Hail and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, May 14, 2009

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, May 14, 2009
Start: 2009-05-14T16:00
End: 2009-05-14T20:15
Location: Tennessee

May 14, 2009 · NWS MRX · 9 events in 6 counties and zones

Scattered multi-cell convection developed in weak to moderately unstable atmospheric conditions across Southeast Tennessee producing isolated down bursts and marginally severe hail.

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: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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 happened

The episode as NWS MRX wrote it up.

Scattered multi-cell convection developed in weak to moderately unstable atmospheric conditions across Southeast Tennessee producing isolated down bursts and marginally severe hail.

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 May 14, 12:40 PM CST, 3 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 14, 12:40 PM CST, 3 hours 20 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
240 PM EDT THU MAY 14 2009

.SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT AND FRIDAY)...STILL CONSIDERABLE MOISTURE
OVER THE AREA IN THE SHORT TERM...BUT WITH SIGNIFICANT FORCING NOT
APPARENT AND UNIMPRESSIVE INSTABILITY HARD TO GET TOO EXCITED ABOUT
POPS.  MAY HAVE SOME REDEVELOPMENT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...SO
WILL CARRY CHANCE POPS FOR EARLY TONIGHT. CHANCE POPS AGAIN ON
FRIDAY.  WILL GENERALLY STAY CLOSE TO MAV TEMPS...WHICH LOOK
REASONABLE OVERALL.

.LONG TERM...(FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...MAIN ISSUE FOR THE
LONG TERM IS UPPER TROUGH/SURFACE COLD FRONT THAT APPROACHES THE
SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION IN THE LATE SATURDAY/EARLY SUNDAY TIME
FRAME. CONTINUED WITH LIKELY POPS FOR THIS EVENT. REMAINDER OF LONG
TERM PERIOD APPEARS DRY AT THIS TIME AS FRONT IS PROJECTED TO PUSH
WELL SOUTH OF THE REGION. HOWEVER...THE GFS ALONG WITH A FEW
ENSEMBLE MEMBERS DEPICT MOIST SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW WILL RETURN AROUND
AN UPPER CLOSED LOW THAT DEVELOPS NEAR THE GULF COAST. THIS IS NOT
DEPICTED BY THE EUROPEAN MODEL ALONG WITH A MAJORITY OF THE
ENSEMBLE MEMBERS. THUS WILL DISCOUNT FOR NOW AND FAVOR EUROPEAN
SOLUTION AS THIS MAY BE A SPURIOUS DEPICTION IN THE GFS.
HOWEVER...SUBSEQUENT MODEL RUNS WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED FOR
POSSIBLE CONVERGENCE ON THIS FEATURE. FOR TEMPS...GENERALLY DID NOT
DEVIATE SIGNIFICANTLY FROM MAV/MEX GUIDANCE.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN             64  83  64  83  59 /  30  30  40  70  70
KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN  62  80  64  80  57 /  30  30  40  70  70
OAK RIDGE, TN                       62  82  64  81  56 /  30  40  30  70  70
TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN              59  81  60  81  56 /  30  40  40  60  70

&&

.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...NONE.
TN...NONE.
VA...NONE.

&&

LDW/LCM

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 106 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:59 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Bledsoe

When: May 14, 4:00 PM CST
Where: Bledsoe County, 3.13 mi WSW of Tiptop
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Park/Forest Service
Coordinates: 35.610, -85.270

Penny size hail was reported at Bledsoe State Forest.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rhea

When: May 14, 5:30 PM EST
Where: Rhea County, 0.89 mi SE of Morgantown
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.490, -85.010

One tree was reported down in Dayton.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rhea

When: May 14, 5:30 PM EST
Where: Rhea County, 0.89 mi SE of Spring City
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.690, -84.860

Two trees were reported down in Spring City.

Thunderstorm Wind, Roane

When: May 14, 6:05 PM EST
Where: Roane County, 0.56 mi E of Kingston
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 35.870, -84.510

Several trees were reported down in Kingston.

Thunderstorm Wind, Roane

When: May 14, 6:18 PM EST
Where: Roane County, 0.56 mi W of Harriman
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.930, -84.560

One tree was reported down on Hassler Mill Road.

Hail, McMinn

When: May 14, 7:06 PM EST
Where: McMinn County, 1.38 mi S of Lakeview
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.450, -84.670

Dime to penny size hail was reported approximately 1.5 mile south of Lakeview.

Hail, Meigs

When: May 14, 7:35 PM EST
Where: Meigs County, 1.13 mi E of Big Spg
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.400, -84.900

Penny size hail was reported just south of Big Spring.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bradley

When: May 14, 7:45 PM EST
Where: Bradley County, 0.89 mi NE of Cleveland
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.180, -84.870

A few trees were reported down just north of Cleveland.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bradley

When: May 14, 8:15 PM EST
Where: Bradley County, 0.89 mi NE of Cleveland
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 35.180, -84.870

A few trees were reported down near Cleveland.

What these are

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

Every storm in Tennessee in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Tennessee, May 2009

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: 171288, 171290, 171291, 171292, 171293, 171295, 171296, 171297, 171298.