Natural hazards · Cookeville

Cookeville, TN natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Cookeville comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. Flood insurance has paid 21 claims here since 1998. 6 federal disasters brought FEMA money into town.

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

Expected damage

How exposed is Cookeville?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Cookeville to be higher than in 36% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding and tornadoes.

Inland flooding33%Tornadoes22%Earthquakes19%Cold waves13%Everything else14%

By hazard

What Cookeville faces

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

Inland flooding

33% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 25% of U.S. places

Recorded about 2 times a year in the area

Tornadoes

22% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 89% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

19% of expected damage

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

Cold waves

13% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 84% of U.S. places

Recorded about once a year in the area

Lower here

HurricanesHailIce stormsWinter weatherHeat 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 Cookeville flood?

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

21paid claims since 1998

$891Kpaid to owners

5homes flooded more than once

19982026

Biggest named events

Late spring storms: 1 claim, $3K

Homes that flooded again and again

■ FEMA “severe repetitive loss” (0) ■ flooded 2+ times

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

🏷️ 05% off flood insurance. Cookeville is in FEMA’s Community Rating System (class 9) for its flood-proofing work.

Insurance rates: Putnam County.

What’s been done with FEMA grants

2flood-prone properties bought out and cleared

Disasters that hit Cookeville

6 federal disasters brought FEMA money here

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

Brought FEMA money into CookevilleDeclared for Putnam County only

2021

Severe Winter Storms

$116K to the City of Cookeville for repairs

2020

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

600 households applied for aid $541K aid approved $802K to the City of Cookeville for repairs

2017

Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, and Flooding

$391K to the City of Cookeville for repairs

2015

Severe Winter Storm and Flooding

$503K to the City of Cookeville for repairs

2010

Severe Storms and Flooding

$70K to the City of Cookeville for repairs

2010

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

45 households applied for aid $78K aid approved

Putnam County has had 16 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often severe storms and winter storms.

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. Cookeville covers 6 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Cookeville’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to the City of Cookeville. 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 Cookeville total about $8.7M 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.