Data current as of 2026-10-16 · Sourced from NOAA Storm Events
Over the past five years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recorded 49 hail storms within 25 miles of Oak Ridge, TN. Of those, 40 produced hail at least quarter-size — the threshold most insurance carriers consider potentially damaging to asphalt shingles. The largest reported hail in this window was ping pong ball-sized, which can fracture shingle mat and dent metal flashing on contact. 2025 was the most active year on record locally, with 20 documented hail events.
Check Hail History for a Specific Address in Oak Ridge| Severity | Count | What it means for roofs |
|---|---|---|
| Severe | 4 events | Ping pong-size, granule loss and bruising common |
| Significant | 36 events | Quarter-size, the standard insurance damage threshold |
| Moderate | 9 events | Marble-size, possible cosmetic damage |
| Year | Reported Hail Events Within 25 mi |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 7 events |
| 2025 | 20 events |
| 2024 | 5 events |
| 2023 | 16 events |
| 2022 | 1 event |
2025 was the busiest hail year on record locally for Oak Ridge, with 20 documented events inside the 25-mile radius. Storm activity in Oak Ridge typically peaks in spring and early summer, when the jet stream pushes Gulf moisture into the area and supercell thunderstorms become more frequent.
| Date | Location | Severity | Size | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-05 | 5 E Dearmond, TN | Moderate | 0.70" | Dime sized hail on Collins Rd in Oliver Springs. |
| 2026-08-21 | 2 NW Farragut, TN | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-08-17 | 1 W Maryville, TN | Significant | 1.00" | Report from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.). |
| 2026-07-03 | 4 E Dearmond, TN | Moderate | 0.70" | Facebook report of marble sized hail at Blair & Old Harriman. |
| 2026-07-03 | 4 W Clinton, TN | Moderate | 0.75" | Report from mPING: Dime (0.75 in.). |
| 2026-07-03 | 6 NE Oak Ridge, TN | Moderate | 0.75" | Brief power loss accompanying the hail. |
| 2026-07-03 | 2 WNW Clinton, TN | Significant | 1.00" | Two separate Facebook reports of large hail in Clinton, no ruler or measurement but both look to be at least quarter sized. |
| 2025-10-21 | PINEY, TN | Moderate | 0.88" | — |
| 2025-10-21 | PUMPKIN CENTER, TN | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2025-09-04 | UNION, TN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2025-09-04 | CEDAR BLUFF, TN | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2025-09-04 | BRANCH HILL, TN | Significant | 1.25" | — |
| 2025-09-04 | LYONS VIEW, TN | Moderate | 0.75" | — |
| 2025-09-04 | LAWNVILLE, TN | Significant | 1.25" | — |
| 2025-09-04 | BYINGTON, TN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2025-09-04 | BEAVER RIDGE, TN | Severe | 1.50" | — |
| 2025-09-04 | BEAVER RIDGE, TN | Severe | 1.75" | — |
| 2025-09-04 | CEDAR BLUFF, TN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2025-09-04 | KINGSLEY, TN | Significant | 1.00" | — |
| 2025-05-08 | LONE MTN, TN | Severe | 1.75" | — |
NOAA has recorded 172 high-wind events within 25 miles of Oak Ridge, TN in the past five years. Of those, 172 reached severe-thunderstorm thresholds (58+ mph). The highest measured gust was 83 mph.
