Natural hazards · Chattanooga

Chattanooga, TN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Chattanooga comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is high for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 680 claims here since 1978. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Chattanooga?

High

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Chattanooga to be higher than in 62% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding56%Tornadoes20%Earthquakes15%Everything else9%

By hazard

What Chattanooga faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

56% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 75% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

20% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 88% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 80% of U.S. places

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherCold wavesHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Chattanooga flood?

Every paid claim on a federal flood insurance policy in Chattanooga, from FEMA’s records.

680paid claims since 1978

$15.8Mpaid to owners

101homes flooded more than once

19782026

Biggest named events

Heavy rains: 143 claims, $6.4M
Early winter storms: 6 claims, $147K
Hurricane Zeta: 2 claims, $13K

Homes that flooded again and again

Each house = 2 homes. ■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (16) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Chattanooga isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Hamilton County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

24flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

1flood-prone homes bought out and moved

Disasters that hit Chattanooga

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Chattanooga itself: aid to households, or repair grants to the City of Chattanooga.

Brought FEMA money into ChattanoogaDeclared for Hamilton County only

2020

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

834 households applied for aid $700K aid approved

2012

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and

170 households applied for aid $90K aid approved

2011

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, and Associated Flooding

1,835 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

969 households applied for aid $3.2M aid approved

Hamilton County has had 22 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and floods.

Around Chattanooga

Chattanooga and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Falling Watermostly inland floodingVery high

Rossvillemostly inland floodingHigh

Chattanoogamostly inland floodingHigh

Middle Valleymostly inland floodingHigh

East Ridgemostly inland floodingModerate

Soddy-Daisymostly inland floodingModerate

Collegedalemostly inland floodingModerate

Lookout Mountainmostly inland floodingModerate

Signal Mountainmostly inland floodingLow

Harrisonmostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Chattanooga covers 48 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Chattanooga’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Chattanooga. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Chattanooga total about $84.4M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.