Tennessee, 2002

Hail and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, April 24, 2002

April 24, 2002 · NWS OHX · 19 events in 7 counties and zones

10 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail, 1 lightning, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$185,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
19

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 Apr 24, 8:45 AM CST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 24, 8:45 AM CST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
945 AM CDT WED APR 24 2002

OHX DOPPLER SHOWING SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHERN THIRD OF
MID STATE AT 1445Z. QUITE A BIT OF LIGHTNING IN STORMS AROUND
KENTUCKY LAKE AND IN THE CLARKSVILLE AREAS.

FEEL TEMPS WILL JUMP ONCE WARM FRONT SLIPS NORTHWARD A LITTE MORE.
TEMPS ALREADY IN UPPER 60S ACROSS SOUTHERN AREAS.

PLAINS COLD FRONT RUNNING DOWN THROUGH EASTERN IOWA INTO EASTERN
KANSAS AND WILL MAKE A RUN AT MID STATE LATER TODAY. FRONT GETS INTO
CENTRAL MISSOURI BY EARLY AFTERNOON AND INTO MID STATE DURING THE
EVENING. MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH FRONT. SOME OF THESE
COULD BE SEVERE PER FORECAST SOUNDINGS.

NO CHANGES PLANNED AT THIS TIME.

.BNA...NONE.
BOYD
01

The radar

The Nashville radar (KOHX), 47 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:44 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 thunderstorm wind, 8 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Rutherford

When
April 24, 12:00 PM CST
Where
Rutherford County, Smyrna
Property damage
$175,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
35.843, -86.417 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The home of Police Sgt. Scott Byers was struck by lightning. The lightning struck the electrical box and then quickly spread to his home on Ella Dr. The house was completely destroyed by fire.

Hail, Putnam

When
April 24, 8:40 PM CST
Where
Putnam County, 7 mi W of Cookeville
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.167, -85.633

Spotter reported dime size hail.

Hail, Putnam

When
April 24, 8:45 PM CST
Where
Putnam County, Algood
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.200, -85.433

Spotter reported quarter size hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Putnam

When
April 24, 8:50 PM CST
Where
Putnam County, Cookeville
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.167, -85.500

A few sheds lost their roof. TDOT reported 16-20 trees were blown down around the county had had to be cleared off county roads.

Hail, Putnam

When
April 24, 8:50 PM CST
Where
Putnam County, Cookeville
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.167, -85.500

EMA reported golf ball size hail at downtown Cookeville.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When
April 24, 9:00 PM CST
Where
Jackson County, Gainesboro
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.350, -85.650

Ambulance service reported a tin roof off a barn.

Hail, Cumberland

When
April 24, 9:10 PM CST
Where
Cumberland County, Mayland
Measured
1.75 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.050, -85.200

EMA reported golf ball size hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cumberland

When
April 24, 9:10 PM CST
Where
Cumberland County, Mayland
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
36.050, -85.200

EMA reported trees and power lines were down.

Hail, Cumberland

When
April 24, 9:13 PM CST
Where
Cumberland County, Pleasant Hill
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
35.967, -85.183

EMA reported quarter size hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Perry

When
April 24, 9:20 PM CST
Where
Perry County, Linden
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS
Coordinates
35.617, -87.850

TDOT reported tree limbs down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Macon

When
April 24, 9:35 PM CST
Where
Macon County, 7 mi E of Lafayette
Measured
62 kt (71 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.517, -85.900

Spotter estimated 70 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Macon

When
April 24, 9:35 PM CST
Where
Macon County, 6 mi NE of Lafayette
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.583, -85.950

Sheriff reported a roof blown off a house on Highland Road and Owens Rd.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When
April 24, 9:45 PM CST
Where
Jackson County, 1 mi E of Gainesboro
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.350, -85.633

Spotter estimated 60 mph wind gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jackson

When
April 24, 9:45 PM CST
Where
Jackson County, Gainesboro
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.350, -85.650

Sheriff's office reported lots of trees down south of Gainsboro on Hwy 56.

Hail, Jackson

When
April 24, 9:45 PM CST
Where
Jackson County, Gainesboro
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.350, -85.650

Dime size hail reported.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lawrence

When
April 24, 10:15 PM CST
Where
Lawrence County, Southwest Portion
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
35.100, -87.483

Some businesses and homes had roof damage near Loretto. Also, some utility poles down in St. Joseph on Bluff Rd.

Hail, Putnam

When
April 24, 10:20 PM CST
Where
Putnam County, 2 mi E of Baxter
Measured
1 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.150, -85.600

Spotter reported hail the size of quarters.

Hail, Putnam

When
April 24, 10:30 PM CST
Where
Putnam County, 5 mi W of Monterey
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
36.150, -85.350

Spotter reported dime size hail.

Thunderstorm Wind, Cumberland

When
April 24, 10:53 PM CST
Where
Cumberland County, Mayland
Measured
65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
36.050, -85.200

Law enforcement reported many trees and power lines down. A shed was destroyed. Nearby, the Dripping Springs Baptist Church lost a steeple. Also, the church building had a porch torn from the building. Eight trees trees fell on 8 homes around the county. A tree fell on a trailer on Mayland to Pleasant Hill Rd. Also, trees fell on homes on Sandy Creek Rd., Junior Camp Rd., Genesis Rd. which is in the Linger Lake area, on Hwy.127 S., Hickory Dr., Cow Pen Rd., and Linder Lp.

What these are

Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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

More

Every storm in Tennessee in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, April 2002

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: 5287997, 5289660, 5289661, 5287995, 5289662, 5289658, 5289663, 5289664, 5287989, 5287998, 5287993, 5289656, 5287994, 5289657, 5289659, 5287996, 5287990, 5287991, 5287992.