Thunderstorm Wind, Polk
- When
- May 28, 2:50 PM EST
- Where
- Polk County, 2.36 mi NNW of Camp Ocoee
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 35.110, -84.690
A few trees were reported down two miles east of Ocoee.
Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Tennessee, May 28, 2009
Limited convection developed across Central East and Southeast Tennessee in weak to moderate shear and instability environment at peak heating. Some flash flooding occurred due to slow storm movement.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
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.
Limited convection developed across Central East and Southeast Tennessee in weak to moderate shear and instability environment at peak heating. Some flash flooding occurred due to slow storm movement.
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 28, 2:25 PM EST, 25 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 28, 2:25 PM EST, 25 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 325 PM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT AND FRIDAY)... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP ALONG THE MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND CUMBERLAND PLATEAU AHEAD OF A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH. STORMS IN THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA HAVE REMAINED WELL BELOW SEVERE THRESHOLDS. MESOANALYSIS TOOLS CONTINUE TO INDICATE GOOD POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON...WITH MUCAPE AROUND 2000 J/KG. MID LEVEL DRY AIR AND STEEP LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES SHOULD ENHANCE THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS. WHILE DEEP SHEAR IS A RESPECTABLE 35 KTS...THE WIND PROFILE IS UNIDIRECTIONAL...SO HAIL AND DAMAGING STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS. THE ZONE FORECAST WILL INCLUDE AN EVENING PERIOD TO ACCOUNT FOR THE GREATER COVERAGE OF STORMS BEFORE 00Z. THE SURFACE TROUGH SHOULD BE EAST OF THE AREA BEFORE MIDNIGHT...BUT THE COLD FRONT LAGS BEHIND. FROPA LOOKS TO BE AFTER MIDNIGHT...WHICH WILL SHIFT WINDS AROUND TO THE W-NW. HOWEVER SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS PLENTY OF MOISTURE BEHIND THE FRONT...SO EXPECT THAT MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WILL PERSIST INTO FRIDAY MORNING. WILL ALSO KEEP A CHANCE OF SHOWERS INTO FRIDAY MORNING WITH THE FROPA AND THE PASSAGE OF THE UPPER TROUGH AXIS. MOST OF THE AREA SHOULD BE DRY BY THE AFTERNOON...EXCEPT PERHAPS FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE OF A SHOWER IN THE NORTHEAST COUNTIES. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...COLD FRONT AND UPPER TROUGH SHOULD BE JUST EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA FRIDAY EVENING WITH DRYING TAKING PLACE AND DECREASING CLOUDINESS. TEMPERATURES SEVERAL DEGREES COOLER AS WELL WITH LOWS IN THE 50S AND UPPER 40S HIGHEST ELEVATIONS. SATURDAY STARTS OUT MOSTLY SUNNY BUT WEAK SYSTEM IN NW UPPER FLOW COULD BRING A FEW SHOWERS LATE IN THE DAY AND SATURDAY EVENING TO FIRST VA COUNTIES THEN EXTREME NORTHERN TN. SUNDAY ANOTHER WEAK IMPULSE WILL TRIGGER A FEW MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. MONDAY AND TUESDAY BERMUDA HIGH STRENGTHENS OVER THE SOUTHEAST WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENINGS. WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE OHIO VALLEY INCREASING THE MOISTURE AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN 65 80 58 85 60 / 40 20 10 10 10 KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN 63 78 57 83 59 / 50 20 10 10 10 OAK RIDGE, TN 64 79 56 83 59 / 40 20 10 10 10 TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN 61 77 52 81 54 / 60 30 10 10 20 && .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. TN...NONE. VA...NONE. && DGS/TD
Hazardous weather outlook, May 28, 4:05 AM EST, 10 hours 45 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 505 AM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-290915- 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- 505 AM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 /405 AM CDT THU MAY 28 2009/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A COLD FRONT WILL TRACK ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION TODAY AND TONIGHT...WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING WITH IT...ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. SOME STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... WITH THE POSSIBLY OF STRONG DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY DEEP MOISTURE AND DAYTIME HEATING WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON FRIDAY. A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING... PRODUCING THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGING WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. GH
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 28, 11:15 AM EST, 3 hours 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 1215 PM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 NCZ060-281715- CHEROKEE- 1215 PM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE AFFECTING NORTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTY... AT 1214 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES NORTH OF MURPHY...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... ANDREWS BY 1250 PM EDT. PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. IN ADDITION TO SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES PRIMARY KILLERS. REMEMBER... IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. DGS
Special weather statement, May 28, 11:33 AM EST, 3 hours 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 1233 PM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 NCZ060-281730- CHEROKEE- 1233 PM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE AFFECTING SOUTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTY... AT 1231 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR MCCAYSVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. THIS STORM WILL BE AFFECTING AREAS IN SOUTHERN CHEROKEE COUNTY NEAR THE GEORGIA BORDER. PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. IN ADDITION TO SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES PRIMARY KILLERS. REMEMBER... IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. DGS
