Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, May 4 to 7, 2003

Spotter reported quarter size hail near the Kentucky border.

Newspaper story about many tree limbs were blown down in the western part of the county including Linden. Falling trees crushed 3 historic cabins at Haven Hills on Lick Creek Road, just outside of Linden.

Spotter reported quarter size hail in downtown Clarksville.

Spotter reported trees blown down on State Highway 100 just west of Centerville.

Spotter reported quarter size hail.

Newspaper story about a 2-story home on Sulphur Creek Road that was knocked off its cinder block foundation and moved 8 feet by strong thunderstorm winds. The house was spit in 2 sections. Furniture was tossed and the upstairs belongings plunged downstairs.

Spotter reported trees were blown down.

Spotter reported power lines down on a house.

Spotter reported wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph in the Shady Grove area.

Spotter estimated wind to be around 70 mph in Fairview.

Spotter reported trees blown down on State Highway 50 on the Hickman-Maury county line.

Spotter reported power lines down near Skyline Medical Center.

Spotter reported trees blown down on Highway 230 northeast of Centerville.

Spotter reported quarter size hail near Fairview on Highway 96.

Considerable roof damage to homes in Bellshire Terrace Court and Bellshire Terrace Drive. Cars were overturned. This is in the Bellshire area of northern Davidson county.

Spotter reported large trees down on Highway 100.

Spotter reported penny size hail.

Spotter reported trees and power lines blown down in Fairview.

Spotter estimated winds of 70 to 75 mph in the Cool Springs Mall area.

Spotter reported golf ball size hail.

Spotter reported hail the size of half dollars.

Spotter reported penny size hail at I-24 and Almaville Rd. and also at other areas of Smyrna.

Spotter reported penny size hail.

Spotter reported power lines down at State Route 840 and Highway 96 in Murfreesboro.

Spotter reported penny size hail on I-40, southeast of Lebanon.

Spotter reported penny size hail.

Spotter reported quarter size hail on Highway 266 in Cainsville.

Spotter reported numerous trees down in Spring Hill and Goose Hill.

Spotter reported penny size hail at the fire dept.

Spotter reported trees blown down just southwest of Leipers Fork.

Spotter reported penny size hail.

News article about a barn destroyed on Rankin Road off U.S. Highway 231 south. A mobile home had a damaged room and another mobile home had its roof torn off. A 4X4 stud was thrust into a bedroom wall of a mobile home. A metal outbuilding was damaged. Trees were blown down in a 100-foot wide swath.

Spotter reported structural damage to large homes and large trees blown down. Businesses at the Maple Row Shopping Center had some damage. High winds ripped away pieces of the front of a building (Four Seasons Produce) and blew out the glass from a store front (Ralph's Cleaners).

Spotter reported golf ball size hail on U.S. Highway 231, north of Murfreesboro.

Spotter reported trailer overturned and a vehicle flipped over from strong thunderstorm winds. 7 people were injured. About 200 trees were blown down on a nearby 100 acre farm located on Patton Hollow Rd.It was a quarter mile of destruction with several century old cedar trees ripped up out of the ground.

Spotter reported structural damage to homes near Madison.

Spotter reported nickel size hail at intersection of Highway 96 and State Route 840.

Newspaper related story of many trees blown down, trees on homes and cars and trees blocking roads. A half dozen or more homes were damaged. There were downed trees and power lines as well. The hardest hit area was the eastern part of the county at Ragland Bottom and Hillcrest Hills. 38 homes were damaged in Dekalb County.

Spotter reported nickel size hail.

News story about hail the size of golf balls breaking 4 windows to a home on Short Mountain Street and putting small dents in automobiles.

Spotter reported penny size hail.

Many trees and power lines were down in Cookeville which resulted in 4000-5000 people without power according to a newspaper story.

Newspaper reported downed trees and power lines across White County, including Sparta. Some of these trees were blocking roadways.

Spotter reported penny size hail.

Spotter reported one foot of water at intersection of I-24 and Highway 96.

Spotter reported homes flooded on Halls Hill Pike.

An outbreak of tornadic thunderstorms also produced locally heavy rainfall across middle Tennessee during the early morning hours of May 5, 2003. This series of storms also caused flooding on the Saunders Fork Creek in Cannon County, Tennessee. 3 people were drowned, in 2 separate vehicles, from the flooding waters of Sanders Fork Creek, along treacherous State Route 145. Louis Calhoun, age 71 was in one vehicle and Betty Gipson, age 60 with husband Jackie Gipson age 64 was in the other vehicle. These vehicles entered into the stream of water from different directions. Mr. Calhoun customarily made his 10-mile trip to a Hardee's restaurant around 4 AM CDT each day for breakfast. Jackie and Betty Gipson were attempting to get to a Rutherford county hospital at about 5 AM CDT.

