Tornado in Tennessee, November 10, 2002

Name: Tornado in Tennessee, November 10, 2002
Start: 2002-11-10T20:31
End: 2002-11-10T20:42
Location: Tennessee

November 10, 2002 · NWS MRX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 tornado, 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 7
Injuries: 28
Property damage: $968,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 10, 3:10 PM EST, 5 hours 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 10, 3:10 PM EST, 5 hours 21 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
310 PM EST SUN NOV 10 2002

THE FOLLOWING ARE ALL THE FORECAST DISCUSSIONS FROM THE PAST 24
HOURS...WITH THE MOST RECENT ON TOP. THIS PROVIDES A HISTORY OF THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE CURRENT FORECAST.

*********************************************************************
AFTERNOON FORECAST DISCUSSION
310 PM EST SUN NOV 10 2002

COLD FRONT MOVING INTO SOUTHERN IL AND SOUTHEAST MO.  GETTING A LINE
OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING TO EXPAND FURTHER SOUTH NEAR MS RIVER
AHEAD OF THE FRONT.  MODELS IN SOME AGREEMENT ON MOVING FRONT AND
UNSETTLED WEATHER INTO OUR AREA TONIGHT.  AVN WAS THE QUICKEST.
LOOKING AT CURRENT PRECIP...THINK THE SLOWER ETA MAY BE BETTER.
MODELS DO AGREE ON BRING A 50KT LOW LEVEL JET AND GOOD UPPER
DIVERGENCE INTO OUR AREA THIS EVENING.  ALSO PLENTY OF MOISTURE AND
INSTABILITY TO SUPPORT STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS MOVING INTO OUR
AREA.  WILL KEEP 100 POPS FOR TONIGHT AND KEEP MENTION OF POSSIBLE
SEVERE.  FOR VETERANS DAY...SLOWER ETA KEEPS SHOWERS AROUND FOR MOST
OF THE DAY...WHILE AVN ONLY SHOWING CHANCE POPS EARLY.  WILL KEEP
LIKELY POPS GOING IN THE NORTHEAST FOR THE MORNING HOURS AND CHANCE
POPS ELSEWHERE...THEN KEEP CHANCE POPS FOR EVERYONE MONDAY
AFTERNOON...BUT SHOULD SEE DRIER WEATHER LATE.  ANOTHER WAVE MOVES
IN MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY.  AVN FURTHER NORTH AND QUICKEST WITH
THE PRECIP.  WILL ONLY GO WITH LOW CHANCE POPS FOR NOW.

EXTENDED...CONFIDENCE IN EXTENDED FORECAST REMAINS QUITE LOW AS
MEDIUM RANGE MODELS SHOW LITTLE AGREEMENT ON THE TIMING OF
INDIVIDUAL EVENTS. AS SUCH...WILL BASICALLY CONTINUE WITH ONGOING
EXTENDED FORECAST WITH ONLY A FEW TWEAKS HERE AND THERE. WILL
INTRODUCE DRY WEATHER FOR DAY 7 AND GENERALLY FOLLOW GFS ENSEMBLE
MOS FOR TEMPS.

CHA   63  67  47  56 / 100  40  30  40
TYS   61  64  45  53 / 100  40  30  40
TRI   59  62  42  50 / 100  60  30  40
OQT   61  64  45  53 / 100  40  30  40

.MRX...
NC...NONE.
TN...NONE.
VA...NONE.

GH/LM

********************************************************************
LATE MORNING FORECAST DISCUSSION (UPDATE)
1020 AM EST SUN NOV 10 2002

RADAR SHOWING SCATTERED SHOWERS MOVING NORTHEAST ACROSS THE CWA.
MORE MOVING UP FROM AL/GA.  THINK IT WILL ONLY BE SCATTERED ACTIVITY
FOR MOST OF TODAY...BUT WILL KEEP LIKELY POPS GOING FOR CENTRAL AND
SOUTH WITH BETTER COVERAGE EXPECTED BY 00Z.  SEVERE WEATHER NOT
EXPECTED UNTIL THIS EVENING...WHEN FRONT GETS CLOSER.  WITH STRONG
SOUTHWEST WIND...SHOULD HAVE NO TROUBLE WARMING UP DESPITE SOME
CLOUDS...TEMPERATURES LOOK GOOD.

GH

*********************************************************************
EARLY MORNING FORECAST DISCUSSION
415 AM EST SUN NOV 10 2002

POWERFUL UPR LVL JET DRIVING E THRU PLAINS STATES INTO MID SOUTH
TODAY AND TONITE BRINGING S/WV FEATURES TO REGION THIS MORNING AND
AGAIN LATER TODAY AND TONITE. BEST UPR SUPPORT BUILDING NE INTO OHIO
VLY EARLY THIS MORNING. STILL SOME INSTABILITY PRESENT AND SCT
CONVECTION PRESSING E INTO FA THIS MORNING AND WITH STRENGTHENING
LOW LVL WINDS AHD OF PLAINS STATES TROF TEMPS/DEWPOINTS WILL CLIMB
ALLOWING LIS TO DROP AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. BELIEVE THERE WILL BE A
LULL IN THE ACTION LATE MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON WITH INCREASING
THREAT FOR SHRA/TSRA DEVELOPMENT AHD OF FNT TWD EVENING. SPC HAS
PLACED FA IN MDT RISK FOR EVENT TONITE AND WILL USE SVR WORDING IN
ZONES TO HIGHLIGHT THIS POSSIBILITY. FNT EXITS FA ARND 12Z BUT WILL
KEEP SOME POPS THRU MON AS TRAILING VORT SWINGS NE THRU BASE OF UPR
TROF. TEMPS WILL BE A MAJOR STORY TODAY AS NEAR RECORD WARMTH
POSSIBLE WITH EARLY MORNING READINGS ALREADY IN MID 60S AND WITH
TIGHTENING PRES GRAD MID TO UPR 70 DEGREE TEMPS APPEAR REACHABLE.
STAYED CLOSE TO GUIDANCE BLEND THRU REMAINDER FCST.

