Natural hazards · Cleveland

Cleveland, TN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cleveland comes from earthquakes, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 136 claims here since 1979. 4 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cleveland?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cleveland to be higher than in 32% of U.S. communities, mostly from earthquakes and inland flooding.

Earthquakes37%Inland flooding30%Tornadoes19%Cold waves7%Everything else8%

By hazard

What Cleveland faces

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

Earthquakes

37% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 83% of U.S. places

Inland flooding

30% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Tornadoes

19% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

7% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 72% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat wavesWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightning

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingDroughtAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic 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 Cleveland flood?

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

136paid claims since 1979

$1.9Mpaid to owners

19homes flooded more than once

19792026

Biggest named events

Heavy rains: 21 claims, $287K
Early winter storms: 1 claim, $498

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (6) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

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

Insurance rates: Bradley County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

6flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

5storm safe rooms built

Disasters that hit Cleveland

4 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into ClevelandDeclared for Bradley County only

2020

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

145 households applied for aid $426K aid approved

2012

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds and

110 households applied for aid $63K aid approved

2011

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

1,493 households applied for aid $1.1M aid approved $2.2M to the City of Cleveland for repairs

2003

Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding

242 households applied for aid $396K aid approved $114K to the City of Cleveland for repairs

Bradley County has had 15 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

Around Cleveland

Cleveland and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Hopewellmostly inland floodingModerate

Wildwood Lakemostly inland floodingLow

Clevelandmostly earthquakesLow

South Clevelandmostly tornadoesLow

East Clevelandmostly 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. Cleveland covers 9 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cleveland’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Cleveland. 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 Cleveland total about $13.2M 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.