A stalled frontal system resulted in widespread heavy rains across the eastern two thirds of Middle Tennessee. Flash flooding occurred in multiple counties across Middle Tennessee beginning in the afternoon.
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.
A stalled frontal system resulted in widespread heavy rains across the eastern two thirds of Middle Tennessee. Flash flooding occurred in multiple counties across Middle Tennessee beginning in the afternoon.
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 4, 11:37 AM CST, 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 1237 PM CDT THU JUL 4 2013 .UPDATE...FOR 18Z AVIATION FORECAST && .AVIATION... VERY POOR FLYING CONDITIONS NEXT 12 TO 18 HOURS ACROSS THE MID STATE AS STALLED UPPER LOW OVER THE MIDDLE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WITH DEEP MOISTURE PLUME IN WARM CONVEYOR STREAM FROM GULF AND CARIBBEAN REGIONS. THIS MEANS HEAVY RAINFALL HERE IN THE MID STATE. UNLIKELY TO SEE VFR CONDITIONS AT ANY OF THE TERMINALS FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. BOYD && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1128 AM CDT THU JUL 4 2013/ MESOSCALE UPDATE... LAPS SHOWING CONVERGENCE ZONE ACROSS WAYNE...LAWRENCE AND GILES COUNTIES AT 16Z. THERE IS A SMALL SCALE FEATURE SHOWING SOME ROTATION IN BASE VELOCITY AND STORM RELATIVE MOTION RUNNING UP THROUGH WESTERN MOORE COUNTY AT THIS TIME. THIS FEATURE WILL ENTER SOUTHEASTERN BEDFORD SHORTLY. WILL MONITOR CLOSELY FOR POSSIBLE SPINUP. BOYD PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 1107 AM CDT THU JUL 4 2013/ UPDATE... RADAR IMAGERY THIS MORNING SHOWING LONG FETCH OF MODERATE TO OCCASIONALLY HEAVY RAIN HAS SET UP ALONG AND EAST OF THE I-65 CORRIDOR. LATEST 12Z MODELS KEEP NEARLY CONTINUOUS RAIN AND A FEW STORMS GOING ACROSS MOST OF THE CWA INTO THE EVENING...WITH ACTIVITY BECOMING MORE SCATTERED AROUND/AFTER 06Z AS WEAK INVERTED SURFACE TROUGH MOVES NORTH OF THE AREA. MAIN UPDATE WAS TO RAISE POPS TO 100 PERCENT OVER THE EASTERN HALF...ALTHOUGH ACTIVITY WILL BE MORE SCATTERED ON THE PLATEAU WHICH NOW LOOKS TO REMAIN EAST OF THE MAIN RAIN AXIS. ALSO LOWERED HIGH TEMPERATURES SIGNIFICANTLY DUE TO CLOUDS/RAIN...AND DUE TO LACK OF LIGHTNING ACTIVITY WILL ONLY MENTION A SLIGHT CHANCE OF STORMS. FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING WITH ONLY CHANGE TO ADD LAWRENCE COUNTY. PROJECTED TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH LOCALLY UP TO 6 INCHES STILL SEEMS REASONABLE...AND HIGHEST AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY BE IN COUNTIES CLOSER TO THE ALABAMA BORDER WHICH HAVE ALREADY SEEN AROUND 2 INCHES OF RAIN TODAY. RADAR ALSO STARTING TO SHOW A FEW ROTATING CELLS IN THE HUN CWA AS LLJ INCREASES...AND CANNOT RULE OUT A BRIEF DAMAGING WIND GUST OR TORNADO THE REST OF THE DAY. SHAMBURGER PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 539 AM CDT THU JUL 4 2013/ AVIATION 12Z DISCUSSION... A VERTICALLY UNIFORM MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE TAF PD. AS DISTURBANCES LIFT NORTHWARD WITHIN THE SOUTHERLY FLOW...PERIODS OF RAIN WILL CONTINUE. VSBYS...AND ESPECIALLY CIGS...WILL LOWER AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE TAF PD. AREAS ACROSS EASTERN MIDDLE TN...THE CSV AREA IN PARTICULAR...WILL HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR OCCASIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WITH VSBYS AOB 1SM AT TIMES. PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 345 AM CDT THU JUL 4 2013/ DISCUSSION... FLOOD POTENTIAL WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE TODAY AND REMAIN ELEVATED INTO THE WEEKEND. PERSISTENT SHARP UPPER TROUGH CURRENTLY OVER THE NATIONS MID-SECTION WILL REMAIN BIG PLAYER AS MID-SOUTH CONTINUES TO BE TARGET OF DEEP MOISTURE