Alert archive / Tennessee / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026

Flash Flood Warning 18, NWS Nashville, TN

July 16, 2026Rutherford County, Tennessee

NWS Nashville, TN issued this flash flood warning at Jul 16, 2026, 8:29 PM CDT for Rutherford County, Tennessee. It was in force for 2 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
Jul 16, 2026, 8:29 PM CDT (01:29 UTC)
Expired
Jul 16, 2026, 10:30 PM CDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Nashville, TN
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Rutherford County, TN

The radar

The Nashville radar (KOHX), 48 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:29 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

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 38 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 2026-07-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1311 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 2026-07-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -23 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1311 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-22 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1196 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
20 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

864 
WGUS54 KOHX 170129
FFWOHX
TNC149-170330-
/O.NEW.KOHX.FF.W.0018.260717T0129Z-260717T0330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Nashville TN
829 PM CDT Thu Jul 16 2026

The National Weather Service in Nashville has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Central Rutherford County in middle Tennessee...

* Until 1030 PM CDT.

* At 829 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated nearly stationary 
  thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 
  1.5 and 2 inches of rain have fallen. 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...
  Murfreesboro and Walterhill.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3593 8631 3588 8629 3582 8627 3573 8624
      3568 8636 3587 8647 3593 8645 3595 8638

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

Clements

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 Jul 16, 6:13 PM CDT, 2 hours 16 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Updated at 603 PM CDT Thu Jul 16 2026
  • Daily rounds of storms will continue through the weekend. Strong winds gusts and heavy rain causing localized flooding are possible in stronger storms.
  • Temperatures will warm with heat indices in the low-100s west of the Plateau Friday into early next week.
  • Tuesday will be the hottest day of the period with heat indices nearing or exceeding 105 degrees for most of the area.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 16, 6:13 PM CDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Nashville TN
613 PM CDT Thu Jul 16 2026

...New UPDATE, AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 603 PM CDT Thu Jul 16 2026

- Daily rounds of storms will continue through the weekend. Strong
  winds gusts and heavy rain causing localized flooding are possible
  in stronger storms.

- Temperatures will warm with heat indices in the low-100s west
  of the Plateau Friday into early next week.

- Tuesday will be the hottest day of the period with heat indices
  nearing or exceeding 105 degrees for most of the area.

&&

.UPDATE...
Issued at 603 PM CDT Thu Jul 16 2026

Another day, another crop of showers and thunderstorms. Isolated
showers are still ongoing at this hour, but today's activity
hasn't been that impressive with only a little lightning produced.
This activity will wane once the sun sets, giving us a mainly
quiet night. Fog will once again be a concern though, particularly
for areas that have received rain today. Look for additional
showers & storms to develop by tomorrow afternoon with the typical
summertime hazards of lightning and brief heavy rain.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Rest of today through Friday)
Issued at 1108 AM CDT Thu Jul 16 2026

Largely a persistence forecast is underway for Middle Tennessee.
Weak synoptic forcing coupled with high moisture content (PWATs
around 2 inches, above the 90th percentile for mid July) has
sparked typical summertime convection. These are very slow-moving
showers and storms due to the weak steering flow, so localized
flooding will be a risk with any heavy downpours. Temperatures
will hold steady near normal today, but be on the lookout for a
warmer pattern change starting Friday. As a 594 dam midlevel ridge
starts to encroach on the southeastern CONUS Friday afternoon,
temperatures begin their slow climb.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Friday Night through next Thursday)
Issued at 1108 AM CDT Thu Jul 16 2026

We should stay below Heat Advisory criteria (heat index of 105F+)
through the weekend, but will start seeing more frequent heat
indices in the triple digits. PoPs are also on the rise this
weekend as a result of a few shortwave systems embedded in the
main flow. A more noteworthy feature is forecast to sweep through
Saturday evening, bringing a wave of showers and perhaps a few
stronger thunderstorms through Middle Tennessee. Initial look at
the parameter space indicates a very weakly sheared environment,
suggesting our primary threat will be damaging winds on the
storms' outflows. Lapse rates look quite poor (around 5 degC/km),
mitigating the hail threat. Much of the area will see some type
of precipitation as this feature moves through late Saturday
night, but the bulk of the severe weather threat will be confined
to areas along and east of I-24.

The hottest day of the forecast period certainly looks to be
Tuesday; midlevel ridging combined with an approaching frontal
boundary at the surface will most likely cause muggy air to pool
along the south side of the front on Tuesday afternoon. This will
lead to dangerous heat and humidity sending heat indices at or
above 105 degrees on Tuesday, so we will be monitoring the need
for heat headlines. After this front passes, temperatures finally
return to near normal in the upper 80s for the remainder of the
week.

&&

.AVIATION...
(00Z TAFS)
Issued at 603 PM CDT Thu Jul 16 2026

Isolated showers & storms will diminish around 01Z. Light
southwest winds will continue overnight with patchy fog
developing, resulting in MVFR to IFR conditions. Highest
confidence in fog impacts are at SRB and CSV. Any fog that does
develop will diminish between 12Z and 14Z. Another round of
isolated to scattered showers & storms will develop by early
Friday afternoon and introduced PROB30 groups for each terminal.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Nashville      74  90  74  91 /  10  60  20  50
Clarksville    73  89  74  91 /  20  50  10  40
Crossville     70  85  69  84 /  20  60  20  80
Columbia       72  90  72  91 /  10  60  20  50
Cookeville     72  86  71  86 /  20  50  40  80
Jamestown      71  86  70  85 /  20  60  30  80
Lawrenceburg   71  88  71  89 /  10  70  20  60
Murfreesboro   73  90  73  91 /  10  70  30  70
Waverly        72  89  73  90 /  10  50  10  30

&&

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

UPDATE.......Clements
SHORT TERM...Dirkes
LONG TERM....Dirkes
AVIATION.....Clements

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 16, 7:54 PM CDT, 35 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Nashville TN
754 PM CDT Thu Jul 16 2026

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

0750 PM     Flash Flood      4 ESE Livingston        36.38N 85.25W
07/16/2026                   Overton            TN   911 Call Center

            Flooding of the roadway reported along
            Jamestown Highway near Conatser Lane.

&&

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 16, 7:17 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXOverton118 min
Jul 17, 2:09 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXLawrence3 hr
Jul 17, 3:33 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXCheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Hickman, Maury, Williamson3 hr
Jul 17, 4:05 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOHXDavidson40 min
Jul 17, 4:05 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOHXCoffee40 min
Jul 17, 4:17 PM CDTSpecial Weather StatementOHXCumberland43 min
Jul 17, 4:40 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXCheatham, Dickson, Montgomery, Robertson3 hr
Jul 17, 5:34 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXCumberland, Fentress, Overton, Putnam2 hr
Jul 17, 6:43 PM CDTFlash Flood WarningOHXDeKalb, Jackson, Putnam, Van Buren, White3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Tennessee, 2026Every flash flood warning 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.