A line of showers and thunderstorms, supported by strong winds aloft and a surface cold front, moved through Middle Tennessee across the mid state on Friday, October 9th. Along with several reports of thunderstorm wind damage, a funnel cloud citing, a high wind event causing damage to several homes and the downing of several trees, and a heavy rain event that was a factor in a multiple car…
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 OHX wrote it up.
A line of showers and thunderstorms, supported by strong winds aloft and a surface cold front, moved through Middle Tennessee across the mid state on Friday, October 9th. Along with several reports of thunderstorm wind damage, a funnel cloud citing, a high wind event causing damage to several homes and the downing of several trees, and a heavy rain event that was a factor in a multiple car accident, an EF-1 tornado touchdown in Robertson County and lifted in Davidson County. This was the first tornado in October ever recorded for these two counties.
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 Nashville, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Oct 9, 9:25 AM CST, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 1025 AM CDT FRI OCT 9 2009 .MESOSCALE UPDATE... CELLS INTENSIFIED UPON CROSSING THE TN RIVER AROUND 15Z. STRONGER CELLS SEEM TO BE TIED TO MOISTURE FLUX GRADIENT WHICH BACKED UP A LITTLE TO THE NORTHWEST DURING THE LAST HOUR. OTHER THAN THE CELL THAT WAS OVER CARROLL COUNTY EARLIER THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE BOWING EVIDENT IN THE CELLS. STILL THINK SOME STORMS COULD GO SEVERE DURING THE DAY...BUT COVERAGE STILL A QUESTION. CELLS SEEM TO BE STRUGGLING TO GAIN MUCH IN THE WAY OF VERTICAL EXTENT BASED ON GRANALYST AND MINIMUM LIGHTNING ACTIVITY SO FAR. && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && BOYD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 507 AM CDT FRI OCT 9 2009 TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-101000- STEWART-MONTGOMERY-ROBERTSON-SUMNER-MACON-CLAY-PICKETT-BENTON- HOUSTON-HUMPHREYS-DICKSON-CHEATHAM-DAVIDSON-WILSON-TROUSDALE- SMITH-JACKSON-PUTNAM-OVERTON-FENTRESS-PERRY-HICKMAN-LEWIS- WILLIAMSON-MAURY-MARSHALL-RUTHERFORD-CANNON-DEKALB-WHITE- CUMBERLAND-BEDFORD-COFFEE-WARREN-GRUNDY-VAN BUREN-WAYNE-LAWRENCE- GILES- 507 AM CDT FRI OCT 9 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AS A STRONG COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ACROSS MIDDLE TENNESSEE TODAY...THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS COULD POSSIBLY BECOME SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW WINDS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES. THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER DEVELOPMENT WILL BE ALONG AND WEST OF A LAFAYETTE...TO WOODBURY...TO TULLAHOMA LINE. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING BREIF HEAVY RAINFALL...WITH ISOLATED RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO TWO INCHES POSSIBLE. THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL DIMINISH NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST TODAY AFTER LOCATIONS EXPERIENCE THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE. ALONG WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS...WILL BE DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. EXERCISE CAUTION WITH ANY OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES THAT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN TODAY. REMEMBER...IF THUNDER ROARS...GO INDOORS. EXERCISE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING ON AREA ROADWAYS TODAY AS HEAVY RAINFALL MIGHT RESULT IN PONDING OF WATER ON THESE ROADWAYS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER UPDATES ON THIS POSSIBLE DEVELOPING SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ON FRIDAY. 31/JBW
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud, 1 tornado, 1 high wind, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
EMA reported that trees were downed in the Dickson and Charlotte areas.
Funnel Cloud was reported near Interstate 24 near the Cheatham/Davidson County Lines.
Reports of several trees down with damage to trailers with possible injuries. Type of trailers and extent of any possible injuries was unknown.
Trees were reported downed near Old Hickory Blvd and Shutes Lane.
Large tree fell at a residence in Shelbyville, crushing a back shed, which riding lawnmowers, push mowers, garden tillers, and children bicycles were stored in. Amount of damage to the lawnmower, push mower, garden tillers, and children bicycles was unknown.
Tree was reported downed along with a tin roof blown off a home around the 2900 block of Big Springs Road.
The tornado touched down on a farm near the intersection of Greer Road and Dickson Lane in Robertson County. The tornado then continued on a 1.82 mile path east-northeast into Davidson County. The last evidence of damage was at a residence along Baker Road. An old barn was destroyed near the beginning of the damage path in Robertson County. The most significant damage was right along Greer Road, which marks the border between Robertson and Davidson Counties. On the Robertson County side of the road, dozens of hardwood trees were snapped or uprooted and a residence and outbuilding received roof damage. On the Davidson County side, several trailers were damaged, including one which was pushed approximately 15 feet of it's foundation. A woman sustained minor injuries in one of the trailers. This was the first recorded October tornado in either Robertson or Davidson Counties.
Several trees were downed county wide, including around Lawrenceburg and near the Lawrence/Maury County Line.
High winds caused by a cold front moving through southern areas of the county blew down at least a couple dozen trees, blocked roads, and removed roofs from home residences. Amount of home residences roofs removed was unknown.
Trees were downed in McMinnville.
Two people were in critical conditions following a three-vehicle wreck at the intersection of Woodbury Highway and Riddle Road in Manchester. A total of 10 persons were transported by ambulance from the wreck site to local hospitals. People involved in the accident ranged from age four to age 68. An ambulance official reported that extremely heavy rainfall conditions were likely a factor in the wreck. Final conditions of the 10 individuals, including two that were in critical condition, was unknown. This three vehicle accident included a 2004 Toyota Sierra Van that carried six people, 2007 Toyota Highlander that carried three people, and a 2003 Red Durango that carried a single person. Exact total damage amounts to the vehicles was unknown.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Tennessee, 2009Warnings in Tennessee, October 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 198541, 198539, 198543, 198544, 199195, 198545, 192715, 198546, 199208, 198547, 199200.