Enter any address in Sevier County, Tennessee to see its FEMA flood zone
Flash flooding from thunderstorms is the dominant flood character in Sevier County. Between 1996 and 2023, NOAA Storm Events data recorded 40 flash flood events and 34 flood events. For example, on July 9, 2025, heavy rainfall from thunderstorms caused flash floods in the area. Earlier that year, on September 27, 2025, slow-moving storms produced 3 to 5 inches of rain, leading to flooding reports.
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data shows a variety of flood zones with claims in Sevier County. Zone A has the highest number of claims at 188, with an average payout of $11,490 and an average water depth of 1.6 feet. Zone X_UNSHADED has the deepest average water depth at 7.5 feet, though with fewer claims. Homeowners in Zone A, and those in Zone X_UNSHADED, should pay particular attention to their flood risk.
Summary generated from NOAA storm narratives and NFIP claim data for this county. Not predictive.
23 NOAA storm reports from this county describe what happened, in the words of the meteorologists who were there.
Sevier County, Tennessee has recorded 74 flood-related events since 1996 according to NOAA's Storm Events Database, including 40 flash floods and 34 river or area floods. The county has received 23 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 (1972–2026)
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 |
| 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 |
| Chimney Top Fire | Fire | Nov 28, 2016 |
| Wildfires | Fire | Nov 28, 2016 |
| Severe Winter Storm And Flooding | Severe Ice Storm | Feb 15, 2015 |
NOAA Storm Events Database (1996–2025)
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database.
| Type | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flood | Sep 27, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 12, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 9, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Feb 6, 2025 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Sep 28, 2024 | 20.00K |
| Flash Flood | Jul 28, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 27, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 26, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flash Flood | Sep 25, 2024 | 0.00K |
| Flood | Jan 9, 2024 | 0.00K |
Flood — Sep 27, 2025
Numerous showers and thunderstorms developing during the morning of the 27th across eastern Tennessee, lasting into the early afternoon hours. The slow moving nature of these storms produced some rainfall totals in the 3 to 5 inch range for portions of Hawkins and Sevier counties, leading to some reports of flooding there.
Flash Flood — Jul 12, 2025
Diurnal showers and thunderstorms yielded a briefly severe storm in Campbell County.
Flash Flood — Jul 9, 2025
An upper level shortwave combined with an extremely humid atmosphere generated several thunderstorms that produced heavy rainfall yielding a few flash floods along with an isolated severe storm in East Tennessee.
Flash Flood — Feb 6, 2025
Warm front lifted north into Kentucky and severe thunderstorms, including discrete supercells, moved ahead of the cold front into East Tennessee, producing multiple hazards. Two tornadoes occurred in this event, an unusual occurrence for February in East Tennessee. The Morgan County tornado was the first confirmed February tornado in the county and the strongest February tornado in our area sin...
Flood — Sep 28, 2024
Tropical Storm Helene caps off a several day heavy rainfall event in association with a stalled closed upper low that drew a stream of tropical moisture into the area on the 25th and 26th. The arrival of Helene on the 27th yielded catastrophic flash flooding and river flooding, as well as significant wind damage as wet soils and strong wind gusts led to forest damage.
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 Sevier 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 Sevier 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.