Walker County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Walker County: 1.
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.

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.

Mapped landslides

Mapped by NASA (1).

1. Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.

USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Sep 21, 2009Flood$5.8 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Emergency Management personnel from Walker county reported that extensive flooding continued across the county and had expanded into southern portions as well. Significant flooding was ongoing in the Rossville, Fort Oglethorpe, and LaFayette areas. At least 20 roads were closed because of flooding. Dozens of homes were flooded and suffered significant damage. Additional monetary damage in the county from flooding during this time frame were estimated to be near $6 million.

2. Apr 27, 2011Tornado$5.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This tornado is a continuation of the EF3 tornado that originated in DeKalb county, Alabama, tracked across central Dade county, Georgia, and then across northern Walker county, Georgia before lifting just before reaching the Tennessee line. The tornado weakened to an EF2 strength before entering Walker county, and continued as an EF2 to EF1 across much of its path within Walker county. The tornado crossed into Walker county approximately five miles west-southwest of Chattanooga Valley and lifted just west of Fort Oglethorpe near the intersection of U.S. Highway 27 and Georgia Highway 2. Thousands of trees and dozens of power lines were taken down by the tornado. Dozens of homes…

3. Sep 21, 2009Flood$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Walker 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 damage from flooding continued to mount, with damages exceeding $1 million 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.

4. Sep 20, 2009Flash Flood$1.2 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Walker county emergency management personnel reported that significant flooding impacted parts of Walker county for the second time within a 12-hour period as repeated rounds of thunderstorms and heavy rain tracked across the area from southwest to northeast. Many roads, homes, and apartments were flooded and sustained significant damage during this time frame. The worst flooding occurred in the Chickamauga and Rossville area and from LaFayette to Mt. Carmel. Many roads were closed and impassable. Schools in much of the county were closed for at least two days. Monetary damage to roads, homes, and apartments during this time frame was estimated to be in excess of $1 million.

5. Jan 22, 2000Ice Storm, Walker$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…

6. Sep 21, 2009Flood$540,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Walker county emergency management personnel reported that several roads were under water across the county as a result of flooded creeks and streams. The most significant flooding was observed in the Forth Oglethorpe and Rossville area, where several homes and businesses remained flooded from earlier flash flooding and continued flooding. Monetary damage during this time period to roads and property was estimated to exceed $500,000.

7. Jun 11, 2003Thunderstorm Wind$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Walker County Messenger reported that literally dozens of trees were down on power lines and roads around the county. The Rossville area was probably the hardest hit. Seven homes were severely damaged when large trees fell on the structures, while at least 27 calls were received by the Walker county Fire and Rescue Department to remove trees blocking roads. Several hundred residents of the county were left without power for several hours during the event.

8. Oct 5, 2016Wildfire, Walker$378,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The Strawberry fire consumed 477 acres of state, federal and private land in Walker County. This human caused wildfire started on October 5th and was not declared contained until the 17th of the month. Over $370,000 federal dollars were spent fighting this wildfire.

9. Oct 6, 2014Hail$355,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The public reported quarter to golf ball-sized hail in LaFayette.

10. Sep 16, 2004Flash Flood$300,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    The Walker County Messenger and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency reported extensive and widespread flooding across much of the county. Several homes in Rossville were flooded and several homes in the Rock Creek Community in the north part of the county had to be evacuated because of flood waters. Several propane tanks were observed to be floating in flood waters. All together, 37 roads in the county were flooded and rendered impassable. Several vehicles were abandoned on streets and left submerged in the flood waters.

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, 14.5 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.
• Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
• 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.