Home › Tennessee › Wilson County

Wilson County, Tennessee

Natural disaster risk, federal disaster history and flood insurance facts.

Relatively Low overall risk
15th of 95highest risk in Tennessee
$60Mexpected losses a year
15federal declarations
1 in 83homes with flood insurance
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey, public domain

Wilson County, Tennessee has a relatively low overall risk from natural hazards in FEMA's National Risk Index. Its risk score is higher than 80% of US counties. It ranks 15th of 95 counties in Tennessee. The costliest hazards here are inland flooding, cold waves and tornadoes. FEMA estimates about $60 million a year in expected losses, or roughly $410 per resident. Since 1974 it has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events (11 major disasters). The most recent was in February 2026 (severe winter storm). About 1 in 83 homes here carry federal flood insurance (611 policies). Since 1978, federal flood insurance has paid about $11 million on 575 claims here, including $5.5 million for floods in 2010.

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025; OpenFEMA declarations to Nov 6, 2026; NFIP records. Updated November 6, 2026.

Top risks in Wilson County

$31.1 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about 3 times a year.
  • Check the FEMA flood map for your address, and ask the seller or landlord about past flooding.
  • Price a flood policy now. Most new federal policies take 30 days to start.

Cold wave

Moderate
$9.2 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once a year.
  • Insulate pipes in outside walls, crawl spaces and garages.
  • Know how to shut off the main water valve.

Tornado

Moderate
$7.9 million a yearExpected losses. Damaging events about once every 2 years.
  • Pick a shelter spot: a basement, or an inside room on the lowest floor with no windows.
  • Turn on emergency alerts on your phone and keep a weather radio.
HazardRatingScoreExpected loss a year
Inland floodingModerate82.1
$31M
Cold waveModerate89.1
$9M
TornadoModerate85.8
$8M
EarthquakeLow88.8
$6M
HailModerate82.0
$1M
Strong windModerate70.5
$1M
Heat waveLow62.0
$906K
LightningModerate74.7
$847K
Ice stormModerate80.9
$629K
Winter weatherHigh88.9
$545K
DroughtLow31.2
$41K
HurricaneVery Low38.5
$39K
WildfireVery Low37.3
$31K
LandslideVery Low29.5
$427

Scores are percentiles: a score of 90 means higher risk than about 90% of US counties for that hazard. Hazards FEMA does not rate here are left out. Social vulnerability is very low and community resilience is relatively high in FEMA's measures.

Federal disaster history

Recent disasters nationwide ›

Declarations by decade

Federal declarations for natural events that included Wilson County. 2020s bar runs to November 2026.

By type

Severe Storm7
Tornado4
Winter Storm2
Snowstorm1
Hurricane1

Most recent

Feb 6, 2026Severe Winter StormMajor disaster
Jan 24, 2026Severe Winter StormEmergency
Jun 19, 2025Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 2, 2025Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and FloodingEmergency
Jan 14, 2022Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and TornadoesMajor disaster
May 8, 2021Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 5, 2020Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and FloodingMajor disaster
May 4, 2010Severe Storms, Flooding, Straight-Line Winds, and TornadoesMajor disaster
Sep 5, 2005Hurricane Katrina EvacuationEmergency
May 8, 2003Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and FloodingMajor disaster
Show all 15
Apr 20, 1998Severe Storms, Tornadoes and FloodingMajor disaster
Feb 28, 1994Severe Winter Ice Storm,Flash FloodingMajor disaster
Mar 14, 1993Severe Snowfall, Winter StormEmergency
May 7, 1979Severe Storms, Tornadoes & FloodingMajor disaster
Apr 4, 1974TornadoesMajor disaster

Tennessee also had 1 statewide declarations that did not name single counties.

Storm history since 1955

Tornado risk by county ›

The National Weather Service has logged 896 storm reports in Wilson County since 1955, with 4 deaths and 81 injuries and about $474 million in reported damage. The strongest on record here was an EF3 tornado on March 3, 2020 near Mt Juliet.

46tornadoes
129hail reports, largest 3 inches
559damaging thunderstorm winds
106floods and flash floods

Strongest tornadoes

DateStrengthNearHurt / killed
Mar 3, 2020EF3Mt Juliet50 / 3
Apr 27, 1971F3–3 / 0
Apr 16, 1998F2Green Hill0 / 0
Apr 3, 1974F2–0 / 0
Jan 24, 1997F2Vine0 / 0

Most damaging storms

DateTypeNearDamage
Mar 3, 2020TornadoMt Juliet$409M
Aug 19, 2010Flash FloodMt Juliet$22M
Aug 8, 2013Flash FloodMt Juliet$10M
Aug 18, 2010FloodGreen Hill$5M
Apr 16, 1998TornadoGreen Hill$3M
Apr 3, 1974Tornado–$3M

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, county-based reports through Jul 21, 2026. Tornado records start in 1950, hail and wind in 1955, and floods and other storm types in 1996, so older decades undercount. Damage is in dollars of the year it happened and is often an estimate. Winter storms, heat and hurricanes are logged by forecast zone, not county, so they are not counted here.

