Heavy Rain in Tennessee
Every heavy rain event the National Weather Service has filed in Tennessee, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
The most significant on the map
The most significant heavy rain episodes in Tennessee.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 190
- Deaths
- 6
- Injuries
- 6
- Damage
- $363,000
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, August 21, 2021The deadliest flash flood to ever affect Middle Tennessee, and one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the state, struck the region on Saturday, August 21, 2021.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Tennessee, March 27 to 28, 2021An historic flash flooding event affected the central third of Middle Tennessee from the early morning hours on March 27 through the day into the early morning hours on March 28.
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Tennessee, August 12, 2025A weak upper low helped advect near record moisture into Tennessee, where a boundary and classic heavy rain profiles combined to produce extreme rainfall rates over portions of Chattanooga, leading to numerous water rescues, a few evacuations, flooded interstate and local roads,…
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Tennessee, June 4 to 5, 2014A weak cold front moving southward out of Kentucky spawned numerous showers and thunderstorms throughout Middle Tennessee from the late evening hours on June 4 and continuing throughout the day on June 5. Many reports of damaging winds were received with these storms.
- Tornadoes and Hail in Tennessee, April 11, 2008There were six confirmed tornadoes on April 11, 2008. Large hail and straight line winds were also reported.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, February 6 to 7, 2019Heavy rain and thunderstorms produced 2 tornadoes and widespread flash flooding across Middle Tennessee from the afternoon of February 6 through the early morning hours on February 7.
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, October 21, 2019A cold front moved through during the early morning of October 21st and interacted with an unstable airmass in place over the Delta region. A line of showers and thunderstorms developed along the front.
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Tennessee, July 6 to 7, 2016A major severe thunderstorm and flash flood event affected Middle Tennessee from Wednesday, July 6 into Thursday, July 7.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, October 6, 2021Scattered showers and thunderstorms developed in the afternoon hours on October 6th and lasted well into the evening hours. Multiple reports of damaging winds, flash flooding, some hail, and even a tornado were received.
- Tornadoes and Flood in Tennessee, February 24, 2011A strong storm system moved across Middle Tennessee during the evening hours on Thursday, February 24th. This system produced several severe thunderstorms, resulting in mainly tornadic and straight line wind damage events across several counties in the mid state.
- Hail and Lightning Strike in Tennessee, March 12, 2010As an upper level low pressure system approached Middle Tennessee, and a surface low pressure system developed in northeast Louisiana, a warm, moist, and unstable airmass was ushered across the Cumberland Plateua Region of the mid state, resulting in a severe thunderstorm…
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Tennessee, May 10 to 11, 2016The largest severe weather event of Spring 2016 across Middle Tennessee affected areas mainly north of I-40 from the late evening hours on May 10 into the morning hours on May 11.
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, August 7 to 9, 2013A localized but major flash flood struck the northern Nashville metro area in the early morning hours of August 8.
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, January 10, 2008Squall line type thunderstorms, with some bow echoes, occurred on January, 10. Isolated supercells spawned a tornado in Wayne County.
- Damaging Wind and Heavy Rain in Tennessee, July 4, 2018A westward moving upper level disturbance generated a severe thunderstorm capable of damaging winds in an unstable airmass during the evening hours of July 4th across west Tennessee.
- Hail and Heavy Rain in Tennessee, April 17, 2002Public reported dime size hail.
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, May 1, 2009A large area of showers and thunderstorms covered most of Middle Tennessee during the early afternoon through the mid evening hours as a strong cold front moved from the Ohio Valley into Middle Tennessee, resulting in two EF1 Tornadoes, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, large…
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, February 16, 2023A warm front lifted north of the area and warm, moist, and unstable air flowed into the Mid-South during the morning hours of February 16, 2023.
- Tornado and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, October 9, 2009A line of showers and thunderstorms, supported by strong winds aloft and a surface cold front, moved through Middle Tennessee across the mid state on Friday, October 9th.
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Tennessee, June 7, 2019A slow moving front provided the focus for training storms capable of very high hourly rainfall rates over southwest Tennessee during the morning hours of June 7th.
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Tennessee, September 13, 2020A stationary frontal boundary stalled across the central portions of Middle Tennessee from Saturday, September 12, 2020 into Sunday, September 13, 2020.
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Tennessee, July 12, 2010An area of showers and thunderstorms formed in a moisture rich airmass across Middle Tennessee ahead of an approaching frontal system during the evening hours on Monday, July 12th.
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Rain in Tennessee, September 1 to 2, 2017One week after Hurricane Harvey made landfall along the middle Texas coast, a weakened but still intense Tropical Depression Harvey moved across Middle Tennessee from Thursday August 31, 2017 into Friday September 1, 2017.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Tennessee, November 6 to 7, 2017A cold front moved across Middle Tennessee during the day on Monday, November 6, stalling across far northern Alabama in the evening before lifting slowly back northward overnight into Tuesday, November 7.
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, March 25, 2010As an area of showers and thunderstorms moved across Middle Tennessee, in association with a surface/upper air low pressure system moving across the area also, weather developed during the mid to late afternoon hours across several counties in the mid state that resulted in…
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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.