During the past winter, parts of California experienced massive amounts of rain and snow. Though it momentarily eased the frequent drought periods that had been affecting the state, the surge in rainfall flooded roads, knocked out power, and broke levees. Fueled by multiple converging atmospheric rivers, the state's infrastructure was not able to capture all of the excess water, meaning water shortages could again return during future dry spells.
Climate change can both intensify rainfall and also extend droughts. Warmer temperatures increase rates of evaporation, pulling more water from the ocean and causing more precipitation overall. Data indicates single-day precipitation extremes are happening more frequently. Conversely, more evaporation also dries out surface water and soil, leaving less fresh water available. Even as the moist air from oceans and other sources returns to land as rain, sleet, or snow, inconsistent wind patterns and currents mean it isn't distributed evenly. That's why even as some counties experienced their wettest year on record, others experienced their driest.
Nationwide, 43% of counties reported precipitation over the past year greater than their long-term average. A 1,000-year event dumped 25 inches of rainfall over 24 hours in Fort Lauderdale on April 13. Nevada desert regions experienced thunderstorms and heavy rain in June. Severe weather through the mid-Atlantic in August brought tennis ball-sized hail to West Virginia and softball-sized hail and flash flooding in Maryland.
Using data from the National Centers for Environmental Information, Stacker identified counties in Tennessee that received the most precipitation from September 2022 to August 2023 compared to their average annual precipitation from 1901 to 2000. In the case of a tie, the amount of precipitation over the past year served as a tiebreaker.
Read on to see which counties reported more precipitation over the past year than usual.
You may also like: Richest billionaires in Tennessee
#50. Fentress County
- Precipitation over the past year: 55.8 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 2.7 inches above average (#56 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 1.4 inches above statewide average
#49. Cocke County
- Precipitation over the past year: 50.7 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 2.8 inches above average (#46 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 3.8 inches below statewide average
#48. Obion County
- Precipitation over the past year: 52.5 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 2.8 inches above average (#50 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 2.0 inches below statewide average
#47. Robertson County
- Precipitation over the past year: 51.8 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 2.8 inches above average (#51 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 2.6 inches below statewide average
#46. Crockett County
- Precipitation over the past year: 53.1 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 2.9 inches above average (#48 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 1.4 inches below statewide average
You may also like: Counties with the oldest homes in Tennessee
ultramansk // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Gibson County
- Precipitation over the past year: 53.3 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 2.9 inches above average (#51 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 1.2 inches below statewide average
#44. Perry County
- Precipitation over the past year: 55.9 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 2.9 inches above average (#49 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 1.4 inches above statewide average
#43. Carroll County
- Precipitation over the past year: 54.1 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 3.0 inches above average (#44 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 0.4 inches below statewide average
#42. Greene County
- Precipitation over the past year: 47.3 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 3.1 inches above average (#43 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 7.2 inches below statewide average
#41. Carter County
- Precipitation over the past year: 50.7 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 3.1 inches above average (#44 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 3.7 inches below statewide average
You may also like: Best private colleges in Tennessee
#40. Sevier County
- Precipitation over the past year: 57.7 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 3.2 inches above average (#51 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 3.2 inches above statewide average
#39. Wayne County
- Precipitation over the past year: 57.3 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 3.2 inches above average (#46 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 2.9 inches above statewide average
#38. Van Buren County
- Precipitation over the past year: 58.0 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 3.4 inches above average (#46 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 3.6 inches above statewide average
#37. Sequatchie County
- Precipitation over the past year: 60.7 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 3.5 inches above average (#45 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 6.3 inches above statewide average
#36. Overton County
- Precipitation over the past year: 57.2 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 3.5 inches above average (#48 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 2.7 inches above statewide average
You may also like: Top 5 uniquely popular potato chip brands in Tennessee
Tracy Burroughs Brown // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Bradley County
- Precipitation over the past year: 56.1 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 3.7 inches above average (#45 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 1.7 inches above statewide average
#34. White County
- Precipitation over the past year: 58.2 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 3.8 inches above average (#42 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 3.7 inches above statewide average
#33. Madison County
- Precipitation over the past year: 55.3 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 4.0 inches above average (#43 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 0.9 inches above statewide average
Maxine Livingston // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Bledsoe County
- Precipitation over the past year: 60.1 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 4.1 inches above average (#45 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 5.7 inches above statewide average
#30. Haywood County
- Precipitation over the past year: 55.0 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 4.3 inches above average (#41 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 0.5 inches above statewide average
Sabrina Janelle Gordon // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Hardin County
- Precipitation over the past year: 56.9 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 4.6 inches above average (#41 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 2.4 inches above statewide average
