, Wayne County | EF2 21.39 mi x 880 yd | 0 | 2 | $533K |
| 2021-03-25 | TornadoForty Eight Creek Br, Wayne County | EF2 8.95 mi x 350 yd | 0 | 1 | $327K |
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: March 4, 1964 (tornado, Wayne 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 Wayne 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 | 2 | 2 | 28 | 49 | 41 | 23 |
| Hail | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 24 | 15 | 6 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 11 | 25 | 9 | 6 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 4 | 20 | 8 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 6 | 4 | 16 |
| Tornadoes | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
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 Wayne County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 28 · Feb 24 · Mar 49 · Apr 45 · May 47 · Jun 41 · Jul 39 · Aug 26 · Sep 10 · Oct 15 · Nov 18 · Dec 15 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Wayne County
FEMA's register lists 27 declarations that include Wayne County: 23 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (16) 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 |
| 2025-06-19 | 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 |
| 2023-04-07 | DR-4701 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2021-05-08 | DR-4601 | Tornado | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2020-04-02 | DR-4514 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3473 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019-12-06 | DR-4471 | Severe Storm | Severe Storm and Straight-Line Winds |
| 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 |
| 2010-09-15 | DR-1937 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2010-05-04 | DR-1909 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 2009-08-21 | DR-1856 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 2008-02-07 | DR-1745 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding |
| 2005-09-05 | EM-3217 | Hurricane | Hurricane Katrina Evacuation |
| 2003-05-08 | DR-1464 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding |
| 2002-04-05 | DR-1408 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms and Flooding |
| 1999-01-19 | DR-1262 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and High Winds |
| 1999-01-15 | DR-1260 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 1998-04-20 | DR-1215 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 1994-02-28 | DR-1010 | Severe Storm | Severe Winter Ice Storm,Flash Flooding |
| 1991-06-21 | DR-910 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1975-03-22 | DR-459 | 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 Wayne County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 51 flood or flash flood records for Wayne County from 1996 to 2025, on 38 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Wayne County ranks 1478th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $1.8 million on 71 claims filed in Wayne County; the most in one year was 22 in 2010. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1983: 1 · 1984: 1 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 6 · 2004: 21 · 2010: 22 · 2011: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2019: 6 · 2021: 11; 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 Wayne County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Wayne County Relatively Low overall, with an expected annual loss of $9.4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $2.0M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | $1.5M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $936K | once in about 258 years (modeled) |
| Landslide | Relatively Low | $3K | 2.3 a year (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Low | $4.3M | 1.3 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Low | $334K | 4.8 a year (modeled) |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | $135K | 61 a year (modeled) |
| 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 Wayne 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 Wayne CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Wayne County's FEMA declarations (CSV)27 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis