5 flood insurance claims·$53,377 paid·3 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 White 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 dominates the flood profile of White County, accounting for 21 of the 30 recorded flood events over the last 30 years, alongside 9 general flood events. Recent severe weather has frequently driven these conditions, including a widespread severe weather event on May 8, 2024, and two lines of thunderstorms that produced heavy rain and flooding across Putnam and White counties on July 30, 2024.
National Flood Insurance Program records indicate that historical claims are split between moderate- and high-risk areas. Zone X properties recorded 3 claims with an average payout of $23,818 and an average recorded water depth of 50 inches. Zone A properties recorded 2 claims with an average payout of $5,741 and an average recorded water depth of 2 inches.
Homeowners, real estate agents, and journalists should pay the closest attention to properties located in mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas such as Zone A, as well as properties situated in low-to-moderate risk Zone X areas where localized heavy rainfall can produce significant standing water and property damage.
Summary written from NOAA storm reports and NFIP claims for this county. Not a prediction.
In flood insurance claims here that reported a flood depth, the average was 34 inches.
Drawn to scale against an 80-inch door. Even a few inches soaks flooring, the bottom of the drywall and anything plugged in near the floor.
Average of the depths reported on claims (zero and implausible values left out); FEMA’s record doesn’t say exactly where each depth was measured. Source: OpenFEMA NFIP claims.
The worst year was 2015, with 3 claims and $5,741 paid.
Bar height is scaled by square root so ordinary years stay visible next to the worst one. NFIP claims by year of loss. Source: OpenFEMA.
11 NOAA storm reports from White County describe what happened, in the words of the forecasters who covered it. Read the Tennessee flood stories →
18 federal disaster declarations since 1973, 3 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 Winter Storm And Flooding | Feb 15, 2015 |
| Hurricane Katrina Evacuation | Aug 29, 2005 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding | May 4, 2003 |
| Severe Storms, Tornadoes And Flooding | May 5, 1999 |
| Severe Winter Storm | Dec 23, 1998 |
Weather and water disasters only; most recent first. Source: OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations.
30 since 1996: 21 flash floods and 9 river or area floods.
| Event | Date | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Flash Flood | Jul 30, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 8, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | May 6, 2024 | — |
| Flash Flood | Jul 20, 2023 | $25,000 |
| Flood | Feb 16, 2023 | — |
| Flood | Feb 22, 2022 | — |
| Flood | Aug 10, 2022 | — |
| Flash Flood | Mar 27, 2021 | — |
— = no damage estimate in the record. Source: NOAA Storm Events Database.
Flash Flood · Jul 30, 2024. Two lines of thunderstorms moved through Middle Tennessee on July 30, 2024. One of these lines moved through the area during the afternoon while the second arrived late in the evening. Damaging winds were the primary threat with these thunderstorms with numerous reports of downed trees and power lines received. Heavy rain was also reported across the Cumberland Plateau with flooding occurring in portions of Putnam…
Flash Flood · May 8, 2024. A widespread severe weather event impacted Middle Tennessee beginning in the early morning hours of May 8, 2024, and continued through the early morning hours of May 9th. During this time frame, numerous rounds of severe weather moved through the area, causing widespread wind damage in nearly every county in Middle Tennessee, hail up to 3 inches in diameter, and four tornadoes. One of these tornadoes in Columbia p…
Flash Flood · May 6, 2024. A broken line of thunderstorm tracked eastward across Middle Tennessee on May 6, 2024. With plenty of instability and modest shear, these thunderstorms became strong to severe, especially across eastern Middle Tennessee. Several reports of wind damage and large hail up to two inches in diameter were received. Two tornadoes were also confirmed. One was an EF-0 near Lebanon, and the other was an EF-1 near Smithville.
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…
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 White 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.