Trousdale County

Population 12,623 (2025) 114 sq mi

Trousdale County has recorded 14 tornadoes since 1950, 53rd most of 95 counties in Tennessee; the most recent was on December 9, 2023.

Hazard fingerprint for Trousdale County Tornado: 98th percentile. Tropical: 20th percentile. Wildfire: 0th percentile. Flood: 78th percentile. Hail & wind: 84th percentile. Heat: 0th percentile. Cold: 3th percentile. Winter: 17th percentile. TORTROPFIREFLOODSEVEREHEATCOLDWINTER

Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed

2026
  • Tornado damage paths since 195014
  • Tropical cyclone tracks within 100 miles since 1851, wider where stronger4

At a glance

The record for Trousdale County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.

Tornadoes since 1950

14

53rd of 95 in Tennessee

About as many as the typical Tennessee county

Details

Flood insurance claims

26

59th of 95 in Tennessee

$273,000 paid since 1997

Details

Tropical cyclones within 50 mi

4

7th of 95 in Tennessee

None at hurricane strength since 1851

Details

Strongest tornado

EF3

February 5, 2008, 50.3 mile path

Strongest tropical cyclone

TS

Tropical storm (unnamed), 1888, 49.7 miles away

Federal disaster declarations

13

Most recent: Severe Winter Storm, 2026

Details

Record high

111°F

August 8, 1930

Details

Record low

−17°F

January 21, 1985

Details

Tornadoes

About one every 5.4 years since 1950, 2 of them rated F3/EF3 or stronger.

Strongest

February 5, 2008

EF3, 50.3 mile path

880 yards wide; 22 killed along the whole path.

Most recent

Saturday, December 9, 2023

EF2, 34.8 mile path

3 years ago.

Tornadoes by decade Doppler radar era² 1950s: 0 1960s: 2 2 1970s: 1 1 1980s: 0 1990s: 1 1 2000s: 2 2 2010s: 3 3 2020s: 5 5 1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s2010s2020s
Recorded tornadoes per decade. The 2020s are incomplete.
Tornadoes by month J: 2 F: 1 M: 1 A: 2 M: 4 4 J: 1 J: 0 A: 0 S: 0 O: 0 N: 1 D: 2 JFMAMJJASOND
By month of occurrence, all years.

Every recorded tornado

Tornadoes in Trousdale County since 1950
Dec 9, 2023EF234.8400223
Mar 31, 2023EF16.212500
Dec 6, 2021EF04.810000
May 4, 2021EF03.35000
May 4, 2021EF05.020000
Nov 18, 2017EF06.912500
Jan 30, 2013EF110.015000
Jan 30, 2013EF05.85000
Feb 5, 2008EF350.38806322
May 24, 2000F14.02000
Apr 16, 1998F342.1880601
Apr 3, 1974F215.830000
May 7, 1967F24.120000
Jun 16, 1966F10.11000
  1. Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Trousdale County: 2.
  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.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

4 passed within 50 miles since 1851; none at hurricane strength.

Strongest within 50 miles

August 21, 1888

Unnamed storm, Tropical storm

49.7 miles at closest approach, winds near 55 mph.

Most recent

September 14, 1979

Frederic, Tropical storm

24.2 miles at closest approach.

Tropical cyclones within 50 miles by decade 50s: 0 60s: 0 70s: 0 80s: 1 1 90s: 1 00s: 0 10s: 0 20s: 0 30s: 0 40s: 0 50s: 1 60s: 0 70s: 1 80s: 0 90s: 0 00s: 0 10s: 0 20s: 0 50s60s70s80s90s00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s00s10s20s
Storms within 50 miles, by decade. Records before about 1900 miss storms that never reached land or ships.

Every storm within 100 miles

Tropical cyclones within 100 miles
Frederic197924.2Tropical storm44Category 4
Audrey19575.1Tropical storm40Category 3
Unnamed191539.7Post-tropical40Category 4
Unnamed189221.7Tropical storm45Tropical storm
Unnamed188849.7Tropical storm55Category 3
  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.

Wildfire and smoke

No large wildfire has been mapped here since satellite mapping began in 1984.

Smoke overhead

Smokiest year

2023: 54 days

Heavy smoke on 6 days in 2023, the most of any year.

