Counties with the worst droughts in Tennessee
Over one-third of the continental United States is currently experiencing moderate to exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Storms during this past winter brought heavy (in some areas, record-setting) rainfall and flooding to California, offering the state an expected two-year reprieve from widespread droughts that covered nearly 100% of the state from 2020 to 2022. But in other parts of the country, especially dry conditions continue. West Virginia is currently the state with the most widespread drought, covering all of the state's area.
In periods of drought, levels of major reservoirs and rivers can fall dramatically. Groundwater systems are also affected as shrinking water supplies impact agriculture and hydropower generation while increasing wildfire risk.
Periods of drought have intensified and become more frequent in recent years due to climate change. Scientists predict that even in low-emissions scenarios, much of the U.S. will be drier by the end of the century.
Stacker cited data from the U.S. Drought Monitor to identify the counties in Tennessee with the worst droughts as of Sept. 24, 2024. Counties are listed in order of percent of the area in drought conditions. "Abnormally dry" is not considered to be a drought but is included as a separate data point. Additional data for the state overall is also included. Any counties not experiencing drought are not included in the list. Counties are listed in order of drought severity.
Tennessee statistics
- Area in drought: 78.5% (#3 nationally)
--- Moderate drought: 28.0%
--- Severe drought: 31.3%
--- Extreme drought: 19.1%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Wayne County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 100.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Union County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 100.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Perry County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 100.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Obion County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 100.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Clay County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 100.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Campbell County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 100.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Fentress County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 97.6%
--- Severe drought: 2.4%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Lawrence County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 96.5%
--- Severe drought: 3.5%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Weakley County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 93.5%
--- Severe drought: 6.5%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Lewis County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 80.1%
--- Severe drought: 19.9%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Macon County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 80.0%
--- Severe drought: 20.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Anderson County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 74.9%
--- Severe drought: 25.1%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Overton County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 72.6%
--- Severe drought: 27.4%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Jackson County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 63.8%
--- Severe drought: 36.2%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Cocke County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 58.2%
--- Severe drought: 41.8%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Knox County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 57.0%
--- Severe drought: 43.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Henry County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 19.8%
--- Severe drought: 80.2%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Sevier County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 5.9%
--- Severe drought: 94.1%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Smith County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 1.8%
--- Severe drought: 98.2%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Sumner County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.9%
--- Severe drought: 99.1%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Putnam County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.5%
--- Severe drought: 99.5%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Wilson County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 100.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Williamson County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 100.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Trousdale County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 100.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Stewart County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 100.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Rutherford County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 100.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Blount County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 100.0%
--- Extreme drought: 0.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Lincoln County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 98.5%
--- Extreme drought: 1.5%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Maury County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.1%
--- Severe drought: 96.9%
--- Extreme drought: 3.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Morgan County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 48.9%
--- Severe drought: 47.2%
--- Extreme drought: 3.9%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Davidson County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 93.9%
--- Extreme drought: 6.1%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Cannon County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 93.9%
--- Extreme drought: 6.1%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Humphreys County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 44.2%
--- Severe drought: 46.6%
--- Extreme drought: 9.2%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Giles County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 4.2%
--- Severe drought: 86.5%
--- Extreme drought: 9.3%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Montgomery County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 89.7%
--- Extreme drought: 10.3%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Houston County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 89.6%
--- Extreme drought: 10.4%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
DeKalb County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 84.9%
--- Extreme drought: 15.1%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
White County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 74.5%
--- Extreme drought: 25.5%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Cumberland County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 5.8%
--- Severe drought: 68.4%
--- Extreme drought: 25.8%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Monroe County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 72.3%
--- Extreme drought: 27.7%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Marshall County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 71.6%
--- Extreme drought: 28.4%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Robertson County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 63.6%
--- Extreme drought: 36.4%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Hickman County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 24.0%
--- Severe drought: 36.3%
--- Extreme drought: 39.7%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Moore County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 53.5%
--- Extreme drought: 46.5%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Cheatham County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 41.0%
--- Extreme drought: 59.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Loudon County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 39.8%
--- Extreme drought: 60.2%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Polk County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 34.5%
--- Extreme drought: 65.5%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Bedford County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 27.2%
--- Extreme drought: 72.8%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Franklin County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 26.7%
--- Extreme drought: 73.3%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Roane County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 15.1%
--- Extreme drought: 84.9%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Dickson County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 12.3%
--- Extreme drought: 87.7%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Coffee County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 7.5%
--- Extreme drought: 92.5%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Warren County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 1.9%
--- Extreme drought: 98.1%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Van Buren County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.2%
--- Extreme drought: 99.8%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Sequatchie County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Rhea County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Meigs County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
McMinn County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Marion County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Hamilton County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Grundy County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Bradley County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
Bledsoe County
- Area in drought: 100.0%
--- Moderate drought: 0.0%
--- Severe drought: 0.0%
--- Extreme drought: 100.0%
--- Exceptional drought: 0.0%
This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 45 states.