Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Warnings in 1993

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Morristown, TN

February 21, 1993Loudon County, Tennessee

NWS Morristown, TN issued this tornado warning at Feb 21, 1993, 5:16 PM EST for Loudon County, Tennessee. It was in force for 29 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 21, 1993, 5:16 PM EST (22:16 UTC)
Expired
Feb 21, 1993, 5:45 PM EST
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Morristown, TN
Area
Whole counties

County Loudon County, TN

The nearest sounding before it

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 211 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 12:00Z on 1993-02-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 12:00Z on 1993-02-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 442 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
649 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
442 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
498 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KTYS 212217
TORTYS
TNC105-212245-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE TN
516 PM EST SUN FEB 21 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN KNOXVILLE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  545 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION......
 
IN EAST CENTRAL TENNESSEE
 
   ...LOUDON COUNTY
 
A TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN LOUDON COUNTY ON
I-75 NEAR LENOIR CITY.
 
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COrVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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, Feb 21, 11:47 AM EST, 5 hours 29 minutes before
TNZ008-211845-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE TN
1145 AM EST (1045 AM CST) SUN FEB 21 1993

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR
MIDDLE EAST TENNESSEE UNTIL 6 PM EST.

THE EFFECTED COUNTIES IN MIDDLE EAST TENNESSEE ARE

.....FENTRESS AND PICKETT.....

PERSONS IN AND AROUND THE WATCH AREA NEED TO KEEP CLOSE WATCH FOR
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS,  AND BE READY TO TAKE QUICK ACTION
FOR PROTECTION.

REM
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 1:13 PM EST, 4 hours 3 minutes before
TNZ008-212015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE TN
112 PM EST (1212 PM CST) SUN FEB 21 1993

.....TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST...

WEATHER SERVICE RADARS SHOWED SCATTERED MAINLY LIGHT TO MODERATE SHOWERS
BETWEEN KNOXVILLE AND OAK RIDGE MOVING NORTHEASTERLY AT ABOUT 45 MPH.

THE WEATHER PATTERNS ARE PRIME FOR THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY.  TWO FRONTS
LOCATED IN ARKANSAS AND MISSISSIPPI COMBINED WITH COLD AIR ALOFT AND
AN ABUNDANT SUPPLY OF MOSITURE FROM THE GULF IS CREATING PLENTY OF
THUNDERSTORMS IN THOSE STATES AND IN WESTERN TENNESSEE.  WE EXPECT AN
INCREASE IN ACTIVITY AS THE DAY PROGRESSES.

AT THIS TIME FENTRESS AND PICKETT COUNTIES ARE IN THE TORNADO WATCH AREA
AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS AREA COULD EXPAND AS THE DAY GOES ON.

PERSONS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATNING WEATHER CONDITIONS WITH
THE POSSIBILITY OF HIGH WINDS...LARGE HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND THE
OCCURRENCES OF TORNADOES.  BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO SHELTER QUICKLY IF A
WARNING IS ISSUED.
REM
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 3:08 PM EST, 2 hours 8 minutes before
TNZ002-004-008-212215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE KNOXVILLE TN
307 PM EST (207 PM CST) SUN FEB 21 1993

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF MIDDLE EAST TENNESSEE... ...WIND
ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF TENNESSEE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

AT 3 PM EST WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ONTO
THE WEST EDGE OF THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU. PUTNAM COUNTY SHERIFF'S
OFFICE REPORTED SEVERAL TORNADOES ON THE GROUND AND A TORNADO WARNING
IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 330 PM EST FOR PUTNAM COUNTY.

RESIDENTS ALONG THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU AND MIDDLE EAST TENNESSEE
BE ALERT FOR SEVERE WEATHER MOVING RAPIDLY FROM WEST TO EAST THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.

IF YOU OBSERVE THREATENING WEATHER MOVE TO A STURDY BUILDING AND
MOVE TO THE LOWEST FLOOR AND INTERIOR HALLWAY.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION...PLEASE HEED ANY WARNINGS THAT ARE
ISSUED.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 3:52 PM EST, 1 hour 24 minutes before
GAZ001-TNZ003-005-006-212200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHATTANOOGA TN
350 PM EST SUN FEB 21 1993

...A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE 800 PM EST...

AT 350 PM RADAR WAS DETECTING A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM LINCOLN
TENNESSEE COUNTY THAT EXTENDED NORTHEAST TO CAMPBELL COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN NORTHEAST VAN BUREN COUNTY AND CUMBERLAND
COUNTIES TENNESSEE.

TORNADOS WERE REPORTED NEAR SPARTA AND IN COOKVILLE TENNESSEE.  THE
STORMS WERE MOVING EAST 30 MILES AN HOUR.

THESE ARE VERY DANGEROUS STORMS. PERSONS LIVING IN SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE
SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS AND BE PREPARED
TO TAKE ACTION IF NECESSARY.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR UPDATES
AS NEEDED.
Special weather statement, Feb 21, 4:01 PM EST, 1 hour 15 minutes before
GAZ001-TNZ003-005-006-212200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION FOR WORDING...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHATTANOOGA TN
350 PM EST SUN FEB 21 1993

...A TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE 800 PM EST...

AT 350 PM RADAR WAS DETECTING A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM LINCOLN
COUNTY TENNESSEE THAT EXTENDED NORTHEAST TO CAMPBELL COUNTY.  THE STRONGEST
THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN NORTHEAST VAN BUREN COUNTY AND CUMBERLAND
COUNTIES TENNESSEE.

TORNADOS WERE REPORTED NEAR SPARTA AND IN COOKVILLE TENNESSEE.  THE
STORMS WERE MOVING EAST 30 MILES AN HOUR.

THESE ARE VERY DANGEROUS STORMS. PERSONS LIVING IN SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE
SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS AND BE PREPARED
TO TAKE ACTION IF NECESSARY.  STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR UPDATES
AS NEEDED.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 21, 3:33 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXCumberland42 min
Feb 21, 4:12 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXMorgan, Roane63 min
Feb 21, 4:29 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXAnderson31 min
Feb 21, 4:38 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXKnox37 min
Feb 21, 4:52 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXLoudon, Roane38 min
Feb 21, 5:08 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXKnox37 min
Feb 21, 5:25 PM ESTTornado WarningMRXBlount20 min
Feb 21, 5:53 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRXMonroe37 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 1993Every tornado warning in 1993Tornadoes in 1993

Sources

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