Enter any address in Grainger County, Tennessee to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from intense thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Grainger County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 10 flood events and 5 flash flood events in the county, with one fatality attributed to flash flooding. Recent occurrences include significant flash flooding on August 14, 2023, caused by a persistent weather pattern that produced repeated and training thunderstorms. Earlier, on February 24, 2022, a stalled cold front and a surface low contributed to heavy rainfall and flooding.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows that both Zone A and Zone X have experienced claims. While Zone A had one claim with an average payout of $13,257 and an average water depth of 0.0 feet, Zone X also had one claim with an average payout of $11,250 and an average water depth of 0.0 feet. Residents in areas designated as Zone A, as well as those in Zone X, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
3 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Grainger County, Tennessee has recorded 16 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 5 flash floods and 10 river or area floods. The county has received 20 federal disaster declarations, 4 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1973–2026)
Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
| Declaration | Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Severe Winter Storm | Winter Storm | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Apr 2, 2025 |
| Tropical Storm Helene | Tropical Storm | Sep 26, 2024 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Tornado | Mar 25, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Feb 19, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 15, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, And | Severe Storm | Jun 18, 2011 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Feb 28, 2011 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Aug 14, 2023 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 24, 2022 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Mar 18, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 23, 2019 | 700.00K |
| Flood | Feb 28, 2011 | 80.00K |
| Flood | Sep 26, 2009 | 0.00K |
| Tropical Storm | Sep 16, 2004 | 15K |
| Flood | Feb 21, 2003 | — |
| Flash Flood | Feb 16, 2003 | — |
| Flood | Feb 14, 2003 | 536K |
Flash Flood — Aug 14, 2023
A highly anomalous weather pattern involving a closed low and a trailing cold front brought discrete thunderstorms and multicell clusters in multiple rounds to east Tennessee. Repeat events as well as training of cells resulted in flash flooding, some of it significant.
Flood — Feb 24, 2022
A moist southwesterly flow aloft ran nearly parallel to a stalled cold front near east Tennessee on the 23rd. A surface low near Lake Charles LA would move up the boundary and produce a second round of rains on the 24th.
Flood — Mar 18, 2021
A low pressure system produced high winds in the mountains and foothills of East Tennessee during the early morning hours of March 18. Heavy rainfall also occurred across the southern Tennessee Valley and southern Plateau, resulting in flooding on the evening of the 17th and early morning of the 18th. Later in the day on the 18th, thunderstorms moved across the area, some of which produced larg...
Flood — Feb 23, 2019
A strong low pressure system moved from northeast New Mexico to the Great Lakes during the period, providing strong southerly flow from the Gulf, and producing significant amounts of rainfall.
Flood — Feb 28, 2011
A strong storm system moved through the area on February 28th, producing three tornadoes in southeast Tennessee and widespread flooding in east Tennessee. One person died.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
Source: OpenFEMA NFIP Individual Claims (2.25M records analyzed).
FEMA assigns flood zone designations to areas in Grainger County, Tennessee:
AE High Risk — 1% annual chance of flooding. Insurance required.
VE Very High Risk — Coastal flooding with wave action.
X (Shaded) Moderate Risk — 500-year floodplain.
X Low Risk — Outside major floodplains.
Properties in Grainger County, Tennessee that are in FEMA-designated Special Flood Hazard Areas (zones A and V) with federally backed mortgages are required to carry flood insurance.
Even outside high-risk zones, flood insurance is recommended. From 2014 to 2024, nearly one-third of NFIP claims came from outside the high-risk Special Flood Hazard Area.
Visit FloodSmart.gov to find an agent and get a quote.