Safest places to live in Tennessee from natural disasters
The lowest natural-disaster risk in Tennessee is in Benton County, Bledsoe County, Cannon County, where FEMA rates few or no severe perils. The most exposed county is Shelby County, driven by tornado. This page ranks every Tennessee county by physical peril exposure, from official FEMA National Risk Index data.
Lowest-risk counties in Tennessee
| County | Physical risk | Top severe peril |
|---|---|---|
| Benton County | Low | none rated high |
| Bledsoe County | Low | none rated high |
| Cannon County | Low | none rated high |
| Clay County | Low | none rated high |
| DeKalb County | Low | none rated high |
| Hamblen County | Low | none rated high |
| Houston County | Low | none rated high |
| Jackson County | Low | none rated high |
Highest-risk counties in Tennessee
| County | Physical risk | Driven by |
|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | High | tornado |
| Davidson County | Elevated | earthquake |
| Gibson County | Elevated | tornado |
| Hamilton County | Elevated | tornado |
| Hardin County | Elevated | landslide |
Dominant perils in Tennessee
Across Tennessee, the perils most often rated Relatively High or higher by FEMA are tornado, earthquake, landslide. County rankings reflect physical exposure, not dollar value, so a county can rank low here even if it is densely developed. For a specific property, the flood zone and exact peril ratings matter more than the county summary.
Look up any Tennessee address on the Safe Havens map, or read how Plattow scores risk and FEMA flood zones. See all states on the states index.