Enter any address in Morgan County, Tennessee to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Morgan County. Over the past 30 years, NOAA Storm Events data shows 25 flash flood events and 13 flood events, with one tropical storm also recorded. Recent events include flash flooding on May 9, 2024, associated with severe thunderstorms, and flooding on March 16, 2025, linked to a strong upper trough and low-pressure system.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data indicates that properties in Zone A have experienced the most claims, with an average payout of $12,160 and an average water depth of 0.2 feet. While Zone X properties have had fewer claims with lower payouts and minimal reported water depth, one claim in an unknown zone reported a higher water depth of 1.0 foot. Homeowners in Zone A, as well as those in areas prone to flash flooding and river overflow, should pay the most attention to flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
6 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Morgan County, Tennessee has recorded 39 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 25 flash floods and 13 river or area floods. The county has received 21 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 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Tornadoes | Severe Storm | Mar 31, 2023 |
| Covid-19 | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Covid-19 Pandemic | Biological | Jan 20, 2020 |
| Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides | Flood | Feb 19, 2019 |
| Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, And Flooding | Severe Storm | May 27, 2017 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 15, 2015 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | Severe Storm | Feb 28, 2011 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Hurricane | Aug 29, 2005 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Mar 16, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | May 18, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | May 9, 2024 | 1.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 28, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Mar 27, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 10, 2021 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Feb 6, 2020 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jun 28, 2018 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Apr 23, 2017 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Apr 22, 2017 | 2.00K |
Flood — Mar 16, 2025
A strong upper trough and low pressure system helped generate a powerful low level jet of winds that led to both high wind reports and wind damage. However, potential energy in the atmosphere was lacking, with severe storms only generating a handful of damage reports and funnel clouds.
Flood — May 18, 2024
A weak but slow moving upper trough a severe thunderstorm that produced a few instances of damaging winds.
Flash Flood — May 9, 2024
A cutoff low over the North Plains, coupled with intense winds aloft and a cold front at the surface, helped spawn multiple rounds of severe thunderstorms that produced hail, flash flooding, and damaging winds to East Tennessee.
Flash Flood — Mar 28, 2021
Thunderstorms with large hail spread northward across East Tennessee during the early morning hours of March 27, reaching southwest Virginia by late morning. These storms were associated with a warm front, which later stalled across northeast Tennessee. This stalled front was the focus of additional thunderstorms that produced damaging wind gusts and flooding in the evening of March 27 and into...
Flash Flood — Mar 27, 2021
Thunderstorms with large hail spread northward across East Tennessee during the early morning hours of March 27, reaching southwest Virginia by late morning. These storms were associated with a warm front, which later stalled across northeast Tennessee. This stalled front was the focus of additional thunderstorms that produced damaging wind gusts and flooding in the evening of March 27 and into...
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 Morgan 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 Morgan 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.