Williamson County, Tennessee
County storm and disaster record · FIPS 47187 · population 247,523 · 583 sq mi
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 915 records for Williamson County, Tennessee from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 472 days; the most frequent are severe thunderstorm wind events (430 records). The deadliest single record is the December 24, 1988 tornado: 1 death and 7 injuries. FEMA has issued 16 declarations naming the county since 1974, 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
- 915on 472 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 623 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $110Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Tornadoes
- 26strongest F4
- 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 Williamson County most?
The most frequent records are severe thunderstorm wind events: 430 since 1960. 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 | 430 | 216 | 1960-2026 | 4 | 0 | $4.4M | 37 of 95 |
| Hail | 197 | 90 | 1961-2025 | 0 | 0 | $114K | 20 of 95 |
| Floods | 97 | 65 | 1996-2025 | 1 | 0 | $16M | 21 of 95 |
| Winter storms | 71 | 65 | 1996-2026 | 0 | 0 | $208K | 60 of 95 |
| Lightning | 31 | 27 | 1998-2024 | 0 | 6 | $3.8M | 3 of 95 |
| Drought | 29 | 29 | 2007-2026 | 0 | 0 | – | 50 of 95 |
| Tornadoes | 26 | 23 | 1963-2025 | 1 | 17 | $84M | 33 of 95 |
| High wind and dust storms | 16 | 15 | 2001-2025 | 0 | 0 | $1.1M | 28 of 95 |
| Fog, smoke and funnel clouds | 8 | 8 | 2009-2023 | 0 | 0 | – | 8 of 95 |
| Heavy rain | 5 | 4 | 2008-2020 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 of 95 |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 2010-2025 | 0 | 0 | – | 43 of 95 |
| Extreme cold | 1 | 1 | 2022-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | 65 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 Williamson County had?
NOAA records 26 tornadoes in Williamson County from 1963 to 2025, the strongest rated F4, with 1 death and 17 injuries recorded in the county. That is 33rd of 95 Tennessee counties by days with tornadoes per 1,000 square miles since 1950. 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 26 tornadoes whose track touched Williamson County since 1950 (NOAA's county records number 26, the same count); along their whole tracks they killed 1 person.
| Date | Tornado | Rating | Path | Killed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-12-24 06:04, as SPC files it | Franklin to Brentwood | F4 | 6 mi | 1 |
| 2003-05-11 02:20, as SPC files it | Unnamed | F3 | 1 mi | 0 |
| 1963-01-10 23:55, as SPC files it | Spring Hill to Thompson's Station | F3 | 4 mi | 0 |
Map of the strongest tornado tracks in Tennessee.
Every tornado record filed for Williamson County (26)
| Date | Place | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-03-30 | Craigfield, Williamson County | EF0 1.81 mi x 150 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2023-08-12 | Ewingville, Williamson County | EF0 1.85 mi x 40 yd | 0 | 0 | $97K |
| 2021-05-09 | Rudderville, Williamson County | EF0 0.78 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2020-09-01 | Bending Chestnut, Williamson County | EF0 2.8 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2019-02-06 | New Hope, Williamson County | EF0 0.27 mi x 25 yd | 0 | 0 | $6K |
| 2017-03-01 | Berrys Chapel, Williamson County | EF1 10.48 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $8.8M |
| 2015-04-03 | Kingfield, Williamson County | EF0 5.6 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2013-01-30 | Bending Chestnut, Williamson County | EF0 0.92 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $89K |
| 2013-01-30 | Ewingville, Williamson County | EF0 2 mi x 75 yd | 0 | 0 | $139K |
| 2013-01-30 | College Grove, Williamson County | EF0 0.29 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 0 | $133K |
| 2012-04-26 | Franklin, Williamson County | EF0 3.77 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 6 | $96K |
| 2008-02-06 | Kingfield, Williamson County | EF0 1.6 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2008-02-05 | Lampley Store, Williamson County | EF2 19.98 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 0 | $343K |
| 2005-11-15 | Thompsons Station, Williamson County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-11 | Franklin, Williamson County | F3 1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $3.5M |
| 2003-05-11 | Nolensville, Williamson County | F1 0.5 mi x 200 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2003-05-05 | Franklin, Williamson County | F1 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.8M |
| 2001-10-24 | Leipers Fork, Williamson County | F0 0.2 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2001-02-25 | Franklin, Williamson County | F0 0.1 mi x 10 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1988-12-24 | Williamson County | F4 6 mi x 150 yd | 1 | 7 | $25M step |
