A localized but major flash flood struck the northern Nashville metro area in the early morning hours of August 8. Thunderstorms formed along a weak stationary front situated just north of the I-40 corridor early in the day, then continued to redevelop and move across the same areas through the morning hours.
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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 localized but major flash flood struck the northern Nashville metro area in the early morning hours of August 8. Thunderstorms formed along a weak stationary front situated just north of the I-40 corridor early in the day, then continued to redevelop and move across the same areas through the morning hours. Rainfall totals ranging from 2 to 8 inches resulted along a narrow swath including northern Nashville, Whites Creek, Bordeaux, Inglewood, and Goodlettsville. *INSERT MORE INFO HERE*.
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 Aug 7, 2:49 AM CST, 3 hours 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 349 AM CDT WED AUG 7 2013 .DISCUSSION... COMPLEX AND UNSEASONLIKE PATTERN CONTINUES TO LINGER OVER THE MID- SOUTH. FRONTAL BOUNDARY TO THE SOUTH CURRENTLY LIFTING NORTH AND WEAKENING...AND LOOKS TO BE ACROSS SOUTHERN KY 12-18Z TODAY BEFORE WASHING OUT. SECONDARY FRONTAL BOUNDARY DROPPING OUT OF THE GREAT LAKES EXPECTED TO SAG DOWN TOWARD THE MS RIVER VALLEY LATE TODAY WITH PUSH OF NORTHWEST ML/UL FLOW...EVENTUALLY MERGING WITH OK/TX SFC LOW. MOISTURE/INSTABILITY REMAINS PLENTY SUFFICIENT WITH DECAYING BOUNDARY PASSING THIS MORNING AND SECOND APPROACHING FRONT LATE TODAY FOR SCT-NUM SHOWERS/STORMS TREND TO CONTINUE. FRONT SETS UP NEAR NORTHERN KY BORDER TONIGHT THEN BECOMES QUASI- STATIONARY INTO THE WEEKEND AS SFC WAVE RIDES SLOWLY ALONG IT AND PASSES JUST NORTH OF THE MID-STATE LATE SATURDAY. EVEN THOUGH SOME DRYING OCCURS ALOFT FRIDAY...MOISTURE AT OR BELOW H85 REMAINS HEALTHY. BY THE END OF THE WEEKEND HOWEVER...SFC WAVE MOVES TO THE ATLANTIC SEABOARD AND HIGH PRES MOVING INTO THE OH VALLEY HELPS PUSH FRONT DOWN TO THE TN/AL BORDER WHERE IT MEANDERS INTO MID-WEEK BEFORE MOVING FURTHER SOUTH AS ML/UL TROUGHS DEEPEN SOME. OVERALL PATTERN WILL KEEP INGREDIENTS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY FOR PCPN CHANCES NEXT 7 DAYS. EXPECT CHANCE FOR PCPN TO REMAIN FAIRLY HIGH THROUGH SUNDAY WHILE ON SOUTH SIDE OF BOUNDARY...BUT CHANCES SHOULD DROP SIGNIFICANTLY EARLY NEXT WEEK AS FRONT TRANSITIONS FURTHER SOUTH INTO AL. BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE STORMS REMAINS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SFC LOW/BOUNDARY TODAY/THURSDAY...WHICH IS NORTH/WEST OF THE CWA. WHEN FRONT PASSES ON SUNDAY...MOISTURE AT THAT POINT GOOD BIT MORE SHALLOW. THUS NEXT FEW DAYS...SEVERE THREAT SEEMINGLY MINIMAL. ISOLATED FLOODING HOWEVER VERY POSSIBLE THROUGH FRIDAY. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... NASHVILLE 87 74 88 73 / 60 50 60 30 CLARKSVILLE 84 72 88 71 / 60 50 60 40 CROSSVILLE 80 69 83 69 / 70 50 60 30 COLUMBIA 86 73 87 73 / 60 50 60 30 LAWRENCEBURG 86 72 87 72 / 60 50 60 20 WAVERLY 84 73 86 72 / 60 50 60 30 && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 538 AM CDT WED AUG 7 2013 TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-081030- 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- 538 AM CDT WED AUG 7 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TODAY AND TONIGHT. STORMS COULD BECOME STRONG AT TIMES LOCALLY...PRODUCING GUSTY WIND AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING. STRONGER STORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE MINOR STREET FLOODING AS WELL AS RISES ON CREEKS AND SMALL STREAMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. 07
The Nashville radar (KOHX), 0 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:01 UTC.
6 heavy rain, 6 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A two-day rainfall total of 5.81 inches was measured at the NWS Nashville office.
A two-day rainfall total of 7.90 inches was measured at CoCoRaHS station Madison 1.2 WSW.
A two-day rainfall total of 6.07 inches was measured at CoCoRaHS station Lebanon 4.1 NW.
A two-day rainfall total of 6.49 inches was measured at CoCoRaHS station Green Hill 4.5 NNE.
A two-day rainfall total of 4.90 inches was measured at CoCoRaHS station Carthage 2.8 WSW.
A two-day rainfall total of 6.07 inches was measured at CoCoRaHS station Slayden 3.8 ENE.
More than 100 homes and businesses were damaged and a couple homes destroyed by significant flash flooding across metro Nashville. There were dozens of water rescues across the city, including along Interstate 24 and Briley Parkway where several motorists had to be rescued. All told, Nashville OEM responded to over 200 calls for help from residents.
Major flash flooding impacted much of northern Wilson County during the morning and early afternoon hours on August 8 after 5 to 7 inches of rain fell across the area. The worst flooding was across Mount Juliet, where dozens of roads were covered by several feet of water and closed, and some homes and businesses were flooded. Road that were closed included Needmore Road, Division Street, Woodridge Place, Curd Road, Old Lebanon Dirt Road, Mount Juliet Road, Cairo Bend Road, York Road, Cooks Road, and Northern Road. Businesses flooded included the Valley Center strip mall on Mount Juliet Road at Division Street. Homes were flooded along *INSERT INFO HERE*.
Flash flooding affected much of the southwest portion of Sumner County after 5 to 7 inches of rain fell during the morning hours on August 8. Six homes were flooded in the Walton Trace Road area of Hendersonville. Numerous roadways were also flooded and closed.
Flash flooding was reported on Highway 41 between Springfield and Greenbrier with several inches of water over the road. Numerous side roads across southeast Robertson County were also covered by water.
Flash flooding was reported throughout Putnam County after 4 to 6 inches of rain fell during the day. Roads that were reportedly flooded and closed included the intersection of Clemmon Road at Swafford Road, Fisk Road, Free Hill Road, and Highway 135 north of Cookeville.
High water covered several roads across Jackson County.
A tree was blown down along Bearwallow Road.
Trees were blown down on Red Binkley Road and Cedarville Road.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, August 2013
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: 474484, 474485, 474486, 474487, 474488, 474489, 473045, 473683, 474273, 474479, 474481, 474483, 474480, 474482.