Alert archive / North Carolina / Tornado Warnings in 2026

Tornado Warning 9, NWS Morristown, TN

July 28, 2026Cherokee County, North Carolina; Polk County, Tennessee

NWS Morristown, TN issued this tornado warning at Jul 28, 2026, 8:27 PM EDT for Cherokee County, North Carolina; Polk County, Tennessee. It was in force for 33 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Jul 28, 2026, 8:27 PM EDT (00:27 UTC)
Expired: Jul 28, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT
In force: 33 min
Issued by: NWS Morristown, TN
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 1.5 in

Counties Cherokee County, NC, Polk County, TN

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 147 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:31 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Jul 28, 8:30 PM EDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 E Turtletown, TN	Trees down and quarter size hail.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Jul 28, 1:14 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	8 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 0.5 hours before the alert went out and 195 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1932 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1381 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 108 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.2
Supercell composite: 3.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

012 
WFUS54 KMRX 290027
TORMRX
NCC039-TNC139-290100-
/O.NEW.KMRX.TO.W.0009.260729T0027Z-260729T0100Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Morristown TN
827 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

The National Weather Service in Morristown has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southwestern Cherokee County in southwestern North Carolina...
  Eastern Polk County in east Tennessee...

* Until 900 PM EDT.

* At 827 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located 8 miles north of Ducktown, moving southeast at 35 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and ping pong ball size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...
  Ducktown around 835 PM EDT.

Other locations impacted by this tornadic thunderstorm include
William L. Davenport Refuge, Copperhill, Hot House, and Turtletown.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3520 8449 3523 8438 3499 8420 3499 8441
TIME...MOT...LOC 0027Z 330DEG 31KT 3515 8441 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.50 IN

$$

DGS

1 follow-up statement

968 
WWUS54 KMRX 290055
SVSMRX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Morristown TN
855 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

NCC039-TNC139-290104-
/O.EXP.KMRX.TO.W.0009.000000T0000Z-260729T0100Z/
Cherokee NC-Polk TN-
855 PM EDT Tue Jul 28 2026

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN CHEROKEE AND EASTERN POLK
COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 900 PM EDT...

The tornado threat has diminished and the Tornado Warning has been
cancelled. However, large hail and damaging winds remain likely and a
Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect for the area.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM EDT for
southwestern North Carolina...and east Tennessee.

Remember, a Severe Thunderstorm Warning still remains in effect for
eastern Polk and western Cherokee counties until 9 PM EDT.

&&

LAT...LON 3520 8449 3523 8438 3499 8420 3499 8441
TIME...MOT...LOC 0054Z 330DEG 31KT 3495 8427 

$$

DGS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 28, 8:06 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Cherokee	54 min
Jul 28, 8:11 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	MRX	Clay	34 min
Jul 28, 8:23 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	MRX	Cherokee, Clay	2 hr
Jul 28, 8:42 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MRX	Polk	48 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in North Carolina, 2026 Tornado Warnings in Tennessee, 2026 Every tornado warning in 2026 Tornadoes in 2026

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.