Nashville, Tennessee Tornadoes

Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Nashville TN
945 PM CST Thu Mar 5 2020

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR March 3, 2020 TORNADO EVENT - UPDATE #1...

.Update...Two additional EF-0 tornadoes were surveyed in addition to
the Davidson/Wilson/Smith Counties EF-3 and the Cookeville EF-4.
The path length of the EF-3 tornado was also extended.

.Overview...Several tornadoes including two significant to violent
tornadoes, touched down across Middle Tennessee during the early
morning hours of March 3, 2020, resulting in widespread damage and
numerous injuries and fatalities. This summary covers the four
tornadoes that have had their damage assessments preliminarily
completed. The first tornado that tracked across the Nashville
metro and areas to the east to Smith County was rated EF3. A
second tornado rated EF-0 briefly touched down on the Smith/Putnam
County line. This tornado occurred just before the EF-4 tornado
severely impacted Putnam County, TN. Incredibly, this EF-4 tornado
dissipated just before striking the heart of Cookeville. This
violent tornado likely lifted as another tornadic cell developed
to the south and caused another EF-0 tornado in southern Putnam
County.

More damage assessments will occur on Friday, March 6, 2020 for
Humphreys and Cumberland Counties. Thank you all for being so
patient with our fact finding mission.


.Tornado #1 - Nashville EF-3: Davidson, Wilson, and Smith Counties

Rating: EF3
Estimated Peak Wind: 165 mph
Path Length /statute/: 60.13 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 800.0 yards
Fatalities: 5
Injuries: 220

Start Date: 03/03/2020
Start Time: 12:32 AM CST
Start Location: 7 NE Pegram / Davidson County / TN
Start Lat/Lon: 36.1735 / -86.958

End Date: 03/03/2020
End Time: 01:32 AM CST
End Location: 3 SE Gordonsville / Smith County / TN
End Lat/Lon: 36.1536 / -85.8905

Survey Summary:
A strong long-track tornado tracked across Davidson and Wilson
Counties and into Smith County early on March 3 resulting in 5
fatalities and 220 injuries. The tornado began in far western
Davidson County and rapidly intensified into EF-2 intensity as it
tracked across John C. Tune Airport and into the North Nashville
and Germantown areas. The tornado intensified further to EF-3
intensity as it tracked into East Nashville, with the most
significant damage occuring in and around the Five Points
neighborhood, where two fatalities occurred. EF-1 and EF-2 damage
continued across the Cumberland River before the tornado
strengthened again to EF-3 intensity in the Stanford Estates
subdivision in Donelson. EF-2 damage was observed across Hermitage
and the remainder of Davidson County.

The tornado strengthened to EF-3 intensity for a third time upon
entering Wilson County, with a 6-mile swath of EF-3 damage
observed near the Mt. Juliet area, where three more fatalities
occurred. EF-1 and EF-2 damage continued along a path that
paralleled and occasionally crossed Interstate 40 south-southeast
of Lebanon. Once the tornado moved into Smith County, it weakened
some but was still causing significant tree and powerline damage,
as well as damage to homes. Just south of Gordonsville, the
tornado caused a mobile home to flip, along with destroying
several barns and outbuildings. The tornado finally lifted just
south of I-40 near Highway 141/Lancaster Highway.

.Tornado #2 - Buffalo Valley EF-0: Smith and Putnam Counties...

Rating: EF0
Estimated Peak Wind: 75 mph
Path Length /statute/: 5.88 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 50.0 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0

Start Date: 03/03/2020
Start Time: 01:37 AM CST
Start Location: 4 ESE Gordonsville / Smith County / TN
Start Lat/Lon: 36.1543 / -85.856

End Date: 03/03/2020
End Time: 01:42 AM CST
End Location: 6 W Baxter / Putnam County / TN
End Lat/Lon: 36.1725 / -85.7559

Survey Summary:
An EF-0 tornado touched down near Club Springs Road just north of
the Caney Fork River, and then moved east-northeast across very
hilly terrain, taking down several trees in the process. Once this
tornado crossed into Putnam County, several homes were impacted.
Damage mainly occurred to the roofs, as well as several
outbuildings on St. Marys Road. The tornado continued to Rock
Springs Road with minor damage occurring to outbuildings, as well
as tree damage, before lifting just west of Stanton Road.

.Tornado #3 - Cookeville EF-4: Putnam County...

Rating: EF4
Estimated Peak Wind: 175 mph
Path Length /statute/: 8.21 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 500.0 yards
Fatalities: 18
Injuries: 88

Start Date: 03/03/2020
Start Time: 01:49 AM CST
Start Location: 2 NW Baxter / Putnam County / TN
Start Lat/Lon: 36.1716 / -85.6618

End Date: 03/03/2020
End Time: 01:57 AM CST
End Location: 1 NW Cookeville / Putnam County / TN
End Lat/Lon: 36.1713 / -85.5156

Survey Summary:
A violent tornado tracked across western and central Putman
County, resulting in numerous destroyed homes, 30-35 of which were
destroyed completely, and caused 88 injuries and 18 fatalities.
The tornado began 2.5 miles NW of Baxter where it produced EF-0
damage for 2.7 miles as it crossed Gainesboro Highway. The tornado
intensified to EF-1 and EF-2 intensity in the Prosperity Pointe
subdivision just north of US 70N/Nashville Highway and further
intensified to EF-3 as it crossed Bloomington Road and Clemmons
Road, severely damaging several homes. The tornado then became
violent for 0.8 miles as it entered the area around McBroom Chapel
Road, where it reached EF-4 intensity, completely destroyed over
a dozen homes, and caused numerous fatalities with the heaviest
damage concentrated on Hensley Drive. EF-4 damage continued
eastward to Echo Valley Drive, where an apartment complex was
completely destroyed. EF-2 and EF-3 damage continued eastward for
2.0 miles, affecting homes along US 70N/W Broad Street, before
rapidly coming to an end near N Franklin Avenue just west of
Cookeville Regional Medical Center.

.Tornado #4 - Goffton EF-0: Putnam County...

Rating: EF0
Estimated Peak Wind: 75 mph
Path Length /statute/: 0.23 miles
Path Width /maximum/: 25.0 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0

Start Date: 03/03/2020
Start Time: 02:05 AM CST
Start Location: 4 SE Cookeville / Putnam County / TN
Start Lat/Lon: 36.1075 / -85.4461

End Date: 03/03/2020
End Time: 02:06 AM CST
End Location: 5 SE Cookeville / Putnam County / TN
End Lat/Lon: 36.1068 / -85.442

Survey Summary:
A very brief and weak EF-0 tornado touched down just off of Highway
70 and Overstreet Drive southeast of Cookeville in the Dry Valley
and Goffton area. Damage was mostly to the roof of one house, metal
garage, and an outbuilding. There were also several trees with large
branches broken off.

EF Scale: The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the
following categories:

EF0...Weak......65 to 85 mph
EF1...Weak......86 to 110 mph
EF2...Strong....111 to 135 mph
EF3...Strong....136 to 165 mph
EF4...Violent...166 to 200 mph
EF5...Violent...>200 mph

NOTE:
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the events and publication in NWS
Storm Data.