#28. Marshall County
- Precipitation over the past year: 57.7 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 4.9 inches above average (#41 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 3.2 inches above statewide average
#27. Anderson County
- Precipitation over the past year: 57.1 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 5.0 inches above average (#42 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 2.7 inches above statewide average
laurie schaerer // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Bedford County
- Precipitation over the past year: 58.2 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 5.1 inches above average (#36 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 3.7 inches above statewide average
You may also like: Highest-rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Tennessee
#25. Cannon County
- Precipitation over the past year: 59.2 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 5.1 inches above average (#40 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 4.7 inches above statewide average
#24. Loudon County
- Precipitation over the past year: 57.1 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 5.4 inches above average (#32 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 2.7 inches above statewide average
#23. McMinn County
- Precipitation over the past year: 58.3 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 5.6 inches above average (#36 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 3.8 inches above statewide average
#22. Knox County
- Precipitation over the past year: 54.9 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 5.6 inches above average (#33 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 0.5 inches above statewide average
NancyRutledge // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Lincoln County
- Precipitation over the past year: 60.3 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 5.9 inches above average (#36 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 5.8 inches above statewide average
You may also like: Most commonly hunted migratory birds in Tennessee
#20. Morgan County
- Precipitation over the past year: 59.1 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 6.0 inches above average (#37 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 4.6 inches above statewide average
#19. Hardeman County
- Precipitation over the past year: 58.6 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 6.0 inches above average (#34 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 4.1 inches above statewide average
#18. Moore County
- Precipitation over the past year: 60.5 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 6.0 inches above average (#31 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 6.1 inches above statewide average
#17. Johnson County
- Precipitation over the past year: 55.2 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 6.2 inches above average (#22 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 0.8 inches above statewide average
#16. Warren County
- Precipitation over the past year: 60.1 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 6.3 inches above average (#32 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 5.7 inches above statewide average
You may also like: Most common jobs 150 years ago in Tennessee
SevenMaps // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Chester County
- Precipitation over the past year: 58.1 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 6.4 inches above average (#35 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 3.6 inches above statewide average
#14. Meigs County
- Precipitation over the past year: 60.2 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 6.6 inches above average (#33 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 5.8 inches above statewide average
#13. McNairy County
- Precipitation over the past year: 59.0 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 6.8 inches above average (#29 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 4.6 inches above statewide average
SevenMaps // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Tipton County
- Precipitation over the past year: 57.1 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 6.9 inches above average (#32 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 2.6 inches above statewide average
#11. Rhea County
- Precipitation over the past year: 62.4 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 7.0 inches above average (#29 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 7.9 inches above statewide average
You may also like: Countries to which Tennessee exports the most goods
#10. Coffee County
- Precipitation over the past year: 61.5 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 7.1 inches above average (#27 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 7.0 inches above statewide average
#9. Henderson County
- Precipitation over the past year: 58.8 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 7.2 inches above average (#33 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 4.3 inches above statewide average
SevenMaps // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Decatur County
- Precipitation over the past year: 59.5 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 7.2 inches above average (#31 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 5.1 inches above statewide average
#7. Marion County
- Precipitation over the past year: 63.9 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 7.2 inches above average (#32 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 9.5 inches above statewide average
#6. Fayette County
- Precipitation over the past year: 59.6 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 7.5 inches above average (#32 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 5.2 inches above statewide average
You may also like: Cities with the most UFO sightings in Tennessee
#5. Roane County
- Precipitation over the past year: 60.0 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 7.6 inches above average (#30 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 5.5 inches above statewide average
#4. Cumberland County
- Precipitation over the past year: 62.9 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 7.8 inches above average (#29 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 8.5 inches above statewide average
#3. Franklin County
- Precipitation over the past year: 63.2 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 8.7 inches above average (#24 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 8.7 inches above statewide average
#2. Shelby County
- Precipitation over the past year: 60.7 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 10.0 inches above average (#23 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 6.3 inches above statewide average
#1. Grundy County
- Precipitation over the past year: 67.3 inches
- Comparison to 1901-2000 average: 10.5 inches above average (#18 rainiest September-August period since 1895)
- Comparison to state's precipitation over past year: 12.9 inches above statewide average
This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 44 states.
You may also like: Coldest Septembers in Tennessee since 1895
