Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena - CIG

Flooding in Tennessee
Heavy rains fell on southeast Tennessee starting on April 30, saturating the ground and raising river
levels. On May 5, a large area of heavy rain moved slowly across the region. Embedded thunderstorms
moved repeatedly over the same locations, resulting in over 12 inches of rain in 35 hours in McMinn
County, just north of Chattanooga. From May 5-10, over nine inches of rain fell in the Little Tennessee
and Hiwassee River basins, which flow into the Tennessee River upstream of Chattanooga. The South
Chickamauga Creek, which flows directly through Chattanooga and its suburbs, reached a record flood
stage of 29.32 feet on May 8th. The previous record stage was 28.72 feet in February 1990. Even the
Tennessee River at Chattanooga reached 36.1 feet on the 8 th . The modern record flood is 36.9 feet
observed in February 1973. Damage in Hamilton County (Chattanooga and environs) was estimated at
around $20 million dollars. Hundreds of people were evacuated or rescued in virtually every county in
southeast and east central Tennessee along the Tennessee River and its tributaries. There was one
fatality.
Left: Flood waters covers a car at a
condominium, and floods the streets and
businesses in Chattanooga, below. (Photo
courtesy: Howard Waldron, WCM, NWS
Morristown, TN and Chattanooga/Hamilton
County Emergency Management Agency.)
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