Alert archive / Tennessee / Flash Flood Warnings in 2025

Flash Flood Warning 67, NWS Nashville, TN

May 20, 2025Van Buren County, Warren County, Tennessee

NWS Nashville, TN issued this flash flood warning at May 20, 2025, 7:02 PM CDT for Van Buren County, Warren County, Tennessee. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 20, 2025, 7:02 PM CDT (00:02 UTC)
Expired
May 20, 2025, 10:00 PM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Nashville, TN
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Van Buren County, TN, Warren County, TN

The radar

The Nashville radar (KOHX), 100 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:02 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 0.0 hours before the alert went out and 287 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2025-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 735 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2025-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 82 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
735 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1407 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
82 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
124 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
5.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

196 
WGUS54 KOHX 210002
FFWOHX
TNC175-177-210300-
/O.NEW.KOHX.FF.W.0067.250521T0002Z-250521T0300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Nashville TN
Issued by National Weather Service Morristown TN
702 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025

The National Weather Service in Nashville has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Northwestern Van Buren County in middle Tennessee...
  Central Warren County in middle Tennessee...

* Until 1000 PM CDT.

* At 702 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or 
  expected to begin shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar.

  IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban
           areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as
           other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  McMinnville and Spencer.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood 
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are 
potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded 
roads. Find an alternate route.

Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law 
enforcement and request they pass this information to the National 
Weather Service when you can do so safely.

&&

LAT...LON 3579 8588 3580 8563 3580 8561 3579 8560
      3581 8560 3580 8559 3581 8558 3580 8555
      3580 8553 3581 8553 3581 8552 3581 8550
      3582 8548 3572 8541 3562 8585

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

Holley

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Nashville, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at May 20, 6:20 PM CDT, 42 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Updated at 620 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025
  • There is an enhanced risk (level 3 out of 5) for severe storms today. All modes of severe weather are possible, including damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes.
  • Cooler temperatures move over the area Wednesday and through early next week along with some chances for showers and thunderstorms through the weekend.
Area forecast discussion, May 20, 6:20 PM CDT, 42 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Nashville TN
Issued by National Weather Service Morristown TN
620 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 620 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025

- There is an enhanced risk (level 3 out of 5) for severe storms
  today. All modes of severe weather are possible, including
  damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes.

- Cooler temperatures move over the area Wednesday and through
  early next week along with some chances for showers and
  thunderstorms through the weekend.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Rest of today through Wednesday)
Issued at 1055 AM CDT Tue May 20 2025

Our previously forecasted morning/early afternoon showers and
thunderstorms are moving through Middle TN. As expected, the
environment is not quite primed enough for any widespread severe
storms. At this time, biggest impacts with any of these storms
look to be gusty winds and heavy downpours as the line of storms
arrive.

We continue to monitor the severe threat with another round of
storms is forecasted to impact our area later this afternoon through
the evening. The question is, how much is the atmosphere going to
recover from this mornings convection before the next round.
Satellite imagery shows a sharp gradient of clear skies over W TN,
just behind this mornings convection. This dry slot is expected to
push east ahead of our advancing mid-level trough. As it does so,
surface instability should increase. Additionally, strong deep-
layer shear and surface to mid-level lapse rates will increase through
the late afternoon. With these factors in place, this afternoon
and evening's convection will have a better potential for severe
storms.

Storms move out of the area by 10 pm tonight, ushering in cooler
and dryer air. Wednesday looks reasonably dry with highs in the
upper 70s. Late Wednesday night, a shortwave lifts to the NE and
brings increasing showers and thunderstorm chances across the SW.
Not seeing any severe storm concerns with these at this time.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Wednesday Night through next Tuesday)
Issued at 1055 AM CDT Tue May 20 2025

Thursday and Friday remain mostly dry as a ridge builds to the
SW. Cooler temperatures also stick around with highs in the 70s.
Middle TN will remain on the backside of the ridge by the weekend
with a short wave rolling over the ridge Sunday. This will
introduce better rain chances back into the forecast, sticking
around through early next week.

&&

.AVIATION...
(00Z TAFS)
Issued at 620 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025

A line of TSRA is currently moving west to east across the area
this evening. This will cause issues with ceilings and vsbys in
the initial TAF period. Once this clears (before 06z), ceilings
should lift and stay in VFR conditions for the remainder of the
TAF period.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Nashville      64  81  60  77 /  60   0  20  20
Clarksville    60  78  58  74 /  40   0  10  10
Crossville     61  73  54  70 /  80  10  20  30
Columbia       61  80  59  77 /  50   0  50  20
Cookeville     62  75  56  71 /  80   0  20  30
Jamestown      60  74  53  70 /  90   0  20  40
Lawrenceburg   61  79  58  77 /  60   0  40  20
Murfreesboro   63  80  58  77 /  70   0  30  20
Waverly        57  78  57  74 /  40   0  30  10

&&

.OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

SHORT TERM...Cravens
LONG TERM....Cravens
AVIATION.....Holley

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 20, 6:30 PM CDT, 32 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Nashville TN
630 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0620 PM     Flash Flood      1 WSW Franklin          35.92N 86.87W
05/20/2025                   Williamson         TN   Emergency Mngr

            Several roads reported closed across
            Williamson County due to heavy rain.

&&
Local storm report, May 20, 6:40 PM CDT, 22 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Nashville TN
640 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0620 PM     Flash Flood      2 NNE Berry Hill        36.15N 86.75W
05/20/2025                   Davidson           TN   Public

            Flooding reported in the Nashville metro
            area from heavy rain.

&&
Local storm report, May 20, 6:46 PM CDT, 16 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Nashville TN
646 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0644 PM     Flash Flood      6 ESE Franklin          35.88N 86.75W
05/20/2025                   Williamson         TN   Public

            Flooding reported on Trinity Road at Highway
            96.

&&
Local storm report, May 20, 6:48 PM CDT, 14 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Nashville TN
648 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0644 PM     Flash Flood      5 NW College Grove      35.85N 86.73W
05/20/2025                   Williamson         TN   Public

            Flooding reported on Lampkin Bridge Road.

&&
Local storm report, May 20, 6:49 PM CDT, 13 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Nashville TN
649 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0643 PM     Flash Flood      5 WSW Franklin          35.89N 86.93W
05/20/2025                   Williamson         TN   Public

            Flooding reported on Southhall Road in
            Franklin.

&&
Local storm report, May 20, 6:55 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Nashville TN
655 PM CDT Tue May 20 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0545 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     7 WSW Bon Aqua          35.91N 87.45W
05/20/2025                   Hickman            TN   Public

            Tree down on home on Keys Branch Road near
            Bon Aqua.

&&

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 7:06 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXCannon, Coffee, Grundy, Van Buren, Warren54 min
May 20, 7:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXCumberland, Fentress, Jackson, Overton, Pickett, Putnam and 1 more62 min
May 20, 7:53 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXCumberland, Van Buren, White3 hr
May 20, 7:53 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXCumberland25 min
May 20, 8:00 PM CDTTornado WarningOHXCumberland, Van Buren45 min
May 20, 8:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningOHXFentress, Pickett20 min
May 21, 5:12 AM CDTRiver Flood AdvisoryOHXDavidson, Williamson19 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Tennessee, 2025Every flash flood warning in 2025

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.