A hot and humid airmass across the area helped to trigger isolated severe thunderstorms during the late afternoon and evening hours.
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 hot and humid airmass across the area helped to trigger isolated severe thunderstorms during the late afternoon and evening hours.
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 Jun 21, 1:45 PM EST, 3 hours 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 245 PM EDT MON JUN 21 2010 .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)...UPPER LEVEL RIDGE PROMINENT WEATHER MAKER ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH HOT TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 90S FROM AROUND KNOXVILLE SOUTH TO THE GA BORDER AND MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES. MCS ACTIVITY ACROSS SOUTHERN OH AND NORTHEAST KY MOVING SE TOWARDS THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS WILL LIKELY REACH SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND POSSIBLY NORTHERN TN LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING. ANY STORMS THAT DEVELOP COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. CAPE VALUES OF AROUND 2000 J/KG WITH LIFTED INDEX VALUES OF AROUND -5 SHOW ATMOSPHERE IS MODERATELY UNSTABLE. SHORT RANGE MODELS BRING CONVECTION INTO THE NE SECTIONS BY LATE AFTERNOON SO HAVE SLIGHT TO CHANCE POPS THAT AREA THROUGH 00Z. CLOUD COVER SHOULD BE MINIMAL EXCEPT NE SECTIONS THROUGH MID EVENING AS STORMS DISSIPATE. LOWS TONIGHT STILL FAIRLY COMFORTABLE IN THE 60S TO NEAR 70. TUESDAY ANOTHER VERY WARM DAY WITH HIGHS INTO THE MID TO UPPER 90S CENTRAL AND SOUTH. MODELS INDICATE NO POPS BUT WILL KEEP ISOLATED CONVECTION IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS. THIS MAY HAVE TO BE INCREASED IN LATER SHIFTS ACROSS THE NE IF BOUNDARIES ARE LEFT FROM MCS NOW IN KY. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY)...MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT AN UPPER-LEVEL HIGH WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE NATION THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD. AS A RESULT...A STAGNANT PATTERN WITH HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WILL LINGER INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. A WEAK COLD FRONT IS PROGGED TO SLOWLY SETTLE INTO THE TN RIVER VALLEY BY THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...WHICH SHOULD INCREASE THE AREAL COVERAGE OF CONVECTION DURING THIS PERIOD. A SOUTHERLY WIND FLOW SHOULD THEN PUSH THIS FRONT BACK NORTH AS A WARM FRONT DURING THE WEEKEND...WITH HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS PERSISTING. WITH A MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIR MASS DEVELOPING EACH DAY OVER THE REGION...THINK THAT AT LEAST ISOLATED CONVECTION WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH DAY...ALONG WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE-ORGANIZED MCS ACTIVITY FROM THE OHIO RIVER VALLEY ON A FEW DAYS. AS FOR TEMPS...WILL FOLLOW A PERSISTENCE PATTERN THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD...SINCE THE AIR MAS IS NOT EXPECTED TO CHANGE MUCH WITH ONLY SCATTERED CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY POSSIBLY ALTERING THIS PATTERN. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN 70 97 72 95 72 / 10 10 10 10 10 KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN 69 95 71 94 71 / 10 10 10 10 10 OAK RIDGE, TN 68 96 71 94 71 / 10 10 10 10 10 TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN 62 93 68 92 68 / 10 10 20 20 20 && .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. TN...NONE. VA...NONE. && TD/DMG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 1141 AM EDT MON JUN 21 2010 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-221530- 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- 1141 AM EDT MON JUN 21 2010 /1041 AM CDT MON JUN 21 2010/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT DAYTIME HEATING TODAY WILL ALLOW WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. A FEW ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGING WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED DUE TO THE ISOLATED NATURE OF THE EXPECTED SEVERE THREAT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A TYPICAL SUMMERTIME PATTERN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION...WITH A FEW ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE EACH DAY. THE MAIN THREATS THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGING WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. TD
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 610 PM EDT MON JUN 21 2010 VAZ006-008-212300- RUSSELL VA-WASHINGTON VA- 610 PM EDT MON JUN 21 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR RUSSELL AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES OF SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA AND THE CITY OF BRISTOL VIRGINIA UNTIL 700 PM EDT... AT 604 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 14 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CLEVELAND...OR 14 MILES NORTHWEST OF BRISTOL VA...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...LEBANON...BRISTOL VA...ABINGDON...HANSONVILLE...BENHAMS...ROSEDALE...HILANDER PARK... HOLSTON...LINDELL...EMORY-MEADOW VIEW...DAMASCUS...GLADE SPRING AND KONNAROCK. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. TG
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 87 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:24 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A trained spotter reported several trees downed by thunderstorm winds in the Colonial Heights area of Kingsport.
The Bristol Herald Courier newspaper reported numerous trees and powerlines downed by thunderstorm winds countywide. More than 5000 customers in Sullivan county lost power. A few buildings also sustained wind damage.
Law enforcement personnel reported a few trees and large limbs downed by thunderstorm winds in the Shady Valley area.
Law enforcement personnel reported a few trees downed by thunderstorm winds southwest of Elizabethton.
The Tomahawk newspaper in Mountain City reported several tress and powerlines downed by thunderstorm winds in the Mountain City area. A few buildings were also damaged.
Law enforcement personnel reported numerous trees downed by thunderstorm winds countywide.
Law enforcement personnel reported several trees downed by thunderstorm winds across the western half of the county.
Law enforcement personnel reported 2 trees downed by thunderstorm winds in Unicoi.
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, June 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: 230640, 241755, 230641, 230642, 242610, 230644, 230647, 230648.