Special weather statement, May 28, 12:46 PM EST, 2 hours 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 146 PM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 TNZ099-100-281845- BRADLEY-HAMILTON- 146 PM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE AFFECTING BRADLEY AND HAMILTON COUNTIES... AT 137 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF HARRISON...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. PEOPLE IN BRADLEY AND HAMILTON COUNTIES...INCLUDING THE CITY OF CLEVELAND...SHOULD MONITOR THE WEATHER SITUATION CLOSELY. LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER THREATEN. PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. IN ADDITION TO SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES PRIMARY KILLERS. REMEMBER... IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. DGS
Special weather statement, May 28, 1:13 PM EST, 1 hour 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 213 PM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 TNZ035-036-067-281915- ANDERSON-MORGAN-ROANE- 213 PM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE AFFECTING ANDERSON...MORGAN AND NORTHERN ROANE COUNTIES... AT 212 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WARTBURG...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. THIS STORM WILL AFFECT LOCATIONS NEAR... WARTBURG OLIVER SPRINGS ROSEDALE PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. IN ADDITION TO SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES PRIMARY KILLERS. REMEMBER... IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. DGS
Special weather statement, May 28, 1:48 PM EST, 1 hour 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 248 PM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 TNZ099-100-281945- BRADLEY-HAMILTON- 248 PM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE AFFECTING BRADLEY AND HAMILTON COUNTIES... AT 246 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF MADISONVILLE. THIS STORM WAS NEARLY STATIONARY. WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. IN ADDITION TO SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES PRIMARY KILLERS. REMEMBER... IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH PER HOUR...MAY OCCUR WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS...AND POSSIBLE MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. TURN AROUND DONT DROWN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. MJB
Special weather statement, May 28, 2:09 PM EST, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 309 PM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 TNZ068-084>086-282015- LOUDON-MCMINN-MEIGS-NORTHWEST MONROE- 309 PM EDT THU MAY 28 2009 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL BE AFFECTING LOUDON...MCMINN...MEIGS AND MONROE COUNTIES... AT 307 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR SWEETWATER...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. WINDS 40 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. SUSTAINED WINDS OR GUSTS UP TO 40 TO 50 MPH...HAIL OF PEA TO LESS THAN PENNY SIZE...AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. ANY FURTHER STRENGTHENING OF THIS STORM MAY REQUIRE ISSUANCE OF A WARNING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH PER HOUR...MAY OCCUR WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS...AND POSSIBLE MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. TURN AROUND DONT DROWN A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT THURSDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. MJB
The radar
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 128 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:51 UTC.
Event by event
3 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorm Wind, Loudon
- When
- May 28, 3:05 PM EST
- Where
- Loudon County, 0.89 mi SW of Philadelphia
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 35.670, -84.410
Several trees were reported down.
Flash Flood, Bradley
- When
- May 28, 4:00 PM EST to 5:20 PM EST
- Where
- Bradley County, 1.15 mi SSW of Annadale to 0.96 mi SSW of Cleveland
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 35.155, -84.910
Flash flooding occurred with the intersection of Jack Evans road and Minnis Avenue closed due to several inches of water over the roads.
Thunderstorm Wind, Sevier
- When
- May 28, 4:15 PM EST
- Where
- Sevier County, 2.34 mi ENE of Cusick
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 35.860, -83.660
One tree was reported down on Sugarloaf Road.
Flash Flood, Meigs
- When
- May 28, 4:15 PM EST to 6:15 PM EST
- Where
- Meigs County, 6 mi SW of Ten Mile to 1.74 mi WSW of Sewee
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
- Coordinates
- 35.609, -84.756
Flash flooding was occurring with a large section of highway 58 flooded and under water with around two feet of water over the road.
What these are
- 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.
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, May 28, 2009
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Pennsylvania, May 28 to 29, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in West Virginia, May 28, 2009
- Flash Flooding in Virginia, May 28 to 29, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Ohio, May 28, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in West Virginia, May 28 to 29, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, May 28, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, May 28, 2009
- Flooding in Iowa, May 28 to 31, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Kentucky, May 28, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, May 28, 2009
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Texas, May 28, 2009
More
Every storm in Tennessee in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 171384, 171385, 262543, 171390, 262544.