CHA   78  57  66  43 /  70 100  30  30
TYS   75  56  63  41 /  60 100  30  30
TRI   74  56  60  39 /  60 100  40  30
OQT   75  56  63  41 /  60 100  30  30

*********************************************************************
EVENING FORECAST DISCUSSION (UPDATE)
905 PM EST SAT NOV 9 2002

FORECAST APPEARS IN GOOD SHAPE TONIGHT AS CLOUDS CONTINUE TO INCREASE
ACROSS THE REGION.  CONVECTIVE PCPN IS DEVELOPING OVER WRN THIRD OF
TN IN ADVANCE OF AN APPROACHING 500 MB SHORTWAVE.  MOST LIGHTNING
IS ALONG OR W OF MISSISSIPPI RIVER WHERE BEST INSTABILITY IS NOTED...
SO MAINLY SHOWERS FOR AT LEAST WRN PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA LATE
TONIGHT.  MAY SLIGHTLY RAISE POPS FOR SE TN AND PLATEAU GROUPS AND
LOWER SLIGHTLY FOR NE TN AND SW VA...HOWEVER CURRENT POP GRIDS MESH
WELL WITH NEIGHBORING SITES OF THE EASTERN CLUSTER.  WILL WATCH
RADAR TRENDS FOR A BIT LONGER...AND THEN DECIDE ON AN UPDATE OR NOT.

STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS SEEM POSSIBLE BY LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...AND THE CURRENT HWOMRX ADVERTISES THIS POTENTIAL QUITE
WELL.

TG

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 10, 12:15 PM EST, 8 hours 16 minutes before

NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002-005-
006-008-110000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1215 PM EST SUN NOV 10 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST
VIRGINIA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...
THE AREA IS OUTLOOKED FOR A MODERATE TO HIGH RISK OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH
THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS BY THIS EVENING.  STRONG WINDS ALOFT AND
NEAR THE SURFACE WILL PRODUCE CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS.  DAMAGING STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS WILL BE THE MAJOR
THREAT BUT ISOLATED TORNADOES CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

STAY TUNED OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/MRX.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Nov 10, 7:33 PM EST, 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN, TN
733 PM EST SUN NOV 10 2002

TIME(EST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0823 PM    SWEETWATER                TN   .75 INCH HAIL
11/10/02   MONROE                         REPORTED BY SPOTTER.

DAE

Local storm report, Nov 10, 7:35 PM EST, 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN, TN
735 PM EST SUN NOV 10 2002

TIME(EST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0723 PM    SWEETWATER                TN   .75 INCH HAIL
11/10/02   MONROE                         REPORTED BY SPOTTER.

DAE

Local storm report, Nov 10, 7:37 PM EST, 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN, TN
737 PM EST SUN NOV 10 2002

TIME(EST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0730 PM    SWEETWATER                TN   WIND DAMAGE
11/10/02   MONROE                         TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY
                                          SPOTTER.

DAE

Local storm report, Nov 10, 8:04 PM EST, 27 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN, TN
804 PM EST SUN NOV 10 2002

TIME(EST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0720 PM    NIOTA                     TN   WIND DAMAGE
11/10/02   MCMINN                         TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY
                                          DISPATCH.

DAE

Local storm report, Nov 10, 8:10 PM EST, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN, TN
810 PM EST SUN NOV 10 2002

TIME(EST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0725 PM    SWEETWATER                TN   91 MPH TSTM WIND GUST
11/10/02   MONROE                         REPORTED BY SPOTTER.

0725 PM    SWEETWATER                TN   1.75 INCH HAIL
11/10/02   MONROE                         REPORTED BY SPOTTER.

DAE

Local storm report, Nov 10, 8:16 PM EST, 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN, TN
816 PM EST SUN NOV 10 2002

TIME(EST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0812 PM    LOUISVILLE                TN   1.75 INCH HAIL
11/10/02   BLOUNT                         REPORTED BY SPOTTER.

0814 PM    KNOXVILLE                 TN   1.75 INCH HAIL
11/10/02   KNOX                           REPORTED BY SPOTTER.

DAE

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 109 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:29 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Morgan

When: November 10, 8:31 PM EST to 8:42 PM EST
Where: Morgan County, 4 mi S of Wartburg
Rating: F3
Path length: 8.3 mi
Path width: 300 yd
Deaths: 7 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries: 28 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $968,000
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 36.033, -84.600

A strong F3 tornado (with wind speeds estimated around 175 mph) touched down 4.4 miles south of Wartburg in the Mossy Grove community killing 5 people and injuring 28. This tornado then struck Joyner at 8:40 P.M. killing two more people for a total of 7 dead. The tornado damaged 63 homes while destroying 24 others. In addition, 18 mobile homes were damaged and 12 others were destroyed.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Tornado, Morgan	2002-11-10	47	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Tornado, Morgan	2002-11-10	36	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Tornado, Morgan	2002-11-10	73	Female	Permanent Home	Direct
Tornado, Morgan	2002-11-10	55	Male	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Direct
Tornado, Morgan	2002-11-10	1	Female	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Direct
Tornado, Morgan	2002-11-10	45	Male	Permanent Home	Direct
Tornado, Morgan	2002-11-10	93	Female	Permanent Home	Direct

What these are

Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Tennessee in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Tennessee, 2002 Warnings in Tennessee, November 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: 5322729.