Alert archive / Tennessee / Tornado Warnings in 1995

Tornado Warning 23, NWS Nashville, TN

May 18, 1995Bedford County, Rutherford County, Tennessee

NWS Nashville, TN issued this tornado warning at May 18, 1995, 4:26 PM CDT for Bedford County, Rutherford County, Tennessee. It was in force for 49 min. 1 report 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
May 18, 1995, 4:26 PM CDT (21:26 UTC)
Expired
May 18, 1995, 5:15 PM CDT
In force
49 min
Issued by
NWS Nashville, TN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Bedford County, TN, Rutherford County, TN

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 18, 4:55 PM CDTTornado F0Eagleville To, TNThe tornado first touched down in Eagleville where it ripped the roof off of one house and produced minor damage to a second house. The tornado skipped along and damaged three homes and one business in Rockvale. One person was injured in Eagleville and three

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 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 52 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 1995-05-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1151 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 12:00Z on 1995-05-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 178 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
1151 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
674 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
178 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
189 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.3
Supercell composite
4.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KBNA 182126
TORBNA
TNC003-149-182215-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
426 PM CDT THU MAY 18 1995
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NASHVILLE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  515 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE
 
   ...NORTHERN BEDFORD COUNTY...RUTHERFORD COUNTY
 
AT 420 PM CDT...A TORNADO WAS LOCATED JUST EAST OF SPRING HILL....MOVING
EAST NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. THIS TORNADO WILL PASS NEAR MURFREESBORO BY
530 PM CDT THIS EVENING.
 
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 COVER 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

Local storm report, May 18, 1:59 PM CDT, 2 hours 27 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
200 PM CDT THU MAY 18 1995

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....  STATE...EVENT/REMARKS...
DATE       ....COUNTY LOCATION....

1158 AM    DICKSON COUNTY           TN    TREE FELL ON HOUSE AT WHITE
05/18/95                                  BLUFF.

1225 PM    DAVIDSON COUNTY          TN    EMA REPORTED TREES...TELEPHONE
05/18/95                                  POLES AND WIRES DOWN.

1227 PM    DAVIDSON COUNTY          TN    METRO EOC REPORTED FUNNEL
05/18/95                                  CLOUD/TORNADO AT MADISON.
                                          WIND GUST TO 65 MPH REPORTED
                                          BY STORM SPOTTER IN THE CITY
                                          OF NASHVILLE.

1230-1245 PM  DAVIDSON COUNTY       TN    DAMAGE AT RIVERGATE MALL:
05/18/95                                  SEARS LOST ROOF. ROOF CAVED
                                          IN AT 84 LUMBER. BACK WALL
                                          OF TARGET DEPT STORE
                                          DEMOLISHED. CARS AND A CAMPER
                                          OVERTURNED. STOP SIGN DRIVEN
                                          INTO THE BACK OF A JEEP
                                          CHEROKEE BY HIGH WIND.
                                          CONSTRUCTION SCAFFOLDING
                                          BLOWN DOWN AT CASTNER KNOTT.
                                          SHEET METAL WRAPPED AROUND
                                          HIGH TENSION POWER LINES
                                          AND ASSOCIATED TOWERS.
                                          THESE REPORTS RECEIVED
                                          BY SHERIFF'S OFFICE...HAM
                                          OPERATORS AND PUBLIC.

1252  PM        HENDERSONVILLE     TN     POSSIBLE TORNADO REPORTEDLY
05/18/95        SUMNER COUNTY             CAUSED DAMAGE...INCLUDING
                                          BENT HIGH TENSION TOWERS
                                          AND DOWNED TREES AND POWER
                                          LINES.

APPR. 1 PM CDT   WESTMORELAND       TN    DAMAGE TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL...
05/18/95                                  ALONG WITH INJURIES.

APPR 1225 PM CDT   MOUNT JULIET  TN       POSSIBLE TORNADO. LARGE
05/18/95           WILSON COUNTY          TREE FNELL ON HOUSE.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 18, 6:10 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXWilliamson65 min
May 18, 9:14 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXHickman, Humphreys, Perry4 hr
May 18, 9:14 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXDickson, Houston, Montgomery4 hr
May 18, 9:58 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXDavidson, Robertson, Sumner3 hr
May 18, 9:58 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXCheatham, Williamson3 hr
May 18, 10:53 AM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXStewart3 hr
May 18, 11:53 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXCheatham37 min
May 18, 12:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXWilliamson28 min
May 18, 12:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXDavidson65 min
May 18, 12:24 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXDavidson13 min
May 18, 12:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXSumner62 min
May 18, 12:30 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXWilson60 min
May 18, 12:43 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXSumner32 min
May 18, 12:47 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXTrousdale43 min
May 18, 1:00 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXMacon33 min
May 18, 1:12 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXSmith21 min
May 18, 1:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXClay, Jackson57 min
May 18, 1:36 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXClay39 min
May 18, 3:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXDickson, Montgomery42 min
May 18, 3:12 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXHickman, Lewis63 min
May 18, 3:32 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXMaury43 min
May 18, 3:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXPerry, Wayne52 min
May 18, 3:54 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXPerry, Wayne51 min
May 18, 3:58 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXStewart32 min
May 18, 4:03 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXMarshall, Williamson42 min
May 18, 4:14 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXMaury31 min
May 18, 4:25 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXLawrence, Lewis50 min
May 18, 4:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXHouston, Humphreys64 min
May 18, 4:41 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXStewart64 min
May 18, 4:52 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXGiles, Maury68 min
May 18, 5:00 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXCannon45 min
May 18, 5:13 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXMarshall47 min
May 18, 5:20 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXDeKalb, Warren40 min
May 18, 5:27 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXDickson48 min
May 18, 5:41 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXLincoln64 min
May 18, 5:45 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXCheatham45 min
May 18, 5:48 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXWhite42 min
May 18, 5:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXBedford41 min
May 18, 5:56 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXBedford49 min
May 18, 5:59 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXRobertson61 min
May 18, 6:11 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXLawrence, Lewis49 min
May 18, 6:15 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXFranklin60 min
May 18, 6:22 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXCoffee53 min
May 18, 6:24 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXFranklin51 min
May 18, 6:36 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXCheatham, Dickson, Williamson54 min
May 18, 6:38 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXWarren52 min
May 18, 6:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXDavidson45 min
May 18, 6:51 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXDavidson54 min
May 18, 6:53 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXWilson67 min
May 18, 6:58 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXGiles, Maury62 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 1995Every tornado warning in 1995Tornadoes in 1995

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.