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The Nashville Tornado Outbreak of 1998 occurred on April 16, 1998. On that day, at least ten tornadoes swept through Middle Tennessee—three of them touching down in Nashville, causing significant damage to the downtown and East Nashville areas. Nashville became the first major city in nearly 20 years to have a tornado make a direct hit in the downtown area.John D. Gordon, Bobby Boyd, Mark A. Rose, and Jason B. Wright (2000). "The Forgotten F5: The Lawrence County Supercell", National Weather Service paper. Visited May 8, 2005.
In addition, the outbreak produced several other destructive tornadoes in Middle Tennessee. One of them, southwest of Nashville, was an F5 tornado—one of only two ever recorded in the state.
Remarkably, only four people were killed in the outbreak.
This tornado outbreak occurred at the end of the record-setting 1997-1998 El Niño event.
Confirmed Tornadoes
| F# | Location | County | Time (UTC) | Path length | Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | ||||||
| F3 | SE of Tidwell | Dickson | 1210 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | ||
| F3 | Adams area | Montgomery, Robertson | 1518 | 8.3 miles (13.4 km) | ||
| F0 | SE of Buffalo | Humphreys | 1705 | 0.5 mile (800 m) | ||
| F2 | E of Willette | Macon | 1735 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | ||
| F0 | NE of Pegram | Cheatham | 2015 | 1 mile (1.6 km) | ||
| F3 | Nashville area (1st tornado) | Davidson, Wilson, Trousdale | 2030 | 32 miles (51 km) | 1 death - Main Nashville tornado - See section on this tornado | |
| F2 | Nashville area (2nd tornado) | Davidson, Wilson | 2120 | 28 miles (46 km) | See section on this tornado | |
| F5 | Clifton to Culleoka | Wayne, Lawrence, Giles, Maury | 2150 | 62.5 miles (100 km) | 3 deaths - Homes were completely wiped off their foundation and debris scattered. Considered one of only two F5's to have ever occurred in Tennessee (the other being in Pinson, Tennessee in 1923).US F4, F5 Tornadoes Since 1900. Visited April 4, 2006. | |
| F2 | Nashville area (3rd tornado) | Davidson | 2215 | 1 miles (1.6 km) | See section on this tornado | |
| F3 | Byrdstown area | Pickett | 2235 | 8.6 miles (13.8 km) | ||
| Source: Middle Tennessee Tornadoes | ||||||
Nashville tornadoes
The storm first crossed into Nashville at around 3:30 p.m. (CDT), moving from west to east across the city. Of the three tornadoes that hit Nashville, one was rated F3 on the Fujita scale, and the other two were rated F2. The F3 tornado touched down near the intersection of Charlotte Pike and Forty-sixth Avenue and travelled directly through downtown. After crossing the Cumberland River, it passed through East Nashville, Donelson, and Hermitage before finally lifting near Hartsville in Trousdale County.Mark A. Rose. "The Nashville Tornado of March 14, 1933". Visited August 12, 2004.
At least 100 people were injured by the storm."Tornadoes rip through heart of Nashville" from CNN.com. Visited August 12, 2004. Vanderbilt University student Kevin Longinotti was trapped under a fallen tree in Centennial Park and later died from his injuries.Ian Demsky. "Tornado sirens go unheard in many areas". The Tennessean, June 9, 2004. Nearly 300 buildings were damaged in the storm including the Tennessee State Capitol. At least two buildings collapsed and numerous cars were crushed by debris. Several cranes at the construction site of the Tennessee Titans' new stadium (now known as LP Field) were damaged. Total property damage within Nashville was estimated at over $100 million.NCDC Event Record for Nashville F3 tornado. Visited April 11, 2006.
See also
- List of tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- April 6-8, 2006 Tornado Outbreak - 9 fatalities in the Nashville area.
References
External links
- Satellite imagery (University of Wisconsin-Madison).
- Photos of the aftermath in East Nashville (archived)
1998 meteorology | Historic tornadoes in the United States | History of Nashville | Natural history of Tennessee
"Nashville Tornado of 1998"