A highly organized mesoscale convective vorticity maximum with strong low to mid tropospheric flow coupled with moderate instability resulted in the development of discrete supercellular thunderstorms. These storms produced a long-lived tornado across Northeast Tennessee late in the afternoon and another long duration tornado across Southwest Virginia later in the evening.
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 highly organized mesoscale convective vorticity maximum with strong low to mid tropospheric flow coupled with moderate instability resulted in the development of discrete supercellular thunderstorms. These storms produced a long-lived tornado across Northeast Tennessee late in the afternoon and another long duration tornado across Southwest Virginia later in the evening.
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 8, 8:00 PM EST, 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 900 PM EDT FRI MAY 8 2009 .DISCUSSION...ISOLATED TORNADO-PRODUCING SUPERCELL CONTINUES TO MOVE EAST AND SHOULD BE OUT OF THE FORECAST AREA WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR OR SO. HOWEVER...CONVECTION HAS REDEVELOPED IN WEST TENNESSEE AND WILL REACH THE FORECAST AREA OVERNIGHT IF IT HOLDS TOGETHER. THIS MCS JUSTIFIES KEEPING LIKELY POPS IN OVERNIGHT. OTHERWISE... TEMPS APPEAR GENERALLY ON TRACK. NO CHANGES TO CURRENT FORECAST ARE WARRANTED AT THIS TIME. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN 64 78 59 72 53 / 70 60 50 50 50 KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN 63 77 58 71 51 / 70 60 40 50 50 OAK RIDGE, TN 63 77 58 71 52 / 70 60 40 50 50 TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN 62 75 57 69 49 / 70 60 40 40 40 && .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. TN...NONE. VA...NONE. && LCM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 935 AM EDT (835 CDT) FRI MAY 8 2009 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-091000- 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- 935 AM EDT (835 CDT) FRI MAY 8 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST TENNESSEE...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ANOTHER COMPLEX OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE TENNESSEE RIVER VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON. WITH THIS NEXT SYSTEM...THERE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. IN ADDITION...AN ISOLATED TORNADO OR TWO WILL BE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES AND FRONTAL BOUNDARIES WILL CREATE A GOOD CHANCE OF MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH SUNDAY. NO WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED...BUT A FEW STRONG TO MARGINALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP JUST ABOUT ANY AFTERNOON OR EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY. SATURATED GROUNDS FROM SEVERAL WET DAYS COULD CAUSE TREES TO FALL MORE EASILY THAN NORMAL. ANY ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL MAY CAUSE RIVERS AND STREAMS TO RISE TO NEAR OR ABOVE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE...AND LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING AND POSSIBLE MUD SLIDES. REMAIN ALERT FOR THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WEATHER...ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE NEAR AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS...AND ANY OTHER FLOOD PRONE AREAS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON...AND MAY BE NEEDED AT TIMES THROUGH SUNDAY. DMG
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
538 PM EDT FRI MAY 08 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0502 PM TSTM WND DMG N ENGLEWOOD 35.42N 84.49W
05/08/2009 MCMINN TN LAW ENFORCEMENT
NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 30 EAST
AND NORTHEAST MCMINN COUNTY.
&&
CCARPENTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 702 PM EDT FRI MAY 8 2009 TNZ017-018-046-047-VAZ006-008-082330- JOHNSON-NORTHWEST CARTER-RUSSELL-SOUTHEAST CARTER-SULLIVAN-WASHINGTON- 702 PM EDT FRI MAY 8 2009 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE AFFECTING CARTER...JOHNSON... RUSSELL...SULLIVAN AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES... AT 701 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF LEBANON TO 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BRISTOL TN...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 AM EDT SATURDAY MORNING FOR NORTHEAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. DH
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
714 PM EDT FRI MAY 08 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0705 PM TSTM WND GST TAZEWELL 36.46N 83.58W
05/08/2009 E55 MPH CLAIBORNE TN TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER REPORTED 55-60 MPH WIND GUSTS ON CEDAR FORK RD.
&&
CCARPENTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
730 PM EDT FRI MAY 08 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0715 PM TORNADO TAZEWELL 36.46N 83.58W
05/08/2009 CLAIBORNE TN FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
TORNADO TOUCH DOWN SOUTHERN CLAIBORNE COUNTY JUST
SOUTHWEST OF NEW TAZEWELL ALONG COLE RD.
&&
CCARPENTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
743 PM EDT FRI MAY 08 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0734 PM TORNADO THORN HILL 36.36N 83.42W
05/08/2009 GRAINGER TN TRAINED SPOTTER
TORNADO ON THE GROUND MOVING EAST NEAR THORN HILL.
REPORTED BY SPOTTER.
&&
CCARPENTPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
903 PM EDT FRI MAY 08 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0854 PM HAIL JEAROLDSTOWN 36.36N 82.82W
05/08/2009 E0.75 INCH GREENE TN PUBLIC
PENNY SIZE HAIL AT JEAROLDSTOWN. REPORTED BY PUBLIC.
&&
CCARPENTThe Jackson,KY radar (KJKL), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:45 UTC.
3 tornado, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous trees and power lines were reported down in Norton and Coeburn.
An EF2 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 120 miles an hour occurred around five miles southeast of Pound, Virginia. Tornado damage was observed along the path which measured 1.7 mile in length with a path width of 120 yards. Two trailers along with several outbuildings were destroyed while one trailer was damaged. Numerous trees...some in clusters...were downed by the high wind speeds generated by the tornado.
An EF0 tornado briefly touched down about one mile northwest of Lebanon. The path length was one tenth of a mile and the path width was 20 yards. Maximum wind speed was 65 miles an hour.
A tornado touched down about eight miles east-northeast of Lebanon, Virginia with maximum wind speeds of 125 miles an hour. The path length was 1.1 mile and maximum width was 250 yards. Approximately 100 trees were snapped and uprooted along the tornado path. In addition...a well constructed wooden barn was completely destroyed and while a home incurred moderate damage.
Numerous trees were reported down in Lebanon.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Virginia, 2009Warnings in Virginia, May 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: 170977, 170982, 170983, 171027, 170978.