Cumberland County

Every recorded tornado

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

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.

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 USGS Seismogenic Mass Movements (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. Feb 20, 2015Winter Storm, Cumberland$20.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Snow and sleet accumulations up to 0.5 fell during the late afternoon on February 20, followed by freezing rain with ice accumulations ranging from 0.75 to 1 on February 20 into the early morning hours on February 21. The ASOS at Crossville Memorial Airport measured 0.70 of ice accumulation along with a peak wind gust of 41 mph before being knocked offline. Emergency management reported thousands of trees, power lines and power poles snapped and knocked down throughout the county, with some trees falling on homes and many roadways blocked. Power was out to 22,000 customers in the first few days after the ice storm, with most of the county seeing power outages for up to 2 weeks and…

2. Apr 7, 2006Tornado$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   6 homes were destroyed (2 were mobile homes). 6 other homes with 50% of the structure damaged and a total of 181 homes damaged. There was $3.2 million estimate for just homes. This estimate did not include out-buildings or vehicles. Final debris estimates on clean-up have reached over $200,000.Final estimate will approach $4 million in damage.

3. Mar 29, 2020Thunderstorm Wind$3.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The massive, severe macroburst that struck White County moved into Cumberland County near Pleasant Hill and continued northeast for another 27 miles to the Morgan County border. Within the 5 miles wide macroburst, severe wind damage struck Pleasant Hill, Baker Crossroads, Crossville, and Fairfield Glade. Hundreds of trees were blown down with some falling into and through homes, including on Glade Creek Road and Deck Road in Pleasant Hill. Several homes suffered roof, gutter and siding damage on Carter Town Road, Norman Drive, Eureka Drive, Creston Road, and Bristow Road in the Baker Crossroads area, as well as the Charleston Plantation apartments in Crossville. A warehouse…

4. Nov 15, 2023Wildfire, Cumberland$2.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Very dry conditions combined with breezy conditions allowed for a brush fire near Crossville to quickly grow. The brush fire began late in the morning on Renegade Mountain, and two nearby homes became engulfed in flames. Approximately twenty people along Moytoy Road were evacuated as multiple structures were endangered. About an hour after the brush fire began, it jumped a fire break line and headed towards Godsey Knob, prompting another evacuation of residents in this area. The fire was finally contained late in the afternoon after burning approximately 200 to 250 acres. Two homes were lost in the fire. Damages are a rough estimate.

5. May 19, 2013Flash Flood$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   The emergency manager of Cumberland County reported flash flooding across the entire county. There were multiple road closures as well as two homes inundated by six to eight inches of flood waters in downtown Crossville resulting in evacuations. Additionally, WATE Channel 6 in Knoxville reported at least five vehicles stalled due to flooding with one such stalled vehicle resulting in a rescue of an elderly woman trapped in her vehicle. Much of the flood damage occurred in the city of Crossville.

6. Feb 29, 2012Tornado$1.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   An EF2 tornado with maximum wind speeds around 125 mph touched down along Castro-Pugh Road just north of Plateau Road in northern Cumberland County. Intermittent damage continued to the east-northeast for approximately 1 mile before the damage became continuous along Clear Creek Road. Hundreds of trees were uprooted and snapped and a home suffered roof damage in this area.||The tornado continued east-northeast and reached EF2 intensity in the Rinnie community along Highway 127. A brick home slid off its foundation and was completely destroyed, killing one woman, and another nearby home lost its entire roof. A double wide mobile home along Hollow Road was also completely destroyed,…

7. Jul 2, 2015Flash Flood$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Major flash flooding affected much of Cumberland County from the evening hours on July 2 into the morning hours on July 3. Numerous roads throughout the county were flooded and closed, including Southwood Drive at Lantana Road, Cow Pen Road at Mayland Road, East Cove Road, Cumberland Cove at Highway 70, Bud Tanner Road, Old Claysville Road, White Horse Road at Crazy Horse Road, and Old Flynn's Cove Road.|Some roads were washed away and destroyed, including George Branch Drive at Dripping Springs Road. One 31 year old man drove into a 30 foot ravine that was caused by a washed out culvert on George Branch Drive and was killed. A CoCoRaHS observer 4.3 miles S of Monterey measured…

8. Nov 10, 2002Tornado$500,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   An F3 tornado struck the Lake Tansi area and the southern sections of Crossville Sunday night, killing 4 people and injuring 18. 33 homes and mobile were destroyed and 128 homes and mobile homes were damaged. There was damage to one public building. The heaviest damage was along Lantana Drive, Dunbar Road, and Pigeon Ridge Road. 5 homes were damaged on U.S. Highway 127 and just south of Three Creek Road. One well built home lost an entire roof and several walls. The couple, their 3 children, and a guest, huddled under a mattress in the hallway. 50 acres of hardwoods were twisted and tangled. 100-year-old oak trees were snapped like wheat straws.Mobile homes on the Ballyhoo…

9. Mar 3, 2023High Wind, Cumberland$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds led to numerous damage reports of downed trees and limbs, downed powerlines, and roof damage. A NWS employee reported that a fallen large tree created a traffic jam along Interstate 40 from Crossville to Ozone. Damages are estimated.

10. May 20, 2025Tornado$250,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    An EF-1 tornado touched down along Vandever Road near New Era, causing timber damage and minor structural damage to homes. As the tornado moved east-northeast, more substantial timber damage was noted along with two homes that had roof removal. The tornado continued to produce timber and powerline damage along Rhea Road until it lifted near the intersection of Rhea Road and Old State Highway 28. Damages are a rough estimate.

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

102°FJun 29, 2012

All-time low

−21°F2 times, most recently Jan 21, 1985

Warmest night

77°F3 times, most recently Aug 11, 2010

Coldest day

5°F3 times, most recently Dec 22, 1989

Wettest day

6.29 inMay 27, 1973

Snowiest day

18.0 inMar 13, 1993

Hottest year

2012mean 58.4°F

Coldest year

1958mean 53.0°F

Wettest year

202075.32 in

Driest year

196838.49 in

Snowiest season

60.8 in1959-60

Station Crossville Mem Airport (USW00003847), 1,865 ft elevation, 3.6 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1954 to October 26, 2026; 99.7% 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 USW00003847.
• 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.