Through the evening hours on Thursday, July 19th, across several Middle Tennessee counties, some of the the scattered to numerous thunderstorms that developed across these counties reached severe thresholds, resulting in several reports of thunderstorm wind damage and lightning strike damage.
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 OHX wrote it up.
Through the evening hours on Thursday, July 19th, across several Middle Tennessee counties, some of the the scattered to numerous thunderstorms that developed across these counties reached severe thresholds, resulting in several reports of thunderstorm wind damage and lightning strike damage.
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 Jul 19, 4:21 PM CST, 3 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 521 PM CDT THU JUL 19 2012 .UPDATE...ADDED AVIATION SECTION FOR 00Z TAF'S. && .AVIATION...BNA/CKV/CSV...COLD FRONT CURRENTLY STRETCHED ALONG THE OHIO VALLEY IS EXPECTED TO GATHER STEAM AND PUSH INTO MIDDLE TENNESSEE DURING THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. ATMOSPHERE ACROSS THE MID STATE THIS AFTERNOON IS EXTREMELY MOIST AND UNSTABLE, SO AT LEAST SCATTERED CONVECTION CAN BE EXPECTED DURING THE EVENING AND POSSIBLY EVEN PAST MIDNIGHT. WILL HANDLE THIS WITH TEMPO GROUPS IN THE TAF'S, WITH SIGNIFICANTLY LESS CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION IN THE POST-FRONTAL ENVIRONMENT TOMORROW. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 313 PM CDT THU JUL 19 2012/ DISCUSSION... SUBSIDENCE HAS APPARENTLY WON THE BATTLE TODAY WITH SINKING AIR ALOFT SUPPRESSING THE CUMULUS FIELD ACROSS MIDDLE TENNESSEE AND PREVENTING ANY SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. THE MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES HAVE ALLOWED TEMPERATURES TO SOAR INTO THE MID 80S TO MID 90S...AND WITH MOISTURE POOLING ACROSS OUR AREA SOUTH OF THE COLD FRONT TO OUR NORTH...DEWPOINTS HAVE CLIMBED INTO THE LOW TO UPPER 70S. UNFORTUNATELY THIS COMBINATION MEANS HEAT INDEX VALUES HAVE CLIMBED TO NEAR OR ABOVE HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA ACROSS THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE CWA AS EARLIER FEARED WITH CKV AND BNA BOTH AT 106 ATTM. HOWEVER...SHORT TIME SPAN OF THESE HIGH HI VALUES ALONG WITH CRITERIA NOT EXPECTED TO BE MET TOMORROW NEGATES ANY ISSUANCE OF AN ADVISORY AT THIS TIME. MAIN ISSUES FOR THE FORECAST REVOLVE AROUND POPS FOR TONIGHT AND TOMORROW WITH COLD FRONT PUSHING SOUTHWARD. LATEST LOCAL WRF AND HRRR RUNS INDICATE CURRENT PREFRONTAL ACTIVITY DEVELOPING ALONG THE OHIO RIVER WILL ORGANIZE INTO A SEMI-LINE AND PUSH INTO THE NORTHERN CWA THIS EVENING BEFORE WEAKENING OVERNIGHT. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY MAY POP UP TO THE SOUTH AND EAST OF THE LINE AS WELL. WITH THIS THINKING AND COORDINATION WITH SURROUNDING WFOS...HAVE ADJUSTED POPS TO LIKELY ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF TONIGHT WITH CHANCE POPS SOUTH. SOME OF THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BE STRONG TO POSSIBLE SEVERE DUE TO THE PREDICTED INSTABILITY LEVELS...WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREAT. LOW TEMPERATURES WILL BE DEPENDENT ON HOW MUCH PRECIP OCCURS AND WENT JUST UNDER LATEST MOS GUIDANCE. MODELS INDICATE CONVECTION WILL REJUVENATE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT ACROSS THE CWA FRIDAY MORNING...WITH ACTIVITY PUSHING SOUTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. WILL CONTINUE TREND OF LOW POPS IN THE NORTHWEST AND LIKELY POPS IN THE SOUTHEAST. ONCE AGAIN...SOME STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING DAMAGING WINDS...ESPECIALLY IN OUR SOUTHEASTERN HALF. CLOUD COVER AND PRECIP WILL ALSO KEEP HIGHS LOWER THAN TODAY IN THE 80S TO NEAR 90. MUCH DRIER AIR IN THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS WILL FILTER INTO THE MID STATE BEHIND THE FRONT...WITH SLIGHTLY COOLER TEMPS AND DEWPOINTS AND DRY CONDITIONS ANTICIPATED FOR SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. 