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Hail in Rhea County, Tennessee
65 hail events in the NCEI Storm Events record, 1950 to 2026. Event types counted: Hail.
NCEI notes that Storm Data is compiled from a variety of sources including the National Weather Service, other federal, state and local agencies, the media and the public; that property and crop damage figures are estimates; and that some events are recorded by NWS forecast zone rather than by county. FEMA notes that NFIP claim records are redacted and aggregated to protect the privacy of policyholders. Storm records through 30 Jun 2026.
Rhea County, Tennessee, has 65 hail events in the NCEI record since 1950, with at least one in 27 different years.
May is the busiest month, with 21 of the recorded events. The last 20 years account for 20 events against 42 in the 20 years before, a change that reflects reporting practice as much as weather.
The county holds 0.9% of the 7,175 hail events recorded in Tennessee; its 20.6 per 100 square miles compares with 17.4 statewide.
12 of the hail reports with a recorded size were golf-ball size (1.75 inches) or larger; the largest recorded stone was 4.00 inches (softball size).
Compared with Tennessee
| Measure | Rhea County | Tennessee | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail events since 1950 | 65 | 7,175 | 424,356 |
| Per 100 square miles | 20.6 | 17.4 | 12.0 |
| Per 10,000 residents | 19.6 | 10.3 | 12.8 |
| Deaths recorded | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| Busiest month | May | April | May |
By year
Seasonality
0Feb
4Mar
4Apr
13May
21Jun
15Jul
0Aug
1Sep
0Oct
0Nov
3Dec
4
Magnitude distribution
NWS hail-size descriptors
- under 1 in
- pea to quarter
- 1–1.74 in
- quarter to golf ball
- 1.75–2.74 in
- golf ball to baseball
- 2.75–3.99 in
- baseball to softball
- 4 in and larger
- softball and larger
Hail size in inches as recorded by NCEI; events without a size are not binned.
Recorded events
All 65 events, most recent first. Magnitude is hail size, tornado rating or wind speed as recorded.
| Date | Event type | Magnitude | Property damage | Crop damage | Deaths | Injuries | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 May 2025 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 2025 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Apr 2025 | Hail | 2.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 2023 | Hail | 1.50 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Jun 2023 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Jun 2020 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 2 May 2016 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 22 May 2013 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Feb 2012 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 27 Apr 2011 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 2010 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 May 2010 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 18 Feb 2009 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 19 Mar 2008 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 14 Nov 2007 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 23 Jun 2007 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2007 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2007 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Jun 2007 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Jun 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2006 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 20 May 2006 | Hail | 4.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Apr 2006 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 2006 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 2006 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Dec 2005 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2005 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2005 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2005 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 May 2005 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Feb 2005 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Dec 2004 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 10 Dec 2004 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 11 Jun 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 May 2003 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 Apr 2002 | Hail | 0.75 in | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 1999 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 1999 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 May 1999 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 3 Apr 1998 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Nov 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 30 Nov 1997 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Apr 1997 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Mar 1997 | Hail | 4.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 28 May 1996 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 25 May 1996 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 24 May 1996 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 13 Apr 1996 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 26 Jun 1995 | Hail | 1.00 in | $1K | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 1995 | Hail | 1.75 in | $5K | — | — | — | County |
| 2 Jun 1994 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Apr 1994 | Hail | 0.75 in | $50 | — | — | — | County |
| 29 Apr 1994 | Hail | 1.75 in | $500 | — | — | — | County |
| 18 May 1993 | Hail | 1.00 in | $50 | — | — | — | County |
| 15 Apr 1993 | Hail | 1.25 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 1993 | Hail | 0.88 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 31 Mar 1993 | Hail | 1.75 in | $50 | — | — | — | County |
| 21 Feb 1993 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 1 Aug 1990 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 7 Jun 1990 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 6 May 1984 | Hail | 0.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 4 Jun 1983 | Hail | 1.00 in | — | — | — | — | County |
| 5 Dec 1977 | Hail | 1.75 in | — | — | — | — | County |
Questions and answers
How many hail events has Rhea County had?
65 events in the NCEI Storm Events record between 1950 and 2026. Reporting of hail became far more complete after 1996, so early decades undercount.
When was the last recorded hail event in Rhea County?
8 May 2025 (Hail, 1.25 in). Records reach NCEI about 120 days after the month ends.
What was the most damaging hail event recorded in Rhea County?
The hail of 18 May 1995, with property damage estimated by NCEI at $5K.
How does Rhea County compare with Tennessee for hail?
20.6 events per 100 square miles against 17.4 statewide; the county holds 65 of the state's 7,175 recorded events.
Provenance
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, yearly details files through 30 Jun 2026, public domain. County-recorded events plus zone-recorded events whose forecast zone is named for the county (marked "Forecast zone"). Population and area from the US Census Bureau (2021). Built 1 Oct 2026. See the methodology, the Hail hub and the county page.