Last 10 years

13.0 days a year

Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.

2025

10 days

Medium or heavy smoke. 29 so far in 2026.

Days with medium or heavy smoke overhead, by year 2011: 7 2012: 6 2013: 2 2014: 3 2015: 4 2016: 1 2017: 1 2018: 5 2019: 4 2020: 8 2021: 28 2022: 12 2023: 54 54 2024: 7 2025: 10 201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Days each year on which a satellite-traced plume of medium or heavy smoke covered the county’s population centre, 2011 to 2025.
  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.

Floods and flood insurance

26 federal flood insurance claims since 1997, with $273,000 paid.

Federal flood insurance claims by year 1998: 5 2010: 11 11 1998
Claims per year since 1997. Years with fewer than five claims are not shown.

Most claims in one year

2010: 11 claims

$164,000 paid.

2nd most

1998: 5 claims

$6,420 paid.

Claims by ZIP code

Flood insurance claims by ZIP code
3707417$192,000

Flood events since 1996

  • Flash Flood17
  • Flood3
  • Heavy Rain1

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.

Drought

In severe drought or worse for 106 of 1,581 months since 1895 (7%); the longest spell lasted 17 months.

106

Months in severe drought or worse since 1895

27

Months in extreme drought

7%

Share of all months, severe or worse

23

Drought reports to the Weather Service since 1996

Lowest reading

January 1931

−5.18, extreme drought

Longest severe spell

17 months

July 1930 to November 1931.

Latest month

September 2026

−2.47, moderate drought

Last severe month: June 2026.

Months in severe drought or worse, by year 1895: 0 1896: 0 1897: 0 1898: 0 1899: 1 1900: 1 1901: 0 1902: 0 1903: 0 1904: 1 1905: 4 1906: 0 1907: 0 1908: 0 1909: 0 1910: 0 1911: 0 1912: 0 1913: 1 1914: 8 1915: 1 1916: 0 1917: 0 1918: 0 1919: 0 1920: 0 1921: 0 1922: 0 1923: 0 1924: 0 1925: 2 1926: 1 1927: 0 1928: 0 1929: 0 1930: 6 1931: 11 11 1932: 0 1933: 0 1934: 0 1935: 0 1936: 4 1937: 0 1938: 0 1939: 2 1940: 3 1941: 6 1942: 2 1943: 0 1944: 0 1945: 0 1946: 0 1947: 0 1948: 0 1949: 0 1950: 0 1951: 0 1952: 1 1953: 3 1954: 11 1955: 1 1956: 1 1957: 0 1958: 0 1959: 0 1960: 0 1961: 0 1962: 0 1963: 0 1964: 0 1965: 0 1966: 0 1967: 0 1968: 0 1969: 0 1970: 0 1971: 0 1972: 0 1973: 0 1974: 0 1975: 0 1976: 0 1977: 0 1978: 0 1979: 0 1980: 1 1981: 4 1982: 0 1983: 0 1984: 0 1985: 0 1986: 0 1987: 0 1988: 3 1989: 0 1990: 0 1991: 0 1992: 0 1993: 0 1994: 0 1995: 0 1996: 0 1997: 0 1998: 1 1999: 1 2000: 4 2001: 0 2002: 0 2003: 0 2004: 0 2005: 0 2006: 0 2007: 10 2008: 4 2009: 2 2010: 0 2011: 0 2012: 1 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 0 2016: 0 2017: 0 2018: 0 2019: 0 2020: 0 2021: 0 2022: 0 2023: 0 2024: 0 2025: 0 18951905191519251935194519551965197519851995200520152025
Months each year with a Palmer index of −3 or lower, 1895 to 2025. Twelve means the whole year.
  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.

Earthquakes

3 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more within 50 miles since 1987; none reached magnitude 4.

0

Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973

0

Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973

0

Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900

0

Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900

Largest within 50 miles

July 7, 2001

Magnitude 2.6

7 km SE of Franklin, Tennessee; 41.8 miles away, 0.0 miles deep.

  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.

Severe weather and other events

179 events in the National Weather Service record, 171 of them since 1996.

