A boundary across the area triggered thunderstorms on the 5th. A few of the storms produced damaging thunderstorm wind.
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 thunderstorms on the 5th. A few of the storms produced damaging thunderstorm wind. But the main damage reports were from the flooding.
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 5, 2:39 PM EST, 1 hour 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 339 PM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 .SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)...UPPER TROUGH APPROACHING FROM THE NW. ENTRANCE REGION OF WEAKENING JET SEGMENT WILL MOVE EAST THROUGH KENTUCKY THIS EVENING. THIS WILL COINCIDE WITH AFTERNOON DESTABILIZATION AND OFFER WITH BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER. VERY HIGH PWAT VALUES COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. TAIL END OF UPPER TROUGH SLIDES INTO EAST TENNESSEE VALLEY TONIGHT. THIS FEATURE WILL ABSORB INVERTED TROUGH OVER NORTH FLORIDA AND LEAVE A WEAK TROUGH ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD. SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SE THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT AND MONDAY AND LINGER ALONG SOUTHERN MRX CWA AND RETURN NORTH BY END OF PERIOD. THE LAYER DRIES OT SOME ACROSS N AREAS BUT REMAINS FAIRLY MOIST ACROSS THE APPALACHIANS. ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION CONTINUES THROUGH THE PERIOD. TEMPERATURES WILL COOL SOME WHILE REMAINING ABOVE NORMAL. .LONG TERM (TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)...A BOUNDARY LINGERS OVER THE REGION ON TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. WILL CONTINUE THE CHANCE POPS FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. WITH INSTABILITY LINGERING MOST OF THE ACTIVITY FOR TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY SHOULD BE DIURNAL. A FRONT TRACKS INTO THE REGION FOR FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...SO WILL KEEP THE CHANCES GOING FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR FRIDAY AND INTO SATURDAY. A SHORTWAVE TRACKS INTO THE AREA ON SUNDAY SO WILL ADD LOW CHANCES FOR SUNDAY. GUIDANCE TEMPERATURES LOOKED REASONABLE. STAYED NEAR MEX/HPC NUMBERS FOR TEMPERATURES. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN 73 88 71 88 70 / 70 60 20 50 30 KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN 72 86 69 87 68 / 80 60 30 40 30 OAK RIDGE, TN 72 85 68 86 67 / 80 50 30 40 20 TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN 69 83 64 84 64 / 70 60 30 40 30 && .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. TN...NONE. VA...NONE. && SON/GH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 436 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-060845- 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- 436 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 /336 AM CDT SUN AUG 5 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE TOWARD THE AREA WITH CONTINUED MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR IN PLACE. AS THE FRONT APPROACHES THE TENNESSEE VALLEY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE. THE MAIN THREATS BEING DAMAGING WINDS...HAIL UP TO QUARTER SIZE AND HEAVY RAINS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY... THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO STALL IN OR NEAR THE TENNESSEE VALLEY MONDAY...WITH AT LEAST A FEW STRONG STORMS POSSIBLE. MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR IS LIKELY TO HANG AROUND INTO NEXT WEEK...SO STRONG STORMS ARE CERTAINLY POSSIBLE EACH DAY. GUSTY WINDS IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH...SMALL HAIL AND TORRENTIAL RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS...ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 255 PM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 TNZ012>014-035>037-VAZ001-002-060000- SCOTT TN-CAMPBELL-CLAIBORNE-MORGAN-ANDERSON-UNION-LEE-WISE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ONEIDA...LA FOLLETTE...TAZEWELL... WARTBURG...CLINTON...OAK RIDGE...MAYNARDVILLE...JONESVILLE... WISE...NORTON 255 PM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 ...LOCALIZED FLOODING POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLATEAU THIS EVENING... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN ADVANCE OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE OVER THE NORTHERN CUMBERLAND PLATEAU THIS AFTERNOON. THE ACTIVITY WILL BE SLOW MOVING AND MAY REDEVELOP OVER THE SAME LOCATIONS. HOURLY RAINFALL RATES NEAR TWO INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. LOCALIZED FLOODING IS POSSIBLE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 257 PM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 TNZ012>014-035>037-VAZ001-002-060000- SCOTT TN-CAMPBELL-CLAIBORNE-MORGAN-ANDERSON-UNION-LEE-WISE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ONEIDA...LA FOLLETTE...TAZEWELL... WARTBURG...CLINTON...OAK RIDGE...MAYNARDVILLE...JONESVILLE... WISE...NORTON 257 PM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 ...LOCALIZED FLOODING POSSIBLE ACROSS THE NORTHERN CUMBERLAND PLATEAU AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA THIS EVENING... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN ADVANCE OF AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE OVER THE NORTHERN CUMBERLAND PLATEAU AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA THIS AFTERNOON. THE ACTIVITY WILL BE SLOW MOVING AND MAY REDEVELOP OVER THE SAME LOCATIONS. HOURLY RAINFALL RATES NEAR TWO INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. LOCALIZED FLOODING IS POSSIBLE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 412 PM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 TNZ013-036-037-052045- ANDERSON TN-CAMPBELL TN-UNION TN- 412 PM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CAMPBELL...ANDERSON AND UNION COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM EDT... AT 411 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF LA FOLLETTE...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. SMALL HAIL 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...NORRIS LAKE. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A STURDY BUILDING. DGS
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 418 PM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 TNZ040-041-073-074-052100- COCKE SMOKY MOUNTAINS TN-NORTH SEVIER TN-NORTHWEST COCKE TN-SEVIER SMOKY MOUNTAINS TN- 418 PM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SEVIER AND WESTERN COCKE COUNTIES UNTIL 500 PM EDT... AT 416 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR GATLINBURG...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...PITTMAN CENTER AND COSBY. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH PER HOUR...MAY OCCUR WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS...AND POSSIBLE MINOR FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH. TURN AROUND! DON'T DROWN! DGS
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 35 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:05 UTC.
8 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Highway department personnel reported multiple trees downed by thunderstorm wind in the Parrottsville area.
Mudslide occurred on Old Walland Highway.
Several roads in the area were impassable.
Numerous road closures reported across the county according to FFS.
High water closed portions of Highway 81 in Erwin.
Many roads in Johnson City were impassable. Water rescues necessary in downtown. Maintenance garage flooded, with several buses stranded. Riverview Drive on the Watauga River in Johnson City was impassable. Flooding reported at Silver Creek Apartments. Some downtown businesses were flooded.
In and around town of Unicoi. Bedding of the railroad damaged. Serious flooding on Unicoi Drive, Massachusetts Avenue, and Pinnacle Road. Several residents were evacuated from Harris Hollow, Pippin Hollow, and Nelson Hollow Roads.
Significant Flash Flooding on Dry Creek. Several houses damaged, one house destroyed. A dozen miniature horses killed on a horse farm. Some automobiles destroyed. A mudslide uphill at the Methodist Camp may have temporarily dammed water whose release contributed to the flash flood. The mudslide carried large rocks and boulders into yards. Water rescues required. No civilian injuries. One water rescue raft flipped, resulting in minor injuries to the rescue team.
Flooding closed many roads across the city of Elizabethton and the county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, August 2012
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: 402283, 407987, 407988, 408024, 407992, 407993, 407996, 408005, 407994.