A young boy took shelter from an approaching thunderstorm in a hot car. He died en route to the hospital.
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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 young boy took shelter from an approaching thunderstorm in a hot car. He died en route to the hospital.
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 May 15, 2:42 PM CST, 18 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 342 PM CDT SAT MAY 15 2010 .DISCUSSION... SCT STRONG TO SVR STORMS ONGOING ACROSS THE MID STATE THIS AFTERNOON. BOUNDARY IS JUST NORTH OF THE ACTIVITY AND SHOULD CONTINUE TO MOVE SLOWLY NORTHWARD AS A WARM FRONT. THE WEAK UPPER RIDGE THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE WILL BEGIN TO WEAKEN TONIGHT. ADDITIONALLY...A STRONG UPPER WAVE WILL MOVE OUR WAY AND SPREAD A MORE WIDESPREAD VERSION OF SHOWERS AND TSTMS BACK ACROSS THE AREA LATE TONIGHT AND INTO SUNDAY. GENERAL QPF AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IS EXPECTED FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH 7 PM ON MONDAY. LOCAL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE IN SOME LOCATIONS AS WELL. THUS...GIVEN THE PREVIOUS CONDITIONS...WE HAVE ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND RUN IT THROUGH 7 PM ON SUNDAY. THE WATCH INCLUDES OUR NORTHWESTERN TWO THIRDS OF THE CWA. IT LOOKS LIKE THE HEAVIEST RAIN WILL OCCUR ACROSS THAT AREA. ALSO...THAT IS THE AREA THAT HAS RECEIVED THE MOST RAINFALL OVER THE LAST DAY OR SO. AS FOR THE SVR WX THREAT...CURRENT THINKING IS THAT THE THREAT WILL GENERALLY BE FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. 850 AND MID LEVEL JETS DO NOT LOOK STRONG ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN A SVR OVERNIGHT THREAT. STILL LOOKING AT THE MAIN FROPA TAKING PLACE DURING THE DAY ON MONDAY. MUCH OF THE DEEPER MOISTURE WILL OUTRUN THE COLD FRONT SO SEE NO NEED TO EXTEND THE FLOOD WATCH BEYOND SUNDAY EVENING ATTM. WE ARE CURRENTLY NOT OUTLOOKED FOR ANY SVR POTENTIAL FOR SUN OR MON. THROUGH THE EXTENDED...SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR TO MOVE IN BEHIND THE FRONT ALONG WITH PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND TEMPS JUST BELOW SEASONAL LEVELS. A WEAK SYSTEM MAY SPREAD A FEW SHOWERS AND TSTMS BACK ACROSS THE AREA AS WE REACH NEXT WEEKEND. .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... NASHVILLE 66 77 64 78 / 80 90 60 40 CLARKSVILLE 66 77 63 76 / 90 90 60 40 CROSSVILLE 63 75 62 75 / 60 90 70 70 COLUMBIA 67 78 66 80 / 80 90 60 40 LAWRENCEBURG 68 79 66 81 / 80 90 50 40 WAVERLY 67 78 64 78 / 90 90 60 40 && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR TNZ005>011-022>034- 056>060-062-093-094. && 21
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 516 AM CDT SAT MAY 15 2010 TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-161030- 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-DE KALB-WHITE- CUMBERLAND-BEDFORD-COFFEE-WARREN-GRUNDY-VAN BUREN-WAYNE-LAWRENCE- GILES- 516 AM CDT SAT MAY 15 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A STATIONARY FRONT...WHICH STRETCHED ACROSS THE MID STATE EARLY TODAY ...WILL MOVE NORTHWARD AS A WARM FRONT DURING THE AFTERNOON. THIS WILL LEAVE MIDDLE TENNESSEE IN A WARM AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS...WITH THE LIKELIHOOD FOR MORE THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY DOWNPOURS...AND A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. LOCALIZED FLOODING MAY DEVELOP WHERE RAINFALL IS HEAVIEST... ESPECIALLY IF IT FALLS WHERE THE HEAVY RAINS FELL ON FRIDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A WARM AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE MID STATE SUNDAY...WITH SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING...ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE HEAVY DOWNPOURS WHICH COULD...ONCE AGAIN...LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOOD PROBLEMS. A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP INTO THE MID STATE SUNDAY NIGHT AND BRING EVEN MORE THUNDERSTORMS. LOCALIZED FLOOD PROBLEMS MAY...ONCE AGAIN... DEVELOP. HOWEVER...THE RAINFALL IS FORECAST TO FINALLY TAPER OFF FROM THE WEST ON MONDAY AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES EAST. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... REPORTS FROM TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. SPOTTER THUNDERSTORM REPORTING CRITERIA... TORNADO FUNNEL CLOUD FLOODING HAIL >= 1/2 INCH WINDS > 50 MPH (MEASURED) STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TREES OR POWER LINES DOWN 19
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
1216 PM CDT SAT MAY 15 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0305 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 S FRANKLIN 35.87N 86.84W
05/14/2010 WILLIAMSON TN NWS EMPLOYEE
TREES SNAPPED IN HALF.
&&
21SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 1257 PM CDT SAT MAY 15 2010 TNZ057>060-151845- HICKMAN-LEWIS-MAURY-WILLIAMSON- 1257 PM CDT SAT MAY 15 2010 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR HICKMAN...LEWIS...MAURY AND WILLIAMSON COUNTIES... AT 1253 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR HOHENWALD...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH. HALF INCH SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. JLM
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
217 PM CDT SAT MAY 15 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0202 PM TSTM WND GST 5 N COLUMBIA 35.69N 87.05W
05/15/2010 E58 MPH MAURY TN PUBLIC
58 MPH WIND GUST REPORTED JUST NORTH OF COLUMBIA.
&&
JLMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
310 PM CDT SAT MAY 15 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0309 PM HAIL ERIN 36.32N 87.70W
05/15/2010 E0.75 INCH HOUSTON TN LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
21PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
337 PM CDT SAT MAY 15 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0335 PM HAIL 3 E MCMINNVILLE 35.69N 85.72W
05/15/2010 E1.00 INCH WARREN TN LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
21The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.
A 2 year old Manchester boy sought shelter from an approaching thunderstorm in a hot car. He buckled himself in his car seat but was unable to unbuckle it when the storm passed. His father found him in the car and rushed to the hospital but the boy died en route.
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, May 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: 237382.