Hurricanes and tropical storms

Hurricane risk by county ›

Since 1892, 0 hurricanes and 3 tropical storms have passed within 65 miles of the center of Wilson County, 2 of them since 1950. The strongest was Tropical Storm Frederic (1979), with top winds near 45 mph about 48 miles away.

0hurricanes
0major hurricanes (Category 3+)
3tropical storms
1979most recent: Frederic

Strongest storms nearby

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 14, 1979FredericTropical storm, 45 mph48 mi
Sep 13, 1892UnnamedTropical storm, 45 mph53 mi
Jun 28, 1957AudreyTropical storm, 40 mph47 mi

Most recent storms

DateStormStrengthClosest
Sep 14, 1979FredericTropical storm, 45 mph48 mi
Jun 28, 1957AudreyTropical storm, 40 mph47 mi
Sep 13, 1892UnnamedTropical storm, 45 mph53 mi

Source: NOAA National Hurricane Center best-track records (HURDAT2), 1851 to 2025 for the Atlantic and 1949 to 2025 for the eastern Pacific. A storm counts if its track passed within 65 miles of the county's center while it was a tropical storm or hurricane. Strength is the storm's top sustained wind at that point, not the wind measured in the county. Older storms over the open sea were sometimes missed.

Flood insurance in Wilson County

Check your address flood zone ›
1.2%of homes have federal flood insurance (611 policies)
35.8%of homes in mapped high-risk flood zones are insured
$11.1 millionpaid on 575 flood claims since 1978
2010costliest year, with $5.5 million paid

National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) records only; private flood policies are not included. Home counts as of Aug 3, 2026. Since 2021 NFIP prices each home separately under Risk Rating 2.0, so your price depends on the building, not the county. Ask an agent for a quote.

Homes in Wilson County

$428,000median home value (Tennessee $286,700, US $332,700)
2000median year homes were built (Tennessee 1987, US 1980)
24%of homes built before 1980, before many modern wind, quake and flood building rules
5.2%of homes are mobile homes, which are the least safe in tornadoes and high winds

Older homes and mobile homes usually suffer more damage in storms, floods and earthquakes, and can cost more to insure. If you are buying, ask about roof age, foundation bolting and any retrofits. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates; 63,031 housing units.

Compare in Tennessee

All 95 ›
Largest countiesOverall riskTop hazard
Shelby CountyHighEarthquake
Davidson CountyHighInland flooding
Knox CountyModerateInland flooding
Hamilton CountyModerateInland flooding
Rutherford CountyModerateInland flooding
Williamson CountyModerateInland flooding
Montgomery CountyModerateInland flooding
Sumner CountyModerateInland flooding

Neighboring counties

CountyOverall riskDeclarations
Davidson CountyHigh25
Rutherford CountyModerate15
Sumner CountyModerate20
DeKalb CountyVery Low18
Smith CountyVery Low20
Cannon CountyVery Low20
Trousdale CountyVery Low11

Cities in Wilson County

Common questions about Wilson County

What is the biggest natural hazard in Wilson County?

Inland flooding has the highest expected yearly losses in Wilson County, about $31.1 million a year in FEMA's estimate. Cold wave is second at $9.2 million.

How many federal disasters has Wilson County had?

Wilson County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations for natural events since 1974, including 11 major disasters. The most recent was Severe Winter Storm in February 2026.

Is Wilson County a high-risk place to live?

Its overall rating is Relatively Low, 15th highest of 95 in Tennessee. A county rating covers the whole area. Risk at one address can be much higher or lower, so check the FEMA flood map and ask about the home's history.

Do I need flood insurance in Wilson County?

Standard home insurance does not cover flooding. About 1 in 83 homes in Wilson County has federal flood insurance. Lenders require it in mapped high-risk zones, but many flood claims come from outside those zones.

How many tornadoes has Wilson County had?

NOAA records list 46 tornadoes in Wilson County since 1950. The strongest was an EF3 tornado on March 3, 2020 near Mt Juliet. The weather service has also logged 129 hail reports and 106 floods here.

How many hurricanes have hit Wilson County?

NOAA's hurricane records show 0 hurricanes and 3 tropical storms passing within 65 miles of the center of Wilson County. The strongest was Tropical Storm Frederic (1979), with winds near 45 mph.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025), OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, and NFIP policy and claims data. Hazard Compass is independent and not affiliated with FEMA. These figures describe the whole county, not a single property, and are not insurance or safety advice. Report a problem.