Roane County, TN
FEMA National Risk Index scores, disaster declarations & hazard data
Roane County has experienced 24 federally declared disasters since 1973, most recently Severe Winter Storm in 2026. Its overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Roane County's highest-rated hazards are landslide, cold wave, and earthquake, with its top risk rated "Relatively Moderate" by FEMA's National Risk Index. NOAA records 31 storm events in the county over the past decade.
Past disasters & FEMA designations
A federal disaster declaration officially designates a county for FEMA disaster assistance. Roane County has been designated in 24 declarations since 1973, covering 7 disaster types including severe storm (12), flood (5), winter storm (2).
| Year | Type | Event name |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2026 | Winter Storm | Severe Winter Storm |
| 2025 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| 2023 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Tornado |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2019 | Flood | Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| 2017 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| 2015 | Severe Ice Storm | Severe Winter Storm And Flooding |
| 2014 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
Showing the 10 most recent of 24 total declarations since 1973.
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries. A single disaster can produce more than one record per county. Data current through September 2026.
Risk by hazard type
| Hazard | Risk rating | Risk score | Recorded events | Deaths | Prop. damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire | Very Low | 47.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Inland Flooding | Relatively Low | 69.9 | 16 | 0 | $10.5M |
| Coastal Flooding | Not Applicable | — | 0 | 0 | — |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 86.3 | 1 | — | — |
| Heat Wave | Very Low | 29.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 71.9 | 2 | 0 | $50K |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 48.6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Hail | Very Low | 15.8 | 11 | 0 | — |
| Strong Wind | Relatively Moderate | 80.7 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Winter Weather | Relatively Moderate | 70.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Ice Storm | Relatively Moderate | 61.4 | — | — | — |
| Cold Wave | Relatively Moderate | 89 | — | — | — |
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 78.8 | 2 | 1 | — |
| Drought | Very Low | 27.1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Landslide | Relatively Moderate | 92.9 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Avalanche | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Tsunami | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
| Volcanic Activity | Not Applicable | — | — | — | — |
Scores are 0–100 percentiles relative to all US counties — higher means more exposed, not that a disaster is likely this year. Event counts: NOAA Storm Events 2016–2026; earthquake counts from USGS ComCat (M3.0+, 1996–2026). See the methodology page for details.
Community vulnerability
Roane County ranks in the 31st percentile (Low) for community vulnerability — a measure of how hard disaster impacts tend to hit residents. Higher vulnerability means more displacement, worse health outcomes, and slower recovery after a disaster.
| SVI theme | Percentile | Vulnerability level |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 31st | Low |
| Socioeconomic status | 41st | Low |
| Household characteristics | 22nd | Very low |
| Racial & ethnic minority status | 24th | Very low |
| Housing type & transportation | 41st | Low |
Source: CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022. Percentiles compare counties nationally — higher means more vulnerable relative to other counties. See CDC SVI for full methodology.
Future risk outlook
| Wildfire metric | National percentile | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Burn probability | 76th | Relatively High |
| Risk to homes | 70th | Relatively High |
| Buildings in direct exposure zone | 72.7% | — |
NOAA tracked 31 weather events in this county over 2016–2025: 16 in 2016–20 vs 15 in 2021–25 (-6% — relatively stable).
Wildfire: USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk to Communities (RDS-2020-0016-2) — modeled values, not annual forecasts. See wildfirerisk.org. Inland flood and heat projections pending data availability; coastal sea-level projections are available for select coastal counties below — see the data page.
Nearby counties
Frequently asked questions
What natural hazards pose the greatest risk in Roane County?
According to the FEMA National Risk Index, the highest-risk hazards in Roane County, Tennessee are landslide, cold wave, and earthquake. The county's overall natural hazard risk is rated Relatively Low — lower risk than most US counties.
Has Roane County received federal disaster declarations?
Yes. Roane County has received 24 federal disaster declarations since 1973, including declarations in 2026. The most common disaster type on record is severe storm (12 declarations).
Has Roane County had any FEMA disaster declarations in 2024, 2025, or 2026?
Yes. Recent federal disaster declarations for Roane County include Severe Winter Storm (2026), Severe Winter Storm (2026), Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (2025). See the declarations table above for the full history since 1973.
How does Roane County's natural hazard risk compare to nearby counties?
Among neighboring counties, Anderson County, TN has the highest overall natural hazard risk (Relatively Low) and Meigs County, TN has the lowest (Very Low). Roane County is rated Relatively Low overall.
How is Roane County's composite disaster risk index calculated?
Roane County's composite disaster risk index — officially FEMA's National Risk Index (NRI) — scores every US county on a 0–100 percentile scale across 18 natural hazard types, factoring in expected annual loss, social vulnerability, and community resilience. Roane County's composite score of 69 means its overall natural hazard risk is higher than 69% of US counties.