12Z GFS/ECMWF KEEP H5 RIDGE AXIS CENTERED FROM THE PLAINS STATES INTO THE CENTRAL GULF COAST NEXT WEEK...WITH MIDDLE TENNESSEE IN NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE RIDGE. WITH MOISTURE LEVELS ALSO INCREASING BY MONDAY...LOW PRECIP CHANCES WILL RETURN TO THE FORECAST FOR EARLY TO MID NEXT WEEK. 500MB HEIGHTS WILL BE MUCH HIGHER THAN WE HAVE SEEN THIS PAST WEEK...SO ONLY ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED CONVECTION IS ANTICIPATED. TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO BE ON A WARMING TREND WITH HIGHS REACHING BACK INTO THE MID TO UPPER 90S BY THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD...AND HEAT ADVISORY CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN BY THEN AS WELL. && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && ROSE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 357 PM CDT THU JUL 19 2012 TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-202100- 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- 357 PM CDT THU JUL 19 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE OHIO RIVER AND MOVE INTO MIDDLE TENNESSEE THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. SOME STORMS WILL BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY TO DAMAGING WINDS. SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIER DOWNPOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR ALL OF MIDDLE TN ON FRIDAY. DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED LARGE HAIL WILL BE THE PRIMARY SEVERE WEATHER THREATS. ADDITIONALLY...LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIER DOWNPOURS. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... REPORTS FROM TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS MAY 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 55
The Nashville radar (KOHX), 29 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:44 UTC.
26 thunderstorm wind, 3 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Resident near the intersection of Boyles Road and Pleasant Grove Road estimated winds between 60-70 mph.
A roof was blown off a modular home on Red Binkley Road. Numerous trees were blown down including some of them blocking roads.
Two industrial buildings were damaged along Fred White Drive. Details concerning extent of damage to these buildings were unknown.
Lightning struck a home on Ellsworth Court, with the resulting fire completely destroying the home.
Several trees were blown down on Hood Road near White House.
Eighteen inch diameter tree was blown down south of Springfield.
Several trees were downed along State Highway 25 in Cottontown.
Estimated winds in excess of 60 mph on Main Street in Goodlettsville.
One hundred and seven foot tall oak tree was blown down onto Forest Retreat Road in Hendersonville. This 150 to 200 year old tree was reportedly the oldest tree in Sumner County and likely one of the oldest in the State of Tennessee.
Several trees were downed and a trampoline was flipped over.
Several trees and power lines were blown down in Ashland City.
A few trees snapped in two by Target in Hendersonville.
Several trees were snapped and blown down in Joelton.
A tree was blown down in Lafayette.
Several trees were blown down near Hendersonville.
Several trees were blown down on Weeping Elm Road.
Lightning struck a home on Woods Run Road where insulation was blown out of its walls.
Shutes Lane was blocked by fallen trees as around a dozen trees were blown down.
NWS Storm Survey found microburst wind damage across eastern Mount Juliet. Scattered trees and large tree limbs were snapped or blown down on several roadways including Lebanon Road, Curd Road, Greystone Road, and Thurman Street. Wind speeds were estimated up to 65 mph.
Two trees were blown down along Lebanon Pike at Highland View Road in Hermitage.
An eight inch branch was blown off tree in Belle Meade.
Numerous trees and power lines were downed across southern Davidson County.
Power lines were downed in east Nashville.
Several trees were downed across power lines in multiple locations along Belle Meade Boulevard.
Lightning destroyed the steeple of a church on Vultee Boulevard and set the building on fire. Specific details concerning any damage to the church as the result of the building fire were unknown.
A tree was uprooted on Preston Steet.
Trees were blown down on Velmas Way. Several other trees and tree limbs were blown down in and around Clarksville.
Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across the county. Up to 1843 customers were without power at the peak of this storm.
Several trees and fences were blown down in Chapmansboro. The actual type of fences that were blown down were unknown.
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, July 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: 392521, 401025, 401006, 392862, 400795, 401050, 400799, 392522, 401112, 400792, 401015, 401033, 401110, 401111, 400794, 401030, 392864, 401028, 401105, 400796, 401010, 400800, 400797, 400798, 392861, 401038, 400167, 400166, 400164.