Davidson County

Every recorded tornado

1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Davidson County: 7.
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.

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 (3).

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. May 1, 2010Flood$1.5 billion
   National Weather Service narrative

   At U.S. Highway 431 near the Robertson/Davidson County Line at Sycamore Creek, water was overflowing its banks, resulting in flooding of low lying areas. At least one home and farm was reported to be covered with flood waters. At the time of this report, U.S. Highway 431 was still open, although the water level near the base of the road and bridge was rising fast. No additional information was provided concerning any damage to the road or bridge. Also, flooding was reported along Charlotte Road just west of downtown Nashville by the public. Emergency Manager reported closing of Bluff Road due to water covering the road. Water was reported over Culbertson Road along Mill Creek near…

2. Mar 3, 2020Tornado$1.1 billion
   National Weather Service narrative

   An historic, long-track, strong EF-3 tornado began in western Davidson County then tracked eastward for over 60 miles through Wilson County into Smith County before lifting, causing 5 deaths and 220 injuries. This tornado touched down west of River Road Pike then moved eastward across Bells Bend, destroying a barn and blowing down numerous trees. The tornado strengthened significantly and widened to 0.65 miles wide as it crossed the Cumberland River into the John C. Tune Airport area, causing strong EF-2 damage to numerous planes, hangers, warehouses, and other buildings from Cockrill Bend Way to Briley Parkway. Around $200 million in damage was reported at John C. Tune Airport…

3. Apr 16, 1998Tornado$100 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This Nashville tornado on April 16, 1998 took a very similar path to another F3 tornado that occurred on March 14, 1933, which killed 11 people in Nashville. The tornado touched down at 330 PM one mile west of Charlotte Pike and I-440. A tree fell on an ROTC student at Centennial Park. He was attending an ROTC picnic. He died later on May 4 from his injuries. The tornado went through downtown Nashville at 340 PM and on toward East Nashville, Donelson and Hermitage. The tornado blew out many windows on office buildings. The Nations Bank Office Towers were one of the hardest hit buildings in Nashville. Tennessee Performance Arts Center (TPAC) and the Tennessee Towers sustained…

4. Aug 8, 2013Flash Flood$50.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   More than 100 homes and businesses were damaged and a couple homes destroyed by significant flash flooding across metro Nashville. There were dozens of water rescues across the city, including along Interstate 24 and Briley Parkway where several motorists had to be rescued. All told, Nashville OEM responded to over 200 calls for help from residents.

5. Mar 2, 2012Hail$25.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   On Friday, March 2nd, as a warm and moist surface based air mass occurred across Middle Tennessee in advance of a strong surface cold front, and a deep upper level trough moved closer to the mid state with strong winds aloft, a significant severe weather outbreak occurred across the mid state starting in the morning hours and lasting well into the evening hours. Multiple reports of large hail occurred across the area, with sizes ranging from penny to baseball size. Several locations reported thunderstorm wind damage. Two tornadoes, an EF1 and EF2 respectively, occurred across the mid state with some funnel clouds being reported also.

6. May 1, 2010Flash Flood$25.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Dozens of cars and trucks were trapped by flash flooding along Mill Creek near the Bell Rd. exit on I-24. A portable classroom trailer from a school half a mile away floated to the Interstate and was destroyed as it was sucked into a culvert. A 21 year old man was killed attempting to cross water in the Bell Rd. area.

7. Mar 27, 2021Flash Flood$20.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Major and historic flash flooding affected southern and eastern Davidson County, with the worst flooding affecting areas along and near Sevenmile Creek and Mill Creek in south Nashville. Hundreds of homes and businesses were flooded, numerous roadways were flooded and closed including I-24, I-40, and I-440, and over 130 water rescues were conducted from people stranded in flooded vehicles and homes. Homes and businesses that were flooded included a hotel at 95 Wallace Road near I-24 at Harding Place, the South Brooke Apartments on Linbar Drive, many homes around Edmondson Pike at Blackman Road, the Walmart on Nolensville Pike at Harding Place with vehicles in the parking lot…

8. Mar 3, 2023High Wind, Davidson$20.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds led to numerous reports of damage across all of Davidson County. The highest wind gust measured in the county was at a mesonet station west of Berry Hill with 66 mph. Nashville International Airport measured a peak wind gust of 64 mph while a mesonet station at Vanderbilt University measured a peak gust of 58 mph. Due to the high winds, Nashville International Airport was forced to issue a ground stop through much of the afternoon for all arriving aircraft. Numerous reports from various sources were received for downed or uprooted trees, downed powerlines, roof and other property damage, and power outages. Some of the worst damage…

9. Dec 9, 2023Tornado$10.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   This strong EF-2 tornado touched down just to the east of I-24 on Brick Church Lane in Davidson County. There were a few trees down and shingle damage to several homes in this area. The tornado strengthened in the Madison area causing EF-2 damage with winds up to 120-125 mph. The heaviest damage was confined to two areas, off of East Campbell Road as well as Nesbitt Lane. Multiple mobile homes were destroyed on Nesbitt Lane, and this is where three fatalities occurred. Multiple single family homes and a church off of East Campbell Road were missing large sections of their roofs with some exterior walls collapsed. Several metal power poles in the area were bent as well. Nearby, an…

10. Apr 7, 2006Tornado$10.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    The tornado destroyed many residential homes in Goodlettsville. Significant damage was done to the Metro Baptist Church with part of the roof blown off and front of church blown away. This tornado destroyed 25 homes, 13 homes or businesses with major damage and 31 with moderate damage/.

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

109°FJun 29, 2012

All-time low

−17°FJan 21, 1985

Warmest night

85°FJul 14, 1954

Coldest day

3°FDec 22, 1989

Wettest day

7.25 inMay 2, 2010

Snowiest day

8.2 inMar 22, 1968

Hottest year

2024mean 63.7°F

Coldest year

1968mean 57.4°F

Wettest year

197970.12 in

Driest year

198730.23 in

Snowiest season

38.5 in1959-60

Station Nashville International Airport (USW00013897), 587 ft elevation, 3.7 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1948 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 USW00013897.
• 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.