Catoosa County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Catoosa County: 8.
2. Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.

Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.

Every storm within 100 miles

1. Tropical storms and hurricanes (34 kt or more, still tropical) at closest approach. Post-tropical remnants with gale-force winds are listed but not counted. Direct: track within 50 miles; near: within 100 miles. Distance is measured to the county boundary for counties and to the city centre for cities, using positions interpolated hourly between HURDAT2 fixes.

National Hurricane Center HURDAT2, 1851 to 2025.

Every large fire

1. Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.

Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.

Smoke overhead

1. A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.

NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.

Claims by ZIP code

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.

River crests

River gauges

1. Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.

NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.

1. The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.

NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.

Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles

1. Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
2. Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Apr 27, 2011Tornado$25.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that an EF4 tornado, the first of this intensity to occur within the Peachtree City, Georgia county warning area (CWA), touched down in Catoosa county, just southwest of Ringgold along Davis Ridge Road. The tornado tracked across Interstate-75 at mile marker 348 then continued on into and through the city of Ringgold before tracking northeast toward Cohutta and then into Hamilton and eventually Bradley county, Tennessee. The tornado tracked nearly 12 miles through Catoosa county. Major devastation was observed throughout the north side of the city of Ringgold. The worst damage…

2. May 6, 2003Flash Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Catoosa county 911 center and the Catoosa County News of Ringgold reported that a number of roads in the county were flooded and had to be closed. All together the county Emergency Management Director reported that 29 roads were closed, some for two days. At least $100,000 dollars worth of damage was done to county roads, including four road collapses (Catlick Road, Rolling Hills Road, West Cloud Springs Road, and Lake Road) and three mud slides (Adkins Road, Potts Road, and Salem Valley Road). Several homes and businesses were also flooded Several apartments in Fort Oglethorpe had to be evacuated because of rising flood waters as Chickamauga Creek near Fort Oglethorpe and…

3. Sep 21, 2009Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Catoosa County Emergency Management Director reported that significant and widespread flooding continued across the county. Many homes, apartments, and businesses remained or became flooded during this period. The worst flooding was across the northern portion of the county, near Fort Oglethorpe. A number of creeks and streams remained above flood stage. Dozens of roads remained underwater, impassable, and closed. Additional monetary damage during this time frame was at least $1 million.

4. Jan 22, 2000Ice Storm, Catoosa$980,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Wintry precipitation plagued the northern third of Georgia beginning Saturday and continued into Sunday. A shallow cold airmass with single-digit dewpoint temperatures was in place over north Georgia, with temperatures in the upper 20s to lower 30s over much of the area. An upper level disturbance moved rapidly over the area in a fast zonal flow, bringing an increase in mid-tropospheric moisture. At the same time, lower level moisture spread into the area from the Gulf of Mexico. Precipitation began falling into the colder layer of air near the surface by mid-morning on the 22nd. The mixture of light rain, snow and sleet had spread from northwest to northeast Georgia by early…

5. Sep 20, 2009Flash Flood$340,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Catoosa county emergency management personnel reported that extensive flooding was observed across much of the county as repeated thunderstorms with heavy rain tracked across the area for several hours. Many roads became flooded and impassable and suffered considerable damage. A number of home and apartments were flooded, especially in the Fort Oglethorpe and Midway areas. Schools were closed for at least two days because of many impassable roads. Monetary property damage during this time frame was estimated to be $340,000.

6. Sep 21, 2009Flood$340,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Catoosa county emergency management personnel and USGS stream gages confirmed that major to record flooding continued across much of the county. Many homes, apartments, businesses, and roads sustained damage from flooding. Several roads were closed. Monetary damages from flooding continued to mount, with an additional $340,000 incurred during this time frame, nearly all of which occurred prior to 845 am EDT on the 22nd. Flood waters began to recede after 845 am EDT on the 22nd, but many locations remained flooded through 845 am EDT on the 23rd.

7. Oct 6, 2014Tornado$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A National Weather Service storm survey team found that an EF1 tornado touched down just north of Ringgold, GA. The tornado was on the ground between a quarter and a third of a mile, however dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted in the Calloway Farms subdivision. Seven homes sustained damage with one home uninhabitable. One home lost a section of its roof and an attic wall and another home had the garage doors blown out. [10/06/14: Tornado#1, County#1-1, EF1, Catoosa, 2014:010}.

8. Apr 12, 2020Tornado$250,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   A National Weather Service survey found that an EF1 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 110 mph and a maximum path width of 350 yards touched down on the south side of Fort Oglethorpe, near the Chickamauga Battlefield National Park Visitor Center, snapping several trees near the intersection of Post Road and Lafayette Road. The tornado strengthened quickly as it moved northeast and approached the industrial area of Fort Oglethorpe along Battlefield Parkway. Several businesses sustained structural damage, including a metal building structure along Howard Drive completely losing an exterior wall and part of its roof. It was in this area that a weather station at the Fort Oglethorpe…

9. Sep 21, 2009Flood$160,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Catoosa county emergency management personnel confirmed that extensive flooding continued across much of the county, especially the northern areas. The most significant flooding was observed in the northern portion of the county near Fort Oglethorpe. Several roads were under water because of flooded creeks and streams. Some property was damaged from flood waters. Monetary damage during this time frame was estimated to be in excess of $150,000.

10. Sep 20, 2009Flash Flood$160,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The Catoosa County Emergency Management Director reported flash flooding across the northern half of the county, especially in the Lakeview area. Two people had to be rescued by boat from their homes as creeks rapidly rose out of their banks in the area. Several apartments were flooded and sustained significant damage. A number of cars were submerged in flood waters as well. However, no injuries or deaths were reported from flash flooding in this county. Monetary damage was mostly in the form of flooded apartments, homes, and vehicles.

1. Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.

NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.

All-time high

107°F2 times, most recently Jul 1, 2012

All-time low

−13°FJan 26, 1940

Warmest night

81°FJul 11, 1980

Coldest day

12°FDec 12, 1962

Wettest day

9.49 inSep 5, 2011

Snowiest day

18.5 inMar 13, 1993

Hottest year

2024mean 64.6°F

Coldest year

1969mean 57.2°F

Wettest year

199473.70 in

Driest year

196835.09 in

Snowiest season

22.7 in1992-93

Station Chattanooga Airport (USW00013882), 669 ft elevation, 7.4 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1938 to October 26, 2026; 100.0% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.

NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.

This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).

OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.

Neighbouring counties

• Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
• Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
• Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
• Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
• Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
• Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USW00013882.
• River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
• Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
• Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.

Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.