A boundary across the area triggered isolated thunderstorms during the late afternoon hours. One of the storms became severe producing damaging thunderstorm winds.
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 boundary across the area triggered isolated thunderstorms during the late afternoon hours. One of the storms became severe producing damaging thunderstorm winds.
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 Aug 4, 2:30 PM EST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
330 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2010
.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT)...CURRENT SURFACE
ANALYSIS SHOWS A WEAK COLD FRONT OVER THE MID MS RIVER VALLEY AND
MID WEST...WITH A LEE TROUGH EXTENDING ALONG THE PIEDMONT AREA OF
THE CAROLINAS. CURRENT AREA RADARS REVEAL THAT SCATTERED CONVECTION
WAS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...WITH ADDITIONAL
ACTIVITY FURTHER UPSTREAM OVER THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY AHEAD OF THE
COLD FRONT. WILL PLAN TO KEEP CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA
TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF...TO ACCOUNT FOR THE
POSSIBILITY OF THIS OHIO RIVER VALLEY CONVECTION AFFECTING THE
FORECAST AREA LATER THIS EVENING. THIS WEAK COLD FRONT IS PROGGED TO
SLOWLY APPROACH THE REGION ON THURSDAY...WITH VERY HOT TEMPS AND
HIGH DEWPOINTS COMBINING AGAIN TO PRODUCE DANGEROUS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING HEAT INDICES ACROSS THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL GREAT TN VALLEY
AREAS. MODEL SOUNDINGS REVEAL INCREASING MID LEVEL WINDS AND COOLING
MID LEVEL TEMPS ON THURSDAY...AS A BROAD UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH
AMPLIFIES OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE NATION AND PUSHES THE COLD
FRONT INTO THE TN RIVER VALLEY THURSDAY NIGHT. AS A RESULT...THINK
THAT ORGANIZED CONVECTION WILL BE POSSIBLE AHEAD OF THE FRONT ON
THURSDAY ACROSS THE TN RIVER VALLEY...WITH A MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIR
MASS CAUSING SOME STORMS TO BECOME SEVERE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING HOURS. ANOTHER SECONDARY COLD FRONT IS THEN PROGGED TO MOVE
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA ON FRIDAY...TRIGGERING ADDITIONAL SCATTERED
CONVECTION. AS FOR TEMPS...MOS GUIDANCE NUMBERS ARE IN GOOD
AGREEMENT THROUGH THE PERIOD AND LOOK REASONABLE.
.LONG TERM (SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...MODELS NOT TOO DISSIMILAR
THROUGH MUCH OF THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH DEPICTION OF GRADUAL
DEPARTURE OF EASTERN U.S. UPPER TROF. FRONTAL ZONE STILL NEARBY
ACROSS SOUTHEAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY SO KEPT THE LOW AND SLIGHT CHANCE POP FOR CONVECTION IN THIS
AREA. UPPER HEIGHTS BUILD IN BEHIND THIS FEATURE BRINGING THE HEAT
WAVE BACK WITH ONLY A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR A COOLING SHOWER OR
THUNDERSTORM IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY. ENSEMBLE
MEANS SHOW THE RIDGE RETROGRADING BACK INTO THE PLAINS STATES BY
WEDNESDAY WITH UPPER LEVEL WINDS BECOMING MORE NORTHWESTERLY ACROSS
THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. WITH THIS TYPE OF FLOW
CONVECTIVE SYSTEMS WITH ASSOCIATED OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES MAY BE ABLE TO
BRING A POSSIBILITY OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA SO
INCLUDED A SLIGHT CHANCE POP ON WEDNESDAY. STAYED CLOSE TO IF NOT A
DEGREE OR TWO BELOW MOS GUIDANCE TEMPS THROUGH THE PERIOD.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN 77 100 76 95 72 / 20 40 40 40 30
KNOXVILLE AIRPORT, TN 76 98 75 94 70 / 20 50 50 40 30
OAK RIDGE, TN 76 98 75 94 70 / 20 50 50 30 20
TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN 71 96 70 91 64 / 30 60 60 30 20
&&
.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...NONE.
TN...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT /7 PM CDT/ THURSDAY FOR THE
FOLLOWING ZONES: ANDERSON...BLEDSOE...BRADLEY...GRAINGER...
HAMBLEN...HAMILTON...JEFFERSON...KNOX...LOUDON...MARION...