9

Hail reports, 1 inch or larger

0

Hail, 2 inches or larger

64

Damaging gusts, 58 mph+

24

Winter weather events since 1996

0

Heat events since 1996

1

Cold events since 1996

Largest hail

April 19, 1999

1.75 inches

Strongest measured or estimated gust

May 5, 2003

92 mph

Costliest events since 1996

  1. May 11, 2016Flash Flood$2.0 million
    National Weather Service narrative

    Major flash flooding affected much of Trousdale County. Numerous primary and secondary roads were flooded and closed or even washed out, including Highway 141 North, Highway 25 West, Browning Branch Road, and Hancock Road. Numerous homes and businesses were flooded, including several homes around Highway 141 and Highway 25, and several buildings and a storage facility in downtown Hartsville. The Hartsville city park and Trousdale County High School football and baseball fields along with their concession stands and bathrooms in downtown Hartsville were destroyed by flooding from Goose Creek. At least 3 water rescues from vehicles and homes were conducted across Trousdale County.

  2. May 2, 2010Flood$250,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Numerous homes, numerous businesses, numerous non comercial buildings, along with several county, state, and federal roads across the county received damage due to the flood.

  3. Dec 9, 2023Tornado$200,000
    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…

  4. Mar 3, 2023High Wind, Trousdale$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds resulted in numerous damage reports, including downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and other property damage across all of Trousdale County. Damages are estimated.

  5. Jan 30, 2013Tornado$100,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    An EF1 tornado moved into far southern Trousdale County from northern Wilson County. The tornado moved across Highway 231 and caused significant roof damage to homes and destroyed some outbuildings. Numerous trees were also snapped or uprooted. The tornado then crossed the Cumberland River back into northern Wilson County.

  6. Apr 3, 1998Thunderstorm Wind$50,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    News article states strong winds damaged barns, downed trees and power lines from Templow to Willard. The Friendship Baptist Church had roof damage. There was also damage to a store building at Templow.

  7. Feb 16, 2015Winter Storm, Trousdale$50,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Precipitation totals across Trousdale County ranged from 1 to 2 of combined ice, sleet and snow. A retired NWS employee 1 mile north of Hartsville reported 0.3 inches of sleet with an unknown amount of ice and snow. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down across the county, and many roads and schools were closed.

  8. May 5, 2003Thunderstorm Wind$50,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    News article about a barn destroyed on Rankin Road off U.S. Highway 231 south. A mobile home had a damaged room and another mobile home had its roof torn off. A 4X4 stud was thrust into a bedroom wall of a mobile home. A metal outbuilding was damaged. Trees were blown down in a 100-foot wide swath.

  9. Mar 31, 2023Tornado$50,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    A tornado touched down about 100 yards southwest of Pumpkin Branch Road in Trousdale County. Damages found before the tornado tracked northeast into Macon County were primarily snapped and uprooted trees. Damages are estimated for Trousdale County.

  10. May 3, 2020Thunderstorm Wind$30,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across Trousdale County.

  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.

Weather records

From Carthage, 15.1 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1890.

