White County

Every recorded tornado

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

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.

More event types since 1996

Costliest events since 1996

1. Feb 20, 2015Winter Storm, White$5.0 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 0.25 in western parts of White County up to 1 in eastern areas from the evening on February 20 into the early morning hours on February 21. A CoCoRaHS observer 8.6 miles NW of Sparta measured 0.3 of snow and 0.5 of ice. Emergency management reported hundreds of trees, power lines and power poles knocked down across the county, mainly in eastern areas, with many roadways blocked. Power outages affected some areas for up to 2 weeks. White County was declared a Presidential disaster area on April 2, 2015.

2. Mar 29, 2020Thunderstorm Wind$4.0 million
   National Weather Service narrative

   A massive, severe 22 miles long by 5 miles wide macroburst moved across White County from the DeKalb County border 4 miles northwest of Walling to the Cumberland County border 4 miles west-southwest of Pleasant Hill. Significant and severe wind damage affected areas in and around Mt. Pisgah, Doyle, Mt. Gilead, Sparta, Bear Cove, Bon Air Mountain, De Rossett, and Ravenscroft, including on Petit Cove Road, Franks Ferry Road, Hensley Chapel Road, Thomas Street, Norene Road, Mt. Gilead Church Road, McMinnville Highway, Crawford Circle, Highway 111, Iris Drive, Brogden Road, Hickory Valley Road, Skyline Drive, Red Bud Trail, Baker Mountain Road, and Ravenscroft Road. With the large…

3. Mar 23, 2011Tornado$350,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Damage began near the intersection of Indian Mound Road and Old Smithville Highway. Hundreds of trees were uprooted or snapped along a nearly continuous 9 mile path. Three homes had complete roof loss and a mobile home was completely destroyed with debris scattered over a large area. Around a dozen barns and outbuildings were destroyed. The last evidence of damage was just southwest of downtown Sparta on Iris Drive. Maximum wind speeds associated with this tornado were estimated to be around 115 mph.

4. Mar 3, 2023High Wind, White$300,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Several hours of severe non-thunderstorm winds led to numerous reports of downed and uprooted trees, downed powerlines, and roof and property damage across all of White County. Damages are estimated.

5. Feb 29, 2012Tornado$200,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   The EF1 tornado with maximum wind speeds around 95 mph moved out of DeKalb County into White County near Twilight Lane. A mobile home was damaged and a church steeple was blown off along Browntown Road near Wildcat Road, and two nearby outbuildings suffered roof damage. The roof of a barn was blown off southwest of the Browntown Road and Austin Road intersection, with debris blown for nearly one quarter mile across fields. A nearby home suffered minor roof damage. The tornado lifted just prior to reaching Austin Road.

6. Mar 15, 2025Thunderstorm Wind$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Substantial wind damage was noted to a grove of trees near the Horseshoe Bend Marina. All trees were blown to the northeast. At the marina itself, an awning covering the dock was blown off, collapsing on some boats. Winds were up to 75 mph, a determination mainly made from the tree damage. Damages are a rough estimate.

7. Jul 2, 2015Flash Flood$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Major flash flooding affected much of northern and eastern White County from the evening hours on July 2 into the morning hours on July 3. Numerous roads were impassable and closed due to high water, mainly north and east of Sparta, including Highway 84 at River Bend Road, Mack Floyd Road, Milligan Road, Flat Rock Road, Blue Springs Road, Frank Sims, and Deer Run. One water rescue was performed by emergency personnel for a man stranded in a vehicle in high water at Cherry Creek Road and Dyer Cove Road. A CoCoRaHS observer 10.2 miles NNW of Sparta measured 7.45 inches of rain over the 24 hour period ending at 8:24am on July 3.

8. Mar 29, 2020Tornado$100,000
   National Weather Service narrative

   Embedded within the large macroburst that struck White County, an EF-0 tornado touched down near the Sparta Golf and Country Club on Baker Montain Road and moved northeast onto Bon Air Mountain, ending near Highway 70 at Eastland Road. Damage along the nearly 7 mile track showed a convergent pattern, with numerous large trees snapped and uprooted on Baker Mountain Road and Highway 70. Several farm barns and outbuildings were destroyed on Corolla Road, and a few homes had roof damage. Trees continued to be blown down along Highway 70 before the tornado lifted just before reaching the DeRossett community. Maximum winds in the tornado were estimated to be 85 mph.

9. May 3, 2020Thunderstorm Wind$99,000
   National Weather Service narrative

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

10. Apr 1, 2023Thunderstorm Wind$90,000
    National Weather Service narrative

    Severe thunderstorm winds downed several power lines, utility poles, and trees near Milk Plant Road. Numerous other trees were reportedly downed across western and northern White County. Damages are estimated.

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

108°FJun 30, 2012

All-time low

−20°FFeb 5, 1996

Warmest night

78°FJul 21, 1983

Coldest day

4°FDec 24, 2022

Wettest day

6.10 inJul 24, 1957

Snowiest day

10.0 in2 times, most recently Feb 19, 1960

Hottest year

2007mean 61.0°F

Coldest year

1968mean 54.6°F

Wettest year

201879.24 in

Driest year

200734.29 in

Snowiest season

21.3 in1995-96

Station Sparta Wwtp (USC00408522), 905 ft elevation, 2.5 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1961 to October 23, 2026; 97.8% 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 USC00408522.
• 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.