News article about 6 water rescues around the county. One was done at Falling Creek Road in Smithville. A truck was backed up to a residence to rescue 3 people. A water rescue was done in Dowellton on Main Street where 5 to 7 feet of water threatened to sweep away a car. The current did sweep the car back onto the roadway to drier ground. Also, 2 people had to be rescued from their homes in Dowellton due to high water.

Spotter reported flooding at Edmonson Pike and Blackman St. There was 6 feet of water over roads and some homes were flooded.

Spotter reported penny size hail at Broadview.

Newspaper report of streams and creeks flooding roadways at Lancaster and Grant. Boutlon's Creek covered State Highway 141, just south of Lancaster. The water reached the top of the front porch to a house. S.P. McClanahan Road , located off Highway 141 in Grant, was flooding and threatened homes. The road was temporarily barricaded off.

Flash flooding occurred in Cornersville where some homes had as much as one and a half foot of water in them. Many roads were damaged by the flood waters. 3 school buses were stranded in the southern part of the county on gravel roads. Damage was estimated to be at $324,000.

10 inch diameter tree limbs were blown down.

Spotter reported penny size hail at U.S. Highway 64 and State Highway 240.

Quarter size hail was reported.

Barn was completely destroyed. Several trees were uprooted and split. The barn was located at Campbellsville Road near Mount Horeb Baptist Church. A small house was slightly damaged.

Spotter reported soft ball size hail.

Spotter reported 2 trees were blown down at the intersection of I-65 and Highway 129.

Several trees were blown down 1 mile off U.S. Highway 31 near Buford Station Rd.

Numerous trees and power lines were blown down. There was damage to 3 homes.

Uprooted trees in the Center Grove area.

Trees and power lines were down.

Spotter reported quarter size hail at the intersection of Harding Place and Nolensville Roads.

Spotter reported dime size hail.

Spotter reported half dollar size hail on I-24.

Quarter size hail reported.

Quarter size hail reported.

Golf ball size hail observed.

Hail the size of a hen egg was observed.

Trees were blown down.

Golf ball size hail was observed.

Quarter size hail was reported.

Quarter size hail was observed.

Penny size hail was reported.

Penny size hail was observed.

Wind gusts estimated to be 100 mph in a thunderstorm.

Penny size hail was observed.

Penny size hail reported.

Water covering U.S. Highway 127.

Quarter size hail reported.

Nickel size hail was observed.

Nickel size hail was observed.

Penny size hail observed at the airport.

Some street and residential flooding was occurring.

Nickel size hail reported.

Quarter size hail reported.

Newspaper story about flooding in Tullahoma. An entrance to the Northgate Mall parking lot had to be closed.

Newspaper article quoted EMA director saying 30 homes were damaged by flooding.

EMA reported via news article that many streams and creeks were very high and that some homes had minor damage due to flash flooding. High water washed out a bridge on Greenwood Rd.

Street flooding was occurring, and at least one street was impassable.

Penny size hail was observed.

Some roads were impassable due to high water.

EMA reported widespread flooding was occurring in the city.

A Lawrence County man was killed on Buttermilk Ridge Road, about 3.3 miles from U.S. Highway 64 east. His 1996 Pontiac Sunfire suddenly came upon a section of road that was completely washed away by flood waters. About 40 feet of the road was completely gone. The vehicle went airborne and struck the far side of the washed out road, then came to rest in the rushing flood waters. 50 individuals had to be rescued from flooded homes or assisted in getting out of the flloded areas. 18 people had to be rescued from the Tennessee-Fitness Spa by airboat. On Cantrell Lane, just south of Waynesboro, several families were rescued by boat. 5 mentally challenged individuals had to be rescued by boat at Belew Hollow Rd. 100 homes were under water in Wayne County. 18 roads and bridges were washed out in southern Wayne County.

Flooding was occurring countywide with several roads closed.

News story mentioned that Mulbery Creek was out of its banks on Tuesday. Wiseman Park in Lynchburg was under water, including the ball field and horse show grounds. Flood waters got into the storage buildings located near the Moore County Farm Bureau's office and also into the garages of nearby homes.

Flooding was occurring countywide. Several people had to be evacuated. U.S. Highway 64 had to be closed due to high water near David Crockett State Park around 0844 AM CDT. 3 bridges have to be replaced (Waterloo Road, Shoally Branch Drive and Chief Creek Rd.) , 5 low water crossings will have to be reworked and miscellaneous metal culverts installed. Estimated cost of flood damage by EMA is $1.3 million.

Major flooding was occurring countywide along with some evacautions. Many roads became impassable. 2 motorists had to be rescued near the intersection of Red Road and Francis Ferry Road becuase of the flooding that was occurring at Charles Creek.

Major flooding occurred around the city with several roads closed.

Major flooding was occurring around the city with several roads closed. Boats were used to rescue people stranded in their vehicles due to high water on Hurricane Grove Road, off U.S. Highway 231 North and Gregory Mill Road, near U.S. Highway 41A. Bedford County schools were closed Tuesday May 6 because of the high water problems.

High water covering roads in the city and county.

Spotter reported penny size hail.

Ham radio report of numerous trees and power lines down along Highway 120.

EMA reported Mill Creek, Sevenmile Creek and Richland Creek out of their banks.

Several reports of street flooding in La Vergne and Smyrna.

Spotter estimated wind gusts around 60 mph near the Tennessee and Kentucky state line. There was damage to the roof over the gymnasium of St. Bethlehem Elementary School on Old Russellville Pk.

Minor street flooding reported by the public.

Sheriff's office reported several trees were blown down around the county.

Sheriff's department reported trees were blown down and were covering Highway 13 north.

Ham reported trees were blown down.

EMA reported numerous trees were blown down, a barn was destroyed and a roof was blown off a church. Also, 4 homes were damaged on Dallas Road off of Old Metal Rd.

Law enforcement reported several trees were blown down.

Newpaper related many roads were closed in Hickman county due to high water.

EMA reported numerous trees were blown down and 3 buildings were damaged at the Rivergate Mall. A McDonald Restaurant had damage to its signs, a Lenscrafter store had roof damage, and the El Chico Mexican Restaurant had its awnings torn away and minor roof damage.

Trees and power lines were down.

Major street flooding in Hartsville and around the county. There was flooding at the Trousdale Medical Center which caused the evacuation of its patients to Sumner Regional Medical Center in Gallatin. The 10 patients arrived at 330 AM CDT. The Trousdale Medical Center reopened Wednesday afternoon on May 7. The Trousdale medical facility never had a history of flooding. Goose Creek came out of its banks and flooded the city park. Water was knee deep in the offices of the Hartsville Vidette newspaper . Water was entering the floor of the Trousdale County Jail. Sulphur College Road was closed due to high water and fallen trees.

Broadcast media reported one mobile home was overturned, and one person was injured. The mobile home was swept off its foundation, landed upside down about 200 feet away. It was one of 4 mobile homes that were damaged or destroyed on Governor Hall Rd.

Law enforcement reported trees and power lines were blown down countywide.

State Highway 10 south near Hillsdale was flooded and closed.

Sheriff's office reported several trees were down around the county.

Law enforcement reported Highway 80 south near the Smith-Macon county line was flooded and closed.

Street flooding reported in Carthage and around the county.

Law enforcement reported several trees were blown down.

Law enforcement reported numerous trees and power lines were blown down around the county.

Law enforcement reported major flooding was occurring around the county.

Law enforcement reported numerous trees and power lines were blown down countywide.

EMA reported numerous trees were uprooted and blown down around the county.

TEMA and FEMA estimated flood damage to be at $250K for numerous roads and bridges across Lewis county.

Newspaper story about Shelbyville and Normandy being hard hit by flooding. A family had to evacuate their home on Depot Street in Shelbyville. The Sav-A-Lot Food Store had an inch of water inside the store by 8 AM CDT. Several homes were flooded in Couch Lane. Mobile homes in Normandy, off Huffman Road, were flooded. By midday Wednesday, May 7, water was getting into the floors of the Rowesville United Methodist Church and Rowesville Baptist Church, located off Normandy Road. Several roads had to be closed around the county.

A family on Fairgrounds Round had to evacuate their home due to high water. There was flooding at Floy Lane where water got into one house and under 2 others. Water got up to the foundation of 2 homes in Chapmansboro and a house on Wiley Pardue got flooded in the downstairs part.

Newspaper story about many roads being flooded. There were several roads closed around the county such as State Highway 84, Old Smithville Highway, Old Mill Dam, Mack Floyd Road, Lost Creek Road, Blue Springs Road, Randolph Mill Road and Alex Slatten Trail. Old Smithville Highway is one of the first roads to get flooded in White county.

Little Bigby Creek was out of its banks. Also, a house at 2275 Mount Joy Road, Mt. Pleasant, TN hada lake in their backyard that went into their living room. The residents blame poor drainage off U.S. Highway 43 for their flooding problems.