MCMINN...MEIGS...NW BLOUNT...NORTH SEVIER...NORTHWEST
COCKE...NORTHWEST MONROE...RHEA...ROANE...SEQUATCHIE...
UNION...WEST POLK.
VA...NONE.
&&
DMG/HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 150 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2010 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-051000- 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- 150 PM EDT (1250 PM CDT) WED AUG 4 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST TENNESSEE...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ANOTHER HOT DAY IS IN STORE FOR THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION... WITH ISOLATED AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE AROUND THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THE COMBINATION OF VERY HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL PRODUCE HEAT INDICES ABOVE 100 DEGREES ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION. FOR MORE DETAILS...PLEASE SEE THE HEAT ADVISORY ISSUED FOR THE SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL AREAS OF THE GREAT TENNESSEE VALLEY WHERE HEAT INDICES WILL EXCEED 105 DEGREES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY HEAT INDICES ARE ONCE AGAIN EXPECTED TO EXCEED 100 DEGREES OVER MOST OF THE REGION BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON...BUT WITH A WEAK COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE REGION. THIS COLD FRONT WILL TRIGGER SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ON THURSDAY...WITH A FEW OF THESE STORMS POSSIBLY BECOMING STRONG TO SEVERE DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. DMG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 200 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2010 TNZ012-035-041900- MORGAN TN-SCOTT TN- 200 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SCOTT AND MORGAN COUNTIES UNTIL 300 PM EDT... AT 156 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NEAR WARTBURG...WHICH WERE MOVING SOUTH AT 5 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...SMALL HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. 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 ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. DMG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 335 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2010 TNZ012-013-035-042030- CAMPBELL TN-MORGAN TN-SCOTT TN- 335 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SCOTT...CAMPBELL AND MORGAN COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM EDT... AT 329 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE NORTHERN CUMBERLAND PLATEAU...WHICH WERE REMAINING NEARLY STATIONARY. WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...SMALL HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. MOVE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY! LIGHTNING IS ONE OF NATURES PRIMARY KILLERS ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS. REMEMBER...IF YOU CAN HEAR THUNDER...YOU ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO BE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. DMG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 358 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2010 TNZ017-VAZ005-006-008-042045- RUSSELL VA-SCOTT VA-SULLIVAN TN-WASHINGTON VA- 358 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR RUSSELL...EXTREME WESTERN WASHINGTON...SCOTT AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM EDT... AT 352 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES NORTHEAST OF GATE CITY...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... NICKELSVILLE AROUND 420 PM EDT. HILTONS AROUND 440 PM EDT. COLLINGWOOD AROUND 445 PM EDT. TD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 409 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2010 TNZ014-037-038-VAZ001-042100- CLAIBORNE TN-GRAINGER TN-LEE VA-UNION TN- 409 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EXTREME WESTERN LEE... CLAIBORNE...UNION AND GRAINGER COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM EDT... AT 405 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HARROGATE-SHAWANEE...OR 8 MILES SOUTH OF MIDDLESBORO...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...HARROGATE-SHAWANEE... TAZEWELL...ARTHUR...SPRINGDALE...SANDLICK AND LONE MOUNTAIN. TD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 509 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2010 TNZ015-016-VAZ001-005-042200- HANCOCK TN-HAWKINS TN-LEE VA-SCOTT VA- 509 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LEE...SCOTT...HANCOCK AND HAWKINS COUNTIES UNTIL 600 PM EDT... AT 501 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF SURGOINSVILLE...OR 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF JONESVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN OF ONE INCH OR MORE PER HOUR AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... SURGOINSVILLE AROUND 550 PM EDT. OKOLONA AND CHURCH HILL AROUND 600 PM EDT. TD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 534 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2010 TNZ017-018-046-047-042215- JOHNSON TN-NORTHWEST CARTER TN-SOUTHEAST CARTER TN-SULLIVAN TN- 534 PM EDT WED AUG 4 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CARTER...JOHNSON AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES UNTIL 615 PM EDT... AT 530 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR BRISTOL TN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR... BLUFF CITY AROUND 540 PM EDT. SOUTH HOLSTON DAM AROUND 550 PM EDT. HUNTER AROUND 600 PM EDT. SADIE AROUND 605 PM EDT. DOEVILLE AROUND 615 PM EDT. TD
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:47 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement personnel reported multiple trees and powerlines downed by thunderstorm winds northwest of Blountville.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, August 2010
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: 247960.