Enter any address in McNairy County, Tennessee to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the most frequent flood event in McNairy County. Recent examples include events in March 2021 and July 2020, where slow-moving or numerous thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall.
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has recorded claims in various flood zones. Zone A, which typically has a higher risk, has seen 9 claims with an average payout of $75,828 and an average water depth of 1.8 feet. Zone X, generally considered to have moderate flood risk, has had 3 claims averaging $6,113 with an average water depth of 3.0 feet. One claim in Zone X_UNSHADED, a lower-risk zone, averaged $9,579 with a significant 25.0 feet of water depth.
Residents in Zone A, as well as those in Zone X and particularly Zone X_UNSHADED given the recorded water depth in a past claim, should pay close attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
11 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
McNairy County, Tennessee has recorded 28 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 23 flash floods and 4 river or area floods. The county has received 21 federal disaster declarations, 2 of which involved flooding or coastal storms. Enter any address above to check its FEMA flood zone designation.
FEMA Disaster Declarations (1975–2026)
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 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Mar 31, 2023 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Tornado | Mar 25, 2021 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storm And Straight-line Winds | Severe Storm | Oct 26, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Feb 19, 2019 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 15, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Jun 5, 2014 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Mar 27, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 1, 2020 | 2.00M |
| Flood | Mar 1, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 31, 2015 | 50.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 15, 2015 | 3.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 9, 2014 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 8, 2014 | 10.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 3, 2012 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 25, 2010 | 0.00K |
Flash Flood — Mar 27, 2021
A warm front lifted north across the Mid-South during the morning hours of March 27th. Numerous thunderstorms resulted in heavy rain near the Tennessee/Mississippi line and some flash flooding along with an isolated damaging wind report. The front continued to lift north during the morning along with the complex of showers of thunderstorms. After a brief break during the early afternoon, thunde...
Flash Flood — Jul 1, 2020
Slow-moving thunderstorms developed along an outflow boundary across West Tennessee, near the Tennessee River, and Northeast Mississippi during the early morning hours on July 1, 2020. Some locations picked up more than 8 inches of rain. Meanwhile, a mesoscale convective system that developed over Southeast Nebraska and Northwest Missouri earlier in the day raced southeast and moved through the...
Flood — Mar 1, 2018
Persistent moderate to heavy rain fell over already well saturated soils and caused additional flooding over parts of southwest Tennessee during the morning hours of March 1st.
Flash Flood — Mar 31, 2015
An upper level disturbance moved across the Mid-South during the afternoon and evening hours of March 31, 2015. The disturbance interacted with an unstable airmass and produced scattered to numerous thunderstorms across the Mid-South. A few severe storms produced large hail in West Tennessee while locally heavy rain produced a few areas of flash flooding as well.
Flash Flood — May 15, 2015
A warm front pushed through West Tennessee during the morning hours with moist and unstable air spreading over the region. An upper level disturbance moving through triggered numerous showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon hours on May 15, 2015. The first round of storms produced isolated damaging winds and flash flooding in McNairy County. Later that evening another upper level disturb...
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 McNairy 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 McNairy 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.