| 1986-02-17 | Williamson County | F0 0.7 mi x 13 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1985-08-16 | Williamson County | F1 1 mi x 30 yd | 0 | 0 | $3K step |
| 1976-02-17 | Williamson County | F1 12.3 mi x 440 yd | 0 | 0 | $250K step |
| 1972-04-21 | Williamson County | F1 1.5 mi x 50 yd | 0 | 3 | $250K step |
| 1968-05-26 | Williamson County | F1 0.1 mi x 3 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1963-01-10 | Williamson County | F3 2.7 mi x 400 yd | 0 | 0 | – |
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 Williamson County?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the April 28, 2026 thunderstorm wind ($1,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | DroughtWilliamson County · forecast zone Williamson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-28 | Thunderstorm WindFairview, Williamson County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $1K |
| 2026-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindFranklin, Williamson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2026-04-16 | Thunderstorm WindFairview, Williamson County | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2026-04-01 | DroughtWilliamson County · forecast zone Williamson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-03-15 | Thunderstorm WindEpworth, Williamson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $2K |
| 2026-01-24 | Winter StormWilliamson County · forecast zone Williamson | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-12-18 | Thunderstorm WindEpworth, Williamson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
| 2025-11-07 | Thunderstorm WindBerrys Chapel, Williamson County | 61 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2025-11-07 | Thunderstorm WindMallorys, Williamson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $10K |
| 2025-11-07 | HailArrington, Williamson County | 1.00 in hail | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2025-11-07 | Thunderstorm WindBerrys Chapel, Williamson County | 52 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-12-24 | TornadoWilliamson County | F4 6 mi x 150 yd | 1 | 7 | $25M step |
| 2022-10-12 | Thunderstorm WindForest Home, Williamson County Strong thunderstorm winds downed a tree onto a vehicle on Old Natchez Trace northwest of Franklin. A 22-year-old woman who was driving at the time was killed. | 50 kt wind | 1 | 0 | $10K |
| 2020-05-03 | Thunderstorm WindHarpeth, Williamson County A tree fell onto and killed a man near Bethesda Road at Highway 431 who was outside playing with his daughter along a creek. | 56 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2011-04-27 | Thunderstorm WindMudsink, Williamson County A woman was struck in the head by a fallen tree limb and then died 24 hours later. | 55 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2010-05-01 | Flash FloodPeytonsville, Williamson County Flash flooding was reported along Peytonsville Road. Portions of Peytonsville Road had fallen into a nearby creek. Also, a fatality occurred when a man drove his vehicle into Garrison Creek at 12:30 PM CST. | 1 | 0 | $69K | |
| 2003-06-11 | Thunderstorm WindFranklin, Williamson County A large tree fell on a minivan during a severe thunderstorm. It killed a 58 year-old woman who was driving southbound on Liberty Church Road. | 60 kt wind | 1 | 0 | – |
| 2012-04-26 | TornadoFranklin, Williamson County An NWS Storm Survey confirmed an EF0 tornado touched down in Franklin. Damage began near the intersection of Highway 96 and Founders Point Boulevard where several trees were snapped and minor roof damage occurred. Continuous damage was noted heading to the south-southeast through Jim Warren Park where several vehicles ... | EF0 3.77 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 6 | $96K |
| 2024-07-30 | LightningNolensville, Williamson County House was stuck by lightning in Nolen Meade subdivision. Fire heavily damaged the attic and top floor. Four firefighters were injured due to smoke inhalation. Damages are a rough estimate. | 0 | 4 | $235K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-05-02 | FloodNolensville, Williamson County | 0 | 0 | $14M | |
| 2017-03-01 | TornadoBerrys Chapel, Williamson County | EF1 10.48 mi x 250 yd | 0 | 0 | $8.8M |
| 2003-05-05 | TornadoFranklin, Williamson County | F1 4 mi x 100 yd | 0 | 0 | $4.8M |
| 2003-05-11 | TornadoFranklin, Williamson County | F3 1 mi x 300 yd | 0 | 1 | $3.5M |
| 2010-10-24 | LightningMallorys, Williamson County | 0 | 0 | $2.4M | |
| 2021-03-27 | Flash FloodClovercroft, Williamson County | 0 | 0 | $1.6M | |
| 2023-03-03 | High WindWilliamson County · forecast zone Williamson | 50 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $969K |
| 1999-05-05 | Thunderstorm WindFairview, Williamson County | 0 | 0 | $843K |
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 $25M, in the dollars of the day) holds: December 24, 1988 (tornado, Williamson County, 1 killed).
