Tennessee

Knox County, TN F2 Tornado – April 4, 1974

By the early morning of April 4, 1974, the Super Tornado Outbreak had dealt most of its rage throughout the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. The remnants of supercell thunderstorms had primarily congealed into a solid wall of severe winds and rain as it pushed into the Appalachian region. In East Tennessee, at least six twisters were documented by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) after midnight. Most were weak, and casualty numbers were relatively low.

However, one of these funnels proved deadly when it struck a mobile home park near Knoxville, TN. A set of twin infants lost their lives, and 21 people were injured along the path. At the time, it was only the third tornado ever documented in Knox County, and as of this summary’s publication, it is the only one to be fatal.

By Jen Narramore-Zachary Reichle, ago

Franklin-Brentwood, TN F4 Tornado – December 24, 1988

On the morning of Christmas Eve 1988, an isolated severe weather event unfolded in the Nashville suburbs of Franklin and Brentwood, TN. A fatal and violent tornado tore a 6-mile path through populated neighborhoods in the pre-dawn hours, killing one and injuring at least seven people. In less than ten minutes, the F4 caused millions of dollars in damage but left many families grateful for survival during the Christmas holiday. This twister was the only one recorded that day.

By Zachary Reichle, ago

Apison-Cleveland, TN EF4 Tornado – April 27, 2011

“It left in its wake a path of devastation like this town has never seen and a level of terror the hearts of our people have never known.” – Rick Norton, Cleveland Daily Banner. During the evening of April 27, 2011, a catastrophic twister tore through several communities across southeastern Tennessee. This is the second portion of a two-part series on the Ringgold-Apison-Cleveland, GA-TN, EF4 tornado. Check out this premium summary by becoming a member!

By Jen Narramore-Nelson Tucker, ago

Overview of the Ringgold-Apison-Cleveland, GA-TN, EF4 Tornado – April 27, 2011

An extremely powerful tornado moved through the communities of Ringgold, Apison, and Cleveland during the evening of April 27, 2011. One of the most violent tornadoes to ever hit the area, this monster took the lives of 24 people and injured roughly 667. In order to fully tell the stories of the places affected and how they dealt with the disaster, the track has been divided into two summaries.

By Jen Narramore-Nelson Tucker, ago

The Immeasurable Cost of the December 10-11, 2021 Tornado Outbreak

In 2021, many of us watched as storms tore apart lives and communities across Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, and Kentucky. After events of this magnitude, images depicting seas of wreckage where homes and businesses once stood can blind us to the true nature of the loss at hand. Ranging from six days to 98 years of age, a total of 92 people lost their lives during the tornado event. They were cherished as friends or family by thousands. This article details the stories of every one of those people, as well as all of the 23 significant tornadoes that formed during this event.

By Tornado Talk, ago

Hazel Green, AL-Vanntown, TN EF3 Tornado – April 1, 2023

On March 31 and April 1, 2023, a large and widespread tornado outbreak took place over the Midwestern and Southern regions of the United States, stretching over to the Atlantic Coast. For two days, 145 twisters contributed to one of the most sizable events on record, taking 27 lives and affecting many more. Twelve of these were rated EF3 or greater across seven states. This summary focuses on a deadly EF3 that took place in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee.

By Jen Narramore-Zachary Reichle, ago

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