2 federal flood & hurricane disasters
Share of the whole county outline, rivers and lakes included; parts FEMA hasn’t mapped count as zero.
Shaded areas are FEMA’s mapped flood hazard zones in and around Fentress County, Tennessee. Zoomed out they are simplified; at street level the map switches to FEMA’s exact layer. Tap anywhere to check that spot, or search an address above.
Flash flooding from severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall dominates the flood risk in Fentress County. Over the last 30 years, the NOAA Storm Events Database records 29 flash flood events compared to 11 general flood events.
Recent history demonstrates this hazard, notably during an historic flash flooding event from March 27 to March 28, 2021, when a stalled warm front generated numerous heavy downpours across the region. Flash flooding was also recorded during scattered thunderstorms on October 6, 2021, and from training showers associated with a strong squall line on July 20, 2023.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located near creeks, streams, and low-lying areas susceptible to rapid accumulation during intense convective storms and heavy rainfall.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
11 NOAA storm reports from Fentress County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Tennessee flood stories →
24 federal disaster declarations since 1974, 2 of them floods, coastal storms or hurricanes.
| Disaster | Began |
|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Apr 2, 2025 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornado | Mar 1, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Mar 25, 2021 |
| Severe Winter Storms | Feb 11, 2021 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Feb 19, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Feb 15, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Associated Flooding | Apr 25, 2011 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
40 since 1996: 29 flash floods and 11 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 20, 2023 | $100,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jul 20, 2023 | $50,000 |
| Flood | Aug 30, 2021 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 27, 2021 | $76,250 |
| Flash Flood | Oct 6, 2021 | $5,000 |
| Flash Flood | Feb 5, 2020 | — |
| Flood | Dec 29, 2019 | $3,000 |
| Flash Flood | Jun 28, 2018 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 20, 2023. A very strong squall line made its way through Middle Tennessee during the morning and afternoon hours of July 20, 2023. Damaging straight-line winds were the primary threat associated with this line of thunderstorms with wind gusts of 65 to 80 mph common. The most significant damage was reported in Sumner and Wilson counties with numerous reports of downed trees and powerlines received. Meanwhile, training shower…
Flood · Aug 30, 2021. Scattered showers and t'storms developed on August 30th as the remnants of Ida moved through Middle TN. Some heavy downpours led to isolated flash flooding in areas.
Flash Flood · Mar 27, 2021. An historic flash flooding event affected the central third of Middle Tennessee from the early morning hours on March 27 through the day into the early morning hours on March 28. A warm front moved northward into Middle Tennessee early on March 27 before stalling near the I-40 corridor. Between 300-400 AM CDT, numerous showers and thunderstorms developed along the warm front, many of which became severe and produc…
Flash Flood · Oct 6, 2021. Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed in the afternoon hours on October 6th and lasted well into the evening hours. Multiple reports of damaging winds, flash flooding, some hail, and even a tornado were received.
National Weather Service narratives, lightly trimmed. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Every colour on the map above is a place on this drawing: where the ground sits relative to the flood FEMA plans for.
If a building in Fentress County is in a high-risk zone (A or V) and its mortgage comes from a federally regulated or insured lender, or is federally backed, flood insurance is required.
Outside those zones it is optional, and often worth having: from 2014 to 2024 nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area. Since Risk Rating 2.0, NFIP premiums are set for each building, so the only reliable price is a quote: FloodSmart.gov or a local agent.