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 Williamson 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 | 6 | 3 | 48 | 66 | 207 | 99 |
| Hail | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 46 | 46 | 86 |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 14 | 15 | 40 | 28 |
| Winter storms | – | – | – | – | 4 | 4 | 46 | 17 |
| Lightning | – | – | – | – | 3 | 4 | 20 | 4 |
| Drought | – | – | – | – | 0 | 9 | 5 | 15 z |
Drought in the 2020-26: 15 records against 5 in the decade before, 15 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 Williamson 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 Williamson County. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 63 · Feb 60 · Mar 101 · Apr 107 · May 150 · Jun 123 · Jul 112 · Aug 50 · Sep 43 · Oct 35 · Nov 34 · Dec 37 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Williamson County
FEMA's register lists 16 declarations that include Williamson County: 12 major disasters, 4 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for severe storm (8) and winter storm (2).
| 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 |
| 2020-04-02 | DR-4514 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3473 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2010-05-04 | DR-1909 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and Tornadoes |
| 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 |
| 1999-05-12 | DR-1275 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes and Flooding |
| 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 |
| 1979-05-07 | DR-585 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes & Flooding |
| 1975-03-22 | DR-459 | Flood | Severe Storms & Flooding |
| 1974-04-04 | DR-424 | Tornado | Tornadoes |
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 Williamson County had?
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 97 flood or flash flood records for Williamson County from 1996 to 2025, on 65 days, with 1 death. By flood insurance claims since 1978 (OpenFEMA, as of September 8, 2026), Williamson County ranks 309th of 2,942 U.S. counties.
The National Flood Insurance Program has paid $31.1 million on 1,103 claims filed in Williamson County; the most in one year was 439 in 2010. Claims count insured losses only: uninsured flood damage is not in this file.
The values, year by year
1978: 3 · 1979: 46 · 1980: 26 · 1981: 1 · 1982: 3 · 1983: 4 · 1984: 24 · 1986: 4 · 1987: 1 · 1988: 1 · 1989: 11 · 1990: 19 · 1991: 3 · 1992: 1 · 1993: 20 · 1994: 18 · 1995: 15 · 1996: 2 · 1997: 12 · 1998: 36 · 1999: 14 · 2000: 14 · 2001: 1 · 2003: 60 · 2004: 10 · 2008: 2 · 2009: 3 · 2010: 439 · 2011: 18 · 2013: 14 · 2015: 3 · 2017: 28 · 2018: 3 · 2019: 10 · 2020: 21 · 2021: 198 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 4; 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 Williamson County
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Williamson County Relatively Moderate overall, with an expected annual loss of $98.0 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 High | $13M | 1.2 a year (modeled) |
| Strong Wind | Relatively High | $3.4M | 6.1 a year (modeled) |
| Ice Storm | Relatively High | $1.0M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | $12M | once in about 2 years (modeled) |
| Riverine Flooding | Relatively Moderate | $57M | 2.2 a year (modeled) |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | $469K | 5.2 a year (modeled) |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | $8.5M | once in about 298 years (modeled) |
| Heat Wave | Relatively Low | $1.8M | 4.9 modeled event-days a year |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, county table, December 2025 release. FEMA's National Risk Index map.
Counties that share a border with Williamson 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 Williamson CountyThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Williamson County's FEMA declarations (CSV)16 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis