A strong cold front tracked across east Tennessee during the afternoon hours. A squall line formed ahead of it producing widespread wind damage across the area.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS MRX wrote it up.
A strong cold front tracked across east Tennessee during the afternoon hours. A squall line formed ahead of it producing widespread wind damage across the area.
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 Feb 11, 11:01 AM CST, 2 hours 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1201 PM EST WED FEB 11 2009
.AVIATION...
GUSTY SOUTH WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AT CHA AND
TYS AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. EXPECT THAT TRI WILL BECOME
GUSTY AS WELL BY 20Z AS MIXING INCREASES. TIMING OF A SQUALL LINE
MOVING ACROSS MIDDLE TN AT THE MOMENT BRINGS IT INTO CHA AROUND
20Z...TYS AROUND 21Z...AND TRI AROUND 23Z. WILL HAVE VCTS AND MVFR
VIS/CIGS AT ALL LOCATIONS WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 KTS...AND INCLUDE A
TEMPO FOR THUNDERSTORMS AT CHA. PRECIP AND WINDS WITH THE SQUALL
LINE WILL NOT LAST LONG...LESS THAN 2 HOURS. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO
THE WEST- SOUTHWEST BEHIND THE LINE...AND CLOUDS SHOULD BECOME
SCATTERED. WIND GUSTS SHOULD ALSO END WITHIN A FEW HOURS OF THE
LINE PASSING THROUGH. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH THE REST OF
THE TAF PERIOD.
&&
.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 AM EST THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: CHEROKEE...CLAY.
TN...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 AM EST /3 AM CST/ THURSDAY FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES: BLEDSOE...BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS...
CAMPBELL...CLAIBORNE...COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS...EAST POLK...
JOHNSON...MARION...MORGAN...SCOTT TN...SEQUATCHIE...SEVIER
SMOKY MOUNTAINS...SOUTHEAST CARTER...SOUTHEAST GREENE...
SOUTHEAST MONROE...UNICOI.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: ANDERSON...BRADLEY...GRAINGER...HAMBLEN...HAMILTON...
HANCOCK...HAWKINS...JEFFERSON...KNOX...LOUDON...MCMINN...
MEIGS...NW BLOUNT...NORTH SEVIER...NORTHWEST CARTER...
NORTHWEST COCKE...NORTHWEST GREENE...NORTHWEST MONROE...
RHEA...ROANE...SULLIVAN...UNION...WASHINGTON TN...WEST POLK.
VA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 AM EST THURSDAY FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: WISE.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING
ZONES: LEE...RUSSELL...SCOTT...WASHINGTON.
&&
DGSHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 500 AM EST WED FEB 11 2009 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-121000- CHEROKEE-CLAY-SCOTT TN-CAMPBELL-CLAIBORNE-HANCOCK-HAWKINS- SULLIVAN-JOHNSON-MORGAN-ANDERSON-UNION-GRAINGER-HAMBLEN- NORTHWEST COCKE-COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTHWEST GREENE- SOUTHEAST GREENE-WASHINGTON TN-UNICOI-NORTHWEST CARTER- SOUTHEAST CARTER-ROANE-LOUDON-KNOX-JEFFERSON-NW BLOUNT- BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTH SEVIER-SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS- SEQUATCHIE-BLEDSOE-RHEA-MEIGS-MCMINN-NORTHWEST MONROE- SOUTHEAST MONROE-MARION-HAMILTON-BRADLEY-WEST POLK-EAST POLK-LEE- WISE-SCOTT-RUSSELL-WASHINGTON- 500 AM EST WED FEB 11 2009 /400 AM CST WED FEB 11 2009/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS TODAY AND TONIGHT... ...WIND ADVISORY FOR THE GREAT TENNESSEE VALLEY FOR TODAY... A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING A COLD FRONT AND ITS ASSOCIATED STRONG WIND FIELD ACROSS THE TENNESSEE RIVER VALLEY TODAY. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 25 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN WITH 20 TO 35 MPH WINDS COMMON OVER THE GREAT TENNESSEE VALLEY. WINDS WILL BECOME WESTERLY BEHIND A COLD FRONT PASSAGE THIS EVENING...THEN DIMINISH. A SQUALL LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP AHEAD OF THIS COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON...BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS. IN ADDITION...AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. GH
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 1039 AM EST WED FEB 11 2009 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-112100- CHEROKEE-CLAY-SCOTT TN-CAMPBELL-CLAIBORNE-HANCOCK-HAWKINS- SULLIVAN-JOHNSON-MORGAN-ANDERSON-UNION-GRAINGER-HAMBLEN- NORTHWEST COCKE-COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTHWEST GREENE- SOUTHEAST GREENE-WASHINGTON TN-UNICOI-NORTHWEST CARTER- SOUTHEAST CARTER-ROANE-LOUDON-KNOX-JEFFERSON-NW BLOUNT- BLOUNT SMOKY MOUNTAINS-NORTH SEVIER-SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS- SEQUATCHIE-BLEDSOE-RHEA-MEIGS-MCMINN-NORTHWEST MONROE- SOUTHEAST MONROE-MARION-HAMILTON-BRADLEY-WEST POLK-EAST POLK-LEE- WISE-SCOTT-RUSSELL-WASHINGTON- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MURPHY...HAYESVILLE...ONEIDA... LA FOLLETTE...TAZEWELL...SNEEDVILLE...ROGERSVILLE...KINGSPORT... BRISTOL...MOUNTAIN CITY...WARTBURG...CLINTON...OAK RIDGE... MAYNARDVILLE...RUTLEDGE...MORRISTOWN...NEWPORT...COSBY... GREENEVILLE...CEDAR CREEK...JOHNSON CITY...ERWIN...ELIZABETHTON... ROAN MOUNTAIN...KINGSTON...LENOIR CITY...KNOXVILLE...DANDRIDGE... MARYVILLE...CADES COVE...SEVIERVILLE...GATLINBURG...DUNLAP... PIKEVILLE...DAYTON...DECATUR...ATHENS...MADISONVILLE... COKER CREEK...JASPER...CHATTANOOGA...CLEVELAND...BENTON... DUCKTOWN...JONESVILLE...WISE...NORTON...GATE CITY...LEBANON... ABINGDON 1039 AM EST WED FEB 11 2009 /939 AM CST WED FEB 11 2009/ ...WINDY CONDITIONS AND A POSSIBLE OUTBREAK OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY AND THIS EVENING... A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE OHIO AND TENNESSEE VALLEYS TODAY. TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENTS AROUND THIS SYSTEM WILL INCREASE THE SOUTHERLY WINDS OVER THE AREA TODAY. WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AREA WIDE. SOUTHERLY WINDS BETWEEN 25 AND 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH ARE ANTICIPATED ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS WITH 20 TO 35 MPH WINDS COMMON OVER THE GREAT TENNESSEE VALLEY. THE STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BRING WARM...MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR INTO THE REGION IN ADVANCE OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT...AND MOVE INTO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THIS SQUALL LINE WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS. IN ADDITION...AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL TELEVISION OR RADIO STATION...FOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND UPDATES ON THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. DGS
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 110 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:44 UTC.
24 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement personnel reported several trees downed by thunderstorm winds in Pikeville.
Law enforcement personnel reported numerous trees downed by thunderstorm winds in Dunlap and across the rest of the county as well.
Law enforcement personnel reported a few trees downed by thunderstorm winds in Monteagle.
Law enforcement personnel reported several trees downed by thunderstorm winds in Wartburg.
Law enforcement personnel reported a roof of a school was blown off by thunderstorm winds in Deer Lodge.
Law enforcement personnel reported several trees downed by thunderstorm winds in Oneida and the remainder of the county as well.
Law enforcement personnel reported a few trees and powerlines downed by thunderstorm winds in Soddy Daisy.
Law enforcement personnel reported numerous trees and powerlines downed by thunderstorm winds in Kingston and the remainder of the county as well.
Law enforcement personnel reported numerous trees and powerlines downed by thunderstorm winds countywide. In addition, 3 homes were damaged by the winds.
Law enforcement personnel reported numerous trees downed by thunderstorm winds in Oak Ridge and the rest of the county as well.
Law enforcement personnel reported numerous trees and powerlines downed by thunderstorm winds across the county.
Law enforcement personnel reported several trees downed by thunderstorm winds in Kingston.
Law enforcement personnel reported numerous trees downed by thunderstorm winds across the county.
The highway department personnel reported numerous trees and powerlines downed by thunderstorm winds around Greenback.
The highway department personnel reported numerous trees downed by thunderstorm winds in the northeast portions of the county.
Law enforcement personnel reported numerous trees and powerlines downed by thunderstorm winds from Maryville through the southern half of the county. In addition, a falling tree damaged a roof in Maryville.
Law enforcement personnel reported several trees downed by thunderstorm winds near Tellico Plains.
A trained spotter reported several trees and powerlines downed by thunderstorm winds in Buffalo Springs.
Law enforcement personnel reported numerous trees downed by thunderstorm winds countywide.
Law enforcement personnel reported several trees and powerlines downed by thunderstorm winds in Baileyton. In addition, a home was damaged in Greeneville by a falling tree.
A trained spotter reported several trees downed by thunderstorm winds in the northeast portion of the county. Several roofs were also damaged.
Law enforcement personnel reported several trees downed by thunderstorm winds between Surgoinsville and Church Hill.
Law enforcement personnel reported a few trees downed by thunderstorm winds in the Butler area.
Law enforcement personnel reported numerous trees downed by thunderstorm winds between Elizabethton and Roan Mountain.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, February 2009
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: 154160, 154164, 154170, 154175, 154176, 154177, 154178, 154179, 154180, 154181, 154245, 154275, 154246, 154247, 154248, 154249, 154250, 154251, 154252, 154253, 154255, 154257, 154259, 154260.