| Severity | Count |
|---|---|
| Severe | 20 events |
| Significant | 152 events |
| Date | Location | Gust (mph) | Severity | NOAA Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-20 | SOUTH KNOXVILLE, TN | 60 | Significant | A large tree was felled by severe thunderstorm wind gusts and blocked the entirety of a local road. |
| 2026-05-20 | CRENSHAW, TN | 60 | Significant | A large tree was felled by severe thunderstorm wind gusts and partially blocked a roadway. |
| 2026-05-20 | KINGSLEY, TN | 60 | Significant | A large tree was knocked over by thunderstorm winds, hanging over a local road on top of powerlines. |
| 2026-05-20 | SOUTH KNOXVILLE, TN | 60 | Significant | A large tree was felled by severe thunderstorm winds and blocked the whole road. |
| 2026-05-20 | RITTA, TN | 60 | Significant | Tree felled by severe thunderstorm winds partially blocked the eastbound lanes of a local road. |
| 2026-03-16 | EMORY HGTS, TN | 60 | Significant | Several trees and powerlines were blown down by severe thunderstorm winds. |
| 2026-03-16 | NEW PROVIDENCE, TN | 60 | Significant | Multiple trees along with several powerlines were felled by severe thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2026-03-16 | WARTBURG, TN | 60 | Significant | A few trees were felled by severe thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2026-03-11 | DISCO, TN | 60 | Significant | Several trees were downed by severe thunderstorm wind gusts, along with a couple of downed powerlines, and a damaged carport in the area of Disco Loop Road and Lake Court in Friendsville. |
| 2026-02-20 | KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN I, TN | 60 | Significant | Multiple trees and powerlines were blown down across Knoxville by severe thunderstorm winds, with at least one tree falling on a home in East Knoxville. |
| 2026-02-20 | SOUTH KNOXVILLE, TN | 60 | Significant | Strips of green tin roof were peeled off an inn on Chapman Highway by severe thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2026-02-20 | (TYS)MCGHEE TYSON KN, TN | 60 | Significant | Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport measured a peak wind gust of 60 mph associated with the line of convective showers. |
| 2025-12-18 | KNOXVILLE, TN | 60 | Significant | Over 75 calls to the county 911 system occurred due to severe wind gusts causing multiple trees and powerlines to be damaged. |
| 2025-12-18 | (TYS)MCGHEE TYSON KN, TN | 62 | Significant | The Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport ASOS recorded a 54 knot wind gust during the passage of severe thunderstorms. |
| 2025-12-18 | SEQUOYAH HILLS, TN | 70 | Severe | A 36 inch diameter oak tree was felled by severe thunderstorm winds and sliced through the side of a home, requiring the fire department to extricate 1 person. No confirmed injuries. Fire department reported another tree falling on a separate house in Knoxville as well as several other incidents of tree damage across the city. |
| 2025-12-18 | POWELL, TN | 64 | Severe | A flag pole in the front yard of a home in Powell was bent all the way to the ground by severe thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2025-09-04 | UNION, TN | 60 | Significant | Multiple large tree limbs were broken off the trees by severe thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2025-09-04 | SUBURBAN HILLS, TN | 60 | Significant | A large diameter tree branch was sheared off a tree by powerful thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| 2025-09-04 | COALFIELD, TN | 60 | Significant | Multiple trees and powerlines blown down near Fairview Rd and Coalfield school by severe thunderstorm winds. |
| 2025-07-12 | NORRIS LAKE WEST, TN | 60 | Significant | A large tree was felled by powerful thunderstorm wind gusts. |
The most recent quarter-size-or-larger hail storm recorded by NOAA within 25 miles of Oak Ridge was on August 17, 2026. HailCheck refreshes from the NOAA Storm Events database daily, so newer events appear here as they are reported.
Oak Ridge averages roughly 10 reported hail events per year within a 25-mile radius. Significant storms (quarter-size or larger) account for 40 of the 49 events recorded over the last five years.
The largest documented hail near Oak Ridge in the last five years was ping pong ball-sized. Most Oak Ridge-area hail falls in the marble-to-quarter range, with destructive storms (egg-size or larger) appearing roughly once every few years.
Most homeowners insurance policies in TN cover hail damage to roofs, siding, and gutters under the dwelling and other-structures coverage. Coverage typically requires the damage to be tied to a verifiable storm date — which is where the NOAA hail history above (and a HAAG-style test square validation) becomes important for the claim file.
Use the HailCheck address search to enter any street address in or near Oak Ridge. HailCheck returns every NOAA hail event within a configurable radius, along with severity bands, dates, and storm narratives for Pro members.
If your property in or near Oak Ridge took on hail during one of the storms above, the standard process for documenting damage is a 10×10 foot test square inspection. A HAAG-trained reviewer counts impact indicators — granule displacement, mat fractures, and bruising — within the marked square and produces a PASS or FAIL document for the claim file.
HailCheck offers a $99 photo-based HAAG-style test square validation. You submit photos from the field, our reviewer evaluates the impact indicators and cross-references the NOAA storm dates listed above, and a written PASS/FAIL determination is returned within one business day. We do not send anyone to the roof — the validation is built around the photos you submit.
Learn About $99 HAAG-Style ValidationOak Ridge sits east of the traditional hail alley, where hail events are less frequent than the central plains but tend to be associated with strong squall lines and tropical systems. Local roof systems are less commonly hardened for hail, which can mean even moderate impacts produce claim-worthy damage.