All-time high
111°FAug 8, 1930
All-time low
−17°FJan 21, 1985
Warmest night
88°FJul 26, 1893
Coldest day
−1°F2 times, most recently Feb 13, 1899
Wettest day
8.35 inAug 3, 1893
Snowiest day
15.0 inFeb 25, 1894
Hottest year
1933mean 63.3°F
Coldest year
1969mean 56.0°F
Wettest year
199869.10 in
Driest year
200729.82 in
Snowiest season
20.5 in1966-67
Average monthly high and low temperature and precipitation, last 30 years, Carthage 32°F 48° 27° 4.6 Jan 53° 30° 5.0 Feb 62° 37° 4.6 Mar 71° 45° 4.3 Apr 79° 55° 4.8 May 86° 64° 4.8 Jun 89° 68° 5.1 Jul 88° 66° 3.7 Aug 84° 60° 3.2 Sep 73° 47° 2.7 Oct 62° 37° 3.4 Nov 52° 31° 4.5 Dec Precipitation, inches
Average daily high and low by month, and average monthly precipitation, over the last 30 years.
Days reaching 95°F per year 1981: 6 1982: 0 1984: 0 1985: 4 1986: 10 1987: 7 1988: 36 36 1989: 0 1990: 10 1991: 7 1993: 9 1996: 1 1997: 4 1998: 7 1999: 10 2000: 5 2001: 0 2002: 10 2003: 0 2004: 0 2005: 2 2006: 18 2007: 28 2008: 7 2009: 0 2010: 19 2011: 13 2012: 16 2013: 0 2014: 0 2015: 1 2016: 3 2017: 0 2018: 5 2019: 8 2020: 6 2021: 2 2022: 13 2023: 4 2024: 16 2025: 12 19811993200520152025
Days reaching 95°F each complete year, last 50 years. Thirty-year average: 7.0.
Snowfall by winter 1981: 4.0 in 1982: 0.0 in 1986: 1.0 in 1987: 8.0 in 1988: 7.5 in 1989: 0.0 in 1990: 0.0 in 1991: 0.0 in 1995: 15.3 in 1996: 4.0 in 1997: 2.9 in 1998: 1.7 in 1999: 0.0 in 2000: 0.0 in 2001: 1.0 in 2002: 5.5 in 2003: 1.0 in 2004: 0.5 in 2005: 2.3 in 2006: 0.7 in 2007: 0.7 in 2008: 0.8 in 2009: 7.5 in 2010: 0.0 in 2011: 0.0 in 2012: 0.1 in 2013: 0.4 in 2014: 7.0 in 2015: 9.0 in 2016: 1.0 in 2017: 1.0 in 2018: 0.0 in 2020: 2.1 in 2021: 16.1 in 16.1 2022: 2.5 in 2023: 4.0 in 2024: 6.0 in 2025: 6.0 in 1981199720072017
Total snowfall each winter (July to June), last 50 winters.

Median first snow

January 6

Earliest: November 1, 1954

Median last snow

February 9

Latest: April 3, 1951

11 of 60 winters had no measurable snow.

Station Carthage (USC00401480), 515 ft elevation, 15.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1890 to October 21, 2026; 97.2% 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.

Federal disaster declarations

13 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Winter Storm, February 6, 2026.

Federal disaster declarations
Feb 6, 2026Winter StormSevere Winter StormMajor disasterDR-4898-TN
Jan 24, 2026Winter StormSevere Winter StormEmergencyEM-3635-TN
Apr 2, 2025Severe StormSevere Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingEmergencyEM-3625-TN
Apr 2, 2020BiologicalCovid-19 PandemicMajor disasterDR-4514-TN
Mar 13, 2020BiologicalCovid-19EmergencyEM-3473-TN
May 4, 2010Severe StormSevere Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and TornadoesMajor disasterDR-1909-TN
Feb 7, 2008Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1745-TN
Sep 5, 2005HurricaneHurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergencyEM-3217-TN
May 8, 2003Severe StormSevere Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disasterDR-1464-TN
Feb 28, 1994Severe StormSevere Winter Ice Storm,Flash FloodingMajor disasterDR-1010-TN
Mar 14, 1993SnowstormSevere Snowfall, Winter StormEmergencyEM-3095-TN
Mar 22, 1975FloodSevere Storms & FloodingMajor disasterDR-459-TN
Apr 4, 1974TornadoTornadoesMajor disasterDR-424-TN

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.

How this compares

Where Trousdale County stands among 95 counties in Tennessee and 3,143 in the United States.

Ranks
Tornadoes since 19501453 / 951,935 / 3,143
Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger236 / 95866 / 3,143
Tropical cyclones within 50 mi47 / 951,001 / 3,143
Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi0——
Wildfire acres since 19840——
Flood insurance claims2659 / 951,951 / 3,143
Flood insurance paid$273,00070 / 952,010 / 3,143
Disaster declarations1394 / 952,537 / 3,143
Flood events since 19962186 / 952,459 / 3,143
Hail and wind events since 19969092 / 952,830 / 3,143
Winter storm events since 19962495 / 952,555 / 3,143
Reported damage since 1996$3.3 million85 / 952,578 / 3,143
River crests at major flood stage0——
High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years0.0——
Months in severe drought since 189510636 / 952,181 / 3,143
Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years13.030 / 952,009 / 3,143
Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 19000——
Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 19730——

Neighbouring counties

Neighbouring counties
Macon County134020
Smith County1630283
Sumner County4640706
Wilson County4530575

Sources and vintage

Every number on this page comes from these public records.

  • 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 USC00401480.
  • 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.