Alert archive / Tennessee / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1991

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 13, NWS Nashville, TN

March 22, 1991DeKalb County, Putnam County, Tennessee

NWS Nashville, TN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 22, 1991, 7:53 PM CST for DeKalb County, Putnam County, Tennessee. It was in force for 67 min. 2 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Mar 22, 1991, 7:53 PM CST (01:53 UTC)
Expired
Mar 22, 1991, 9:00 PM CST
In force
67 min
Issued by
NWS Nashville, TN
Area
Whole counties

Counties DeKalb County, TN, Putnam County, TN

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 22, 8:00 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Dekalb, TN
Mar 22, 8:00 PM CSTThunderstorm Wind 0Putnam, TN

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 84 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1991-03-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 581 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 1991-03-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 394 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
581 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-35 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1260 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
66 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
394 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
582 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.7
Supercell composite
6.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KBNA 230159
SVRBNA
TNC041-141-230300-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
753 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NASHVILLE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  900 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE
 
   ...DEKALB COUNTY...PUTNAM COUNTY
 
AT 750 PM A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS OVER WESTERN DEKALB COUNTY MOVING
TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT 55 MILES AN HOUR. THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WILL MOVE ACROSS DEKALB COUNTY AND INTO PUTNAM COUNTY WITHIN THE NEXT
HOUR. A FUNNEL CLOUD AND WIND DAMAGE WAS REPORTED IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY
FROM THIS SAME THUNDERSTORM  HAIL AND STRONG WINDS WERE ALSO
REPORTED NEAR ALEXANDRIA, TENNESSEE.
 
TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
 
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55
MPH...DESTRUCTIVE HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN.
FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 22, 4:40 PM CST, 3 hours 13 minutes before
TNZ010-011-222345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
438 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991

AT 430 PM CST...THE WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN NASHVILLE INDICATED
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS..SEVERAL WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN..OVER THE
NORTHWEST CORNER OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE NEAR CLARKSVILLE AND DOVER.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MILES AN HOUR.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN WERE ALSO OVER SOUTH CENTRAL
KENTUCKY BETWEEN LAKE BARKLEY..HOPKINSVILLE AND BOWLING GREEN..AND..
IN WEST TENNESSEE FROM PARIS TO HUNTINGDON AND JACKSON.

IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAIN..THESE THUNDERSTORMS CAN PRODUCE DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING..WIND GUSTS TO 40 MILES AN HOU+R AND POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL.

ALSO...PERSONS IN MIDDLE TENNESSEEE ARE REMINDED THAT TORNADO WATCH
NUMBER 56 IS EFFECT TILL 9 PM CST.
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 5:46 PM CST, 2 hours 7 minutes before
TNZ009-010-011-230045-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
543 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991

AT 530 PM CST...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN NASHVILLE INDICATED
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS..WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN..OVER THE WESTERN
PORTION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE FROM DOVER AND CLARKSVILLE..SOUTHWEST
TO WAVERLY AND LINDEN.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MILES AN HOUR.

IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAIN..THESE STORMS CONTAIN DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
..POSSIBLE SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS NEAR 40 MILES AN HOUR.

ALSO...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS OVER MUCH OF SOUTH
CENTRAL KENTUCKY FROM LAKE BARKLEY TO BOWLING GREEN..AND..IN WEST
TENNESSEE BETWEEN PARIS..CAMDEN AND SAVANNAH.

..TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 56 IS IN EFFECT FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE UNTIL
9 PM.
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 6:46 PM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes before
TNZ007-008-009-010-011-230145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
644 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991

AT 630 PM CST...NASHVILLE RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...
WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...BETWEEN NASHVILLE...
DICKSON...AND COLUMBIA IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.  SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
WERE ALSO JUST SOUTHWEST OF FORT CAMPBELL AND 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF
BOWLING GREEN IN SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MILES AN HOUR.

IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHNING...THESE THUNDERSTORMS
MAY HAVE SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40 MILES AN HOUR.

ALSO...SCATTERED SHOWERS CONTINUED OVER WESTERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND
SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY.

...THE TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 56 IS IN EFFECT FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE UNTIL
9 PM.
Special weather statement, Mar 22, 7:49 PM CST, 4 minutes before
TNZ007-008-009-010-011-230245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
746 PM CST FRI MAR 22 1991

AT 730 PM CST...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN NASHVILLE INDICATED A LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING BETWEEN
LEBANON...COLUMBIA...AND LAWRENCEBERG IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.  ANOTHER
THUNDERSTORM WAS IN SOUTH CENTRAL KENTUCKY BETWEEN GLASGOW AND
CAMPBELLSVILLE.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 60 MILES AN HOUR.

IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...THESE THUNDERSTOMS
MAY HAVE SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 40 MILES AN HOUR.

SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE ALSO CONTINUING OVER MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND
SOUTH C{ENTRAL KENTUCKY.

A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES TO BE IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE
AND SOUTHERN KENTUCKY.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Nashville, TN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 22, 6:05 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXCheatham, Williamson40 min
Mar 22, 6:05 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXMaury40 min
Mar 22, 6:16 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXDavidson, Robertson44 min
Mar 22, 6:16 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXMarshall44 min
Mar 22, 7:05 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXMarshall, Rutherford40 min
Mar 22, 7:05 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXDavidson40 min
Mar 22, 7:28 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXWilson47 min
Mar 22, 8:07 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXGiles, Lawrence68 min
Mar 22, 8:39 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXBedford, Marshall51 min
Mar 22, 10:07 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXWarren53 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Tennessee, 1991Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1991

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.