Tennessee, 1997

Flash Flooding in Tennessee, March 2 to 3, 1997

March 2 to 3, 1997 · NWS OHX · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

10 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$200,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Giles

When
March 2, 2:00 PM CST to March 3, 3:40 PM CST
Where
Giles County, Pulaski
Property damage
$100,000
Coordinates
35.202, -87.035 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

8 roads closed due to high water. Several roads were damaged. Hardest hit area was northwest to northeast of Pulaski.

Flash Flood, Bedford

When
March 2, 3:00 PM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Bedford County, Countywide
Coordinates
35.514, -86.459 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High water on several roads around the county.

Flash Flood, Maury

When
March 2, 3:00 PM CST to March 3, 3:15 PM CST
Where
Maury County, Countywide
Coordinates
35.617, -87.077 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several county roads covered with high water especially Hwy 129.

Flash Flood, Wayne

When
March 2, 3:00 PM CST to March 3, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Wayne County, 8 mi S of Waynesboro
Property damage
$100,000
Coordinates
35.240, -87.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

2 bridges were closed, 2 roads closed and one road washed out. 8 roads still covered with high water.7.25 inches of rain fell from Friday, February, 28, 1997 through Monday, March 3, 1997.

Flash Flood, Lawrence

When
March 2, 3:30 PM CST to March 3, 6:00 AM CST
Where
Lawrence County, Ethridge
Coordinates
35.217, -87.396 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several roads closed due to high water near Ethridge.

Flash Flood, Lincoln

When
March 2, 3:35 PM CST to March 3, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Lincoln County, Countywide
Coordinates
35.141, -86.589 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several county roads with high water.

Flash Flood, Marshall

When
March 2, 3:35 PM CST to March 3, 3:00 PM CST
Where
Marshall County, Countywide
Coordinates
35.469, -86.765 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several county roads with high water.

Flash Flood, Davidson

When
March 2, 5:00 PM CST to March 3, 3:00 AM CST
Where
Davidson County, Nashville
Coordinates
36.171, -86.777 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High water over roads in the southern part of the city.

Flash Flood, Rutherford

When
March 2, 5:00 PM CST to March 3, 3:20 PM CST
Where
Rutherford County, Countywide
Coordinates
35.843, -86.417 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

17 roads were covered with high water.

Flash Flood, Wilson

When
March 2, 5:00 PM CST to March 3, 2:00 AM CST
Where
Wilson County, Mt Juliet
Coordinates
36.155, -86.298 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Some minor flooding along U.S. Route 70.

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Tennessee in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, March 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5605142, 5605144, 5605147, 5605149, 5605141, 5605145, 5605146, 5605143, 5605148, 5605150.