Damaging Winds in Tennessee, May 31, 2001

Name: Damaging Winds in Tennessee, May 31, 2001
Start: 2001-05-31T15:50
End: 2001-05-31T19:05
Location: Tennessee

May 31, 2001 · NWS OHX · 10 events in 7 counties and zones

10 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
Property damage: $30,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 10

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at May 31, 1:16 PM CST, 2 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 31, 1:16 PM CST, 2 hours 34 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
145 PM CDT THU MAY 31 2001

FIRST MAJOR FEATURE...H5 LOW OVER IOWA MOVING SLOWLY NORTHEAST WITH
A SHORTWAVE TROUGH THAT EXTENDS SSW THROUGH THE LOWER PLAINS. 2 VORT
FEATURES AHEAD OF THE TROUGH...ONE LOCATED IN THE MEMPHIS AREA AND
THE SECOND ...LESS DEFINED CENTER...IS LOCATED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL
TEXAS. THE CONVECTION OVER WEST TENNESSEE APPEARS TO BE ASSOCIATED
WITH THE VORT CENTER IN THE MEMPHIS AREA.

THE SECOND MAJOR FEATURE...WELL DEFINED H5 LOW OVER
SASKATCHEWAN-MANITOBA BORDER DROPPING SOUTHEASTWARD. MOVEMENT TO THE
SOUTHEAST SHOULD INCREASE AS THE IOWA LOW CONTINUES TO MOVE
NORTHEAST.

AT THE SURFACE...SURFACE LOW IS LOCATED JUST NORTHWEST OF ST LOUIS
MOVING EASTWARD AT 15 KT. A WARM FRONT EXTENDS FROM THE LOW EAST-SOUTHEAST
INTO EASTERN KENTUCKY. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT EXTENDS SOUTHWESTWARD
THROUGH THE LOWER PLAINS INTO NORTH TEXAS.

MODEL PUSH THE SURFACE LOW NORTHEASTWARD INTO THE GREAT LAKES DRAGGING
THE COLD FRONT THROUGH THE MIDSTATE LATER TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY
MORNING. AS THE SASKATCHEWAN LOW DROPS OUT OF CANADA A SECOND FRONT
MOVES TOWARD THE MIDSTATE ON SATURDAY WITH WINDS TURNING BACK TO THE
NORTHWEST BY SATURDAY EVENING. ONLY A BRIEF RESPITE AS ANOTHER SYSTEM
MOVES OUT OF THE PLAINS SUNDAY AND MONDAY.

FWC POPS AND TEMPS LOOK VERY REASONABLE. SELS OUTLOOKED A SLIGHT CHANCE
OF SEVERE. ORIGINALLY THOUGH THAT THIS MIGHT HAPPEN TODAY...BUT...
MORNING CLOUDINESS HAS HELD DOWN TEMPS AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE WONT
DESTABILIZE ENOUGH THIS AFTERNOON...AND...THE WIND PROFILE IS NOT
REALLY CONDUCIVE TO SEVERE. AS THE FRONT APPROACHES TONIGHT...THE WIND
PROFILE SHOULD IMPROVE AND THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED SEVERE
IN THE PRE-FRONTAL CONVECTION. MODELS ARE ONLY PREDICTING ABOUT 20-30KT
OF 0-3 KM SHEAR OVERNIGHT. THUS...I DONT THINK THAT THIS IS ENOUGH OF A
POSSIBILITY TO MENTION IT IN THE ZONE PACKAGE.

BNA BE 063/075 060/075 055 18822
CSV EE 062/070 055/070 050 18951

.BNA...NONE.

JLM

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Perry

When: May 31, 3:50 PM CST
Where: Perry County, 2 mi S of Lobelville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.750, -87.750

Spotter reported a tree, about one foot in diameter, was down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Humphreys

When: May 31, 4:30 PM CST
Where: Humphreys County, 10 mi SSE of Mc Ewen
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 35.983, -87.567

Law enforcement reported trees down in southeast Humphreys county along I-40.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wayne

When: May 31, 4:31 PM CST to 4:38 PM CST
Where: Wayne County, 4 mi E of Waynesboro
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 35.317, -87.700

Trees were down and damage was noted on U.S. Highway 64 and Long Hollow Road to U.S. Highway 64 and the Natchez Trace Parkway. An entire roof section was destroyed on a frame home at the South Forty Eight Creek Community. About 200 yards from this residence, a double wide mobile home was blown off its foundation and destroyed. At U.S. Highway 64 and the Natchez Trace Parkway, another home had its roof severely damaged.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wayne

When: May 31, 4:31 PM CST
Where: Wayne County, 9 mi N of Waynesboro
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 35.433, -87.767

A home was damaged on Highway 48.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lawrence

When: May 31, 4:39 PM CST to 4:40 PM CST
Where: Lawrence County, 13 mi NW of Lawrenceburg
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates: 35.383, -87.483

Trees were down on U.S. Highway 64 and just east of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Lawrence county.A tree fell on the hood of a car, and threw 2 adults in the front seat into the windshield. The 2 were transported to a Lawrenceburg hospital. A child sitting in a child restraint device in the back seat was not injured.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dickson

When: May 31, 5:00 PM CST to 5:10 PM CST
Where: Dickson County, Countywide
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 36.133, -87.350

911 center reported trees and power lines down around the county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Robertson

When: May 31, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Robertson County, Springfield
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.500, -86.883

EMA reported trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Robertson

When: May 31, 6:25 PM CST
Where: Robertson County, Barren Plain
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.600, -86.917

EMA reported trees down. Newspaper article reported trees were down at Orlinda, Adams, Coopertown, and along parts of Kinney Road. Several of these trees blocked roadways and downed power lines.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilson

When: May 31, 6:29 PM CST
Where: Wilson County, 2 mi NE of Lebanon
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.233, -86.267

EMA reported trees down and power poles snapped. There was minor siding damage to an apartment building.

Thunderstorm Wind, Wilson

When: May 31, 7:05 PM CST
Where: Wilson County, Statesville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 36.033, -86.133

EMA reported trees down.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Tennessee in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Tennessee, May 2001

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5249467, 5249468, 5249469, 5249650, 5249649, 5249651, 5249652, 5249653, 5249654, 5249655.