Polk County weather alerts
There are no active weather alerts for Polk County, TN right now.
Since 2016 the National Weather Service has issued about 730 alerts that included Polk County, roughly 73 a year. The most common is the severe thunderstorm warning (140 from 2016 to 2025). The last tornado warning was issued on July 29, 2026. 12 tornadoes have touched down in the county since 1950.
Updated from the National Weather Service · lists refresh hourly; the live map loads current alerts directly from the NWS
No warnings, watches or advisories include Polk County at the moment. This page updates automatically when the National Weather Service issues one. Check neighboring Fannin County, Murray County, Bradley County, Cherokee County.
Polk County alert history
Alert events that included Polk County or its forecast zones, from the NWS warning archive.
| Alert type | 2016–2025 | 2026 | Last issued |
|---|---|---|---|
| Severe Thunderstorm Warning | 140 | 16 | August 17, 2026 |
| Flood Advisory | 102 | 13 | August 12, 2026 |
| Wind Advisory | 74 | 2 | October 10, 2026 |
| Freeze Warning | 52 | 0 | April 6, 2024 |
| Dense Fog Advisory | 51 | 8 | November 6, 2026 |
| Flood Watch | 45 | 8 | October 10, 2026 |
| Frost Advisory | 37 | 0 | April 23, 2024 |
| Severe Thunderstorm Watch | 33 | 4 | August 17, 2026 |
| Tornado Watch | 32 | 1 | March 16, 2026 |
| Winter Weather Advisory | 28 | 2 | January 30, 2026 |
| Freeze Watch | 22 | 0 | March 24, 2024 |
| Flood Warning | 18 | 3 | November 5, 2026 |
| Heat Advisory | 14 | 5 | September 3, 2026 |
| Tornado Warning | 13 | 1 | July 29, 2026 |
| Cold Weather Advisory | 11 | 3 | January 31, 2026 |
| Flash Flood Warning | 10 | 5 | November 5, 2026 |
| Red Flag Warning | 10 | 0 | March 26, 2025 |
| High Wind Watch | 9 | 1 | October 10, 2026 |
| High Wind Warning | 8 | 1 | October 10, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Warning | 8 | 1 | January 30, 2026 |
| Winter Storm Watch | 6 | 1 | January 24, 2026 |
| Extreme Cold Watch | 2 | 0 | January 20, 2025 |
| Extreme Cold Warning | 2 | 0 | January 20, 2025 |
| Fire Weather Watch | 2 | 0 | November 20, 2023 |
| Tropical Storm Warning | 1 | 0 | October 28, 2020 |
Tornado history in Polk County
12 tornadoes have been recorded in Polk County since 1950, killing 10 people and injuring 209. That ranks 59 of 95 counties in Tennessee. The most recent was on April 12, 2020 (rated EF1).
Strongest tornadoes in Polk County
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 3, 1974 | F3 | Bradley County | 21.2 mi | 500 yd | 3 | 50 |
| November 30, 2016 | EF3 | Polk County | 4.6 mi | 155 yd | 2 | 0 |
| April 3, 1974 | F3 | Bradley County | 18.1 mi | 350 yd | 1 | 100 |
| March 2, 2012 | EF3 | Hamilton County | 41 mi | 400 yd | 0 | 44 |
| February 6, 1986 | F3 | Bradley County | 10 mi | 270 yd | 0 | 5 |
Most recent tornadoes
| Date | Rating | County | Path length | Width | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 12, 2020 | EF1 | Bradley County | 4.7 mi | 500 yd | 0 | 0 |
| November 30, 2016 | EF3 | Polk County | 4.6 mi | 155 yd | 2 | 0 |
| March 2, 2012 | EF3 | Hamilton County | 41 mi | 400 yd | 0 | 44 |
| April 27, 2011 | EF2 | Bradley County | 28 mi | 250 yd | 4 | 0 |
| April 25, 2010 | EF0 | Polk County | 1.2 mi | 30 yd | 0 | 0 |
About Polk County
- Population: 18,338 (2024 estimate)
- State: Tennessee
- NOAA Weather Radio SAME code: 047139 (how to use it)