Tennessee, 1998

Flooding in Tennessee, January 7, 1998

January 7, 1998 · NWS MRX · 11 events in 11 counties and zones

Heavy rain fell over the Cumberland Plateau and southeast Tennessee causing creeks and streams to rise above bankfull. Many roads, intersections and low spots were partially covered with water.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
11

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MRX wrote it up.

Heavy rain fell over the Cumberland Plateau and southeast Tennessee causing creeks and streams to rise above bankfull. Many roads, intersections and low spots were partially covered with water. A few roads were closed due to high water.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Bradley

When
January 7, 9:30 AM EST to 1:15 PM EST
Where
Bradley County, Countywide
Coordinates
35.154, -84.860 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Campbell

When
January 7, 9:30 AM EST to 1:15 PM EST
Where
Campbell County, Countywide
Coordinates
36.404, -84.149 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Cumberland

When
January 7, 8:30 AM CST to 12:15 PM CST
Where
Cumberland County, Countywide
Coordinates
35.950, -84.998 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Fentress

When
January 7, 8:30 AM CST to 12:15 PM CST
Where
Fentress County, Countywide
Coordinates
36.381, -84.932 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Hamilton

When
January 7, 9:30 AM EST to 1:15 PM EST
Where
Hamilton County, Countywide
Coordinates
35.181, -85.165 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, McMinn

When
January 7, 9:30 AM EST to 1:15 PM EST
Where
McMinn County, Countywide
Coordinates
35.425, -84.617 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Meigs

When
January 7, 9:30 AM EST to 1:15 PM EST
Where
Meigs County, Countywide
Coordinates
35.513, -84.813 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Morgan

When
January 7, 9:30 AM EST to 1:15 PM EST
Where
Morgan County, Countywide
Coordinates
36.135, -84.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Rhea

When
January 7, 9:30 AM EST to 1:15 PM EST
Where
Rhea County, Countywide
Coordinates
35.609, -84.924 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Roane

When
January 7, 9:30 AM EST to 1:15 PM EST
Where
Roane County, Countywide
Coordinates
35.848, -84.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Scott

When
January 7, 9:30 AM EST to 1:15 PM EST
Where
Scott County, Countywide
Coordinates
36.429, -84.503 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Tennessee in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, January 1998

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5627150, 5627151, 5627152, 5627153, 5627154, 5627155, 5627156, 5627157, 5627158, 5627159, 5627160.