WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT
OperatingNuclear power plant
- Capacity
- 1,270 MW
- Primary fuel
- Nuclear
- County
- Rhea County
- Operator
- TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 1996
- EIA plant ID
- 7722
- Coordinates
- 35.6021, -84.7895
WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT, a 1,270 MW Nuclear power plant in Rhea County, Tennessee. Operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned 1996.
Weather peril exposure
WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT is a 1,270 MW nuclear power plant in Rhea County, TN, operated by TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY, commissioned in 1996. Rhea County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.2 of 5 at the 29th national percentile. Lightning is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 90th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a nuclear plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Rhea County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | Relatively Moderate | 90th | 4.6 of 5 | 60.7 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 85th | 4.4 of 5 | 1.1 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 84th | 4.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 72nd | 3.9 of 5 | 3.8 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 64th | 3.6 of 5 | 4.9 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 59th | 3.4 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 56th | 3.2 of 5 | 0.17 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 48th | 2.9 of 5 | 0.02 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 46th | 2.8 of 5 | 0.49 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 38th | 2.5 of 5 | 3.4 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 16th | 1.6 of 5 | 1.7 |
Perils not assessed in Rhea County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Rhea County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.