Elevated moisture and instability permitted routine afternoon thunderstorms to produce severe weather including hail, wind damage, and flooding.
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.
Elevated moisture and instability permitted routine afternoon thunderstorms to produce severe weather including hail, wind damage, and 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 Jun 14, 2:11 PM EST, 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 311 PM EDT THU JUN 14 2012 .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY)...UPPER RIDGE NOT ABLE TO CAP OFF CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON...AS WEAK ESE UPSLOPE FLOW HELPED TSRA POP ACTUALLY BY LATE MORNING. SPC MESO PAGE SHOWS A MOISTURE CONVERGENCE AXIS FROM SURFACE TO 850 MBS EXTENDING FROM E CENTRAL AL/W CENTRAL GA NWD INTO SE TN AND PLATEAU. SPOTTY SHRA/TSRA CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALONG THIS MOIST/UNSTABLE AXIS...WITH MOVEMENT SLOW AND VARIABLE. BASED ON LATEST RADAR TRENDS...I ADDED SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR REST OF THE AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING...FOR THESE AREAS. ANY AREAS GETTING RAIN TODAY COULD SEE PATCHY FOG OVERNIGHT. OTHERWISE...EXPECT VERY SIMILAR WEATHER PATTERN FOR FRIDAY WITH MOSTLY AFTERNOON TSRA IN THE FAVORED HIGHER TERRAIN AREAS. SLIGHT CHANGES OCCUR BY FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY...1) THE LOW LEVEL FLOW IS NO LONGER WEAK UPSLOPE...AND 2) 500 MB HEIGHTS INCREASE A GOOD BIT AS THE UPPER RIDGE BUILDS NE INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION. FOR THESE REASONS I CHOSE TO KEEP OUR FORECAST DRY FOR BOTH FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...AND WE WILL SEE HOW THIS PANS OUT. FOR TEMPS...PATTERN FAVORS PERSISTENCE ON LOWS AND HIGHS...WHICH IS GENERALLY WHAT THE NAM AND GFS MOS ARE SUGGESTING. STAYED CLOSE TO PREVIOUS TEMP GRIDS AND 12Z GUIDANCE. FOR POPS...MOS POPS PROBABLY GOOD OVERALL...BUT TOO LOW IN HIGHER TERRAIN AREAS FOR TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...WHERE I KEPT SLIGHT CHANCE TO LOW CHANCE POPS GOING. .LONG TERM...(SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...UPPER LEVEL THROUGH SURFACE RIDGING WILL GRADUALLY EXPAND ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS THROUGH THE LONG TERM. KEPT ALMOST THE ENTIRE PERIOD DRY IN THIS PATTERN WHERE AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM COULD DEVELOP MAINLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN FEATURES EARLY IN THE PERIOD BEFORE THE WARM RIDGE FORMS AND AGAIN LATE AS THE LOW LEVEL RIDGE SLIPS FARTHER EAST AND A SOUTHERLY FLOW DEVELOPS. HOWEVER...PROBABILITY IS SO LOW WITH GUIDANCE KEEPING POPS BELOW CLIMO DECIDED NOT TO INCLUDE AT THIS POINT. STAYED FAIRLY CLOSE TO MEX MOS TEMPS THROUGH THE EXTENDED. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN 67 87 65 88 63 / 20 10 10 10 0 KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN 65 87 64 88 62 / 20 10 10 10 10 OAK RIDGE, TN 64 88 63 88 62 / 20 10 10 10 10 TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN 57 84 55 85 56 / 10 10 10 10 10 && .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. TN...NONE. VA...NONE. && TG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 440 AM EDT THU JUN 14 2012 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-150830- 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- 440 AM EDT THU JUN 14 2012 /340 AM CDT THU JUN 14 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 333 PM EDT THU JUN 14 2012 TNZ100>102-142030- BRADLEY TN-EAST POLK TN-WEST POLK TN- 333 PM EDT THU JUN 14 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR POLK AND BRADLEY COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM EDT... AT 330 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR CHARLESTON...OR 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF CLEVELAND...MOVING SOUTH AT 5 MPH. PEA SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. RAINFALL COULD EXCEED ONE INCH PER HOUR WITH THIS STORM DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT. BE ALERT FOR PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...BENTON...CLEVELAND... DUCKTOWN...TASSO...RELIANCE...WATERVILLE...PARKSVILLE...GAP SPRINGS...CONASAUGA...FLINT SPRINGS...MCDONALD...ARCHVILLE...BIG FROG MOUNTAIN...TURTLETOWN AND COPPERHILL. 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. TG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 340 PM EDT THU JUN 14 2012 TNZ086-087-142045- NORTHWEST MONROE TN-SOUTHEAST MONROE TN- 340 PM EDT THU JUN 14 2012 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MONROE COUNTY UNTIL 445 PM EDT... AT 337 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR MADISONVILLE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 TO 10 MPH. SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN. RAINFALL COULD EXCEED ONE INCH PER HOUR WITH THIS STORM...SO BE ALERT FOR PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...MADISONVILLE...BULLET CREEK...MOUNT VERNON...VONORE...TELLICO PLAINS...TARIFFVILLE...CITICO BEACH AND COKER CREEK. 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. TG
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:52 UTC.
9 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Utility company personnel reported a couple of tress downed on powerlines by thunderstorm wind 2 miles northwest of Vonore on Sweetwater Vonore Road.
Utility company personnel reported a tree downed on powerlines by thunderstorm wind 3 miles southeast of Madisonville on North Fork Road.
Law enforcement personnel reported 1 tree downed by thunderstorm wind near Townsend.
Utility company personnel reported powerlines downed due to a tree on fallen on the by thunderstorm wind in Townsend off of Carrs Creek Road.
Law enforcement personnel reported thunderstorms produced golfball-size hail 2 miles northeast of Wears Valley in Hatchertown.
Utility company personnel reported several tress and powerlines downed by thunderstorm wind in the Oakdale area.
Law enforcement personnel reported a couple of tress downed by thunderstorm wind 2 miles northeast of Grandview on Grandview Mountain.
Utility company personnel reported several locations with powerlines knocked down by large tree limbs and trees by thunderstorm wind along Highway 127 and upper East Valley Road northeast of Pikeville near Cooper Mill.
Law enforcement personnel reported 2 trees downed by thunderstorm wind in Oakdale.
A trained spotter reported numerous trees downed by thunderstorm wind in Oakdale. The wind was also responsible producing numerous reports of damage to structures and blocking roads.
Heavy rain in excess of 4 inches produced a mudslide over Old Harriman Hwy. TDOT was on the scene.
Rock Bridge Road was flooded and impassable.
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, June 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: 379888, 379904, 393548, 379915, 379943, 379944, 379946, 380175, 380176, 380177, 377570, 377571.