SQUEEZED BETWEEN IT AND BERMUDA HIGH. UPPER TROUGH VERY SLOW MOVER HOLDING CURRENT POSITION THRU EARLY SAT...THEN TAKING UNTIL LATE SUN TO PASS THE MID-STATE. LARGE SCALE ASSENT/ISENTROPIC LIFT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL UPPER TROUGHS PUSH EAST...AND UVV WILL BE ENHANCED TODAY/TONIGHT AS LOW-LEVEL JET STREAK WORKS UP THE PLATEAU/EAST TN. HEALTHY MOISTURE TRANSPORT WILL RUN PRECIPITABLE WATER UP TO AROUND 2...WHICH MAINTAINS THROUGH EARLY SUN. OVERALL RESULT WILL BE EXTENDED PERIOD OF WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN. TIGHT GRADIENT OF EXPECTED RAINFALL AMOUNTS EXISTS AREA-WIDE BUT FOCUS FOR HIGHEST AMOUNTS RUNNING NASHVILLE VICINITY-EAST. THUS CURRENT PLACEMENT OF WATCH STILL LOOKING GOOD...WHERE 2 TO 4 INCHES...AND SPOTS OF AROUND 6...LIKELY THROUGH SUN MORNING. WATCH MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED IN TIME BUT WILL LET NEXT SHIFT EXAMINE. BEHIND UPPER TROUGH ON MON...WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED YOUR NORMAL SUMMERTIME RIDGING REALLY NEVER DEVELOPS. WEAK UPPER HIGH DOES FORM OVER THE PLAINS BUT ZONAL FLOW DOMINATES THE NORTHERN TN/ SOUTHERN OH VALLEYS UNTIL LATE NEXT WEEK WHEN ANOTHER UPPER TROUGH TRIES TO BRING A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY DOWN INTO THE MID-STATE. THUS AIRMASS NEVER REALLY GOES THROUGH GOOD DRYING...WHICH WILL KEEP ISO-SCT SHWRS/TSTMS IN THE FOLD THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR TNZ007>011-026>034- 059>066-075-077>080-094-095. && 01
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 528 AM CDT THU JUL 4 2013 TNZ007>011-026>034-059>066-075-077>080-095-051030- ROBERTSON-SUMNER-MACON-CLAY-PICKETT-CHEATHAM-DAVIDSON-WILSON- TROUSDALE-SMITH-JACKSON-PUTNAM-OVERTON-FENTRESS-WILLIAMSON-MAURY- MARSHALL-RUTHERFORD-CANNON-DE KALB-WHITE-CUMBERLAND-BEDFORD- COFFEE-WARREN-GRUNDY-VAN BUREN-GILES- 528 AM CDT THU JUL 4 2013 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN WILL OCCUR TODAY AND TONIGHT. RAINFALL TOTALS BY FRIDAY MORNING MAY APPROACH 2 TO 3 INCHES. THIS MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS MAY GO OUT OF THEIR BANKS LATER TODAY AS WELL. MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV OR BY LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OFF AND ON THROUGH SUNDAY. TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED IN THE WATCH AREA...WITH SOME LOCATIONS SEEING UP TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN BY SUNDAY MORNING. FLASH FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE IN AREAS THAT RECEIVE THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL...ESPECIALLY URBAN AREAS AND OTHER FLOOD PRONE LOCATIONS. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT MIDDLE TENNESSEE THROUGH TUESDAY. LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE. MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV OR BY LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS AND LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NASHVILLE. TNZ005-006-022>025-056>058-093-094-051030- STEWART-MONTGOMERY-BENTON-HOUSTON-HUMPHREYS-DICKSON-PERRY-HICKMAN- LEWIS-WAYNE-LAWRENCE- 528 AM CDT THU JUL 4 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MIDDLE TENNESSEE. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT. HEAVY RAINFALL MAY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND OR LOCALIZED FLOODING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FROM FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE IN AREAS THAT SEE PERSISTENT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS AND LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NASHVILLE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
1134 AM CDT THU JUL 4 2013
TNZ075-077-041700-
BEDFORD-COFFEE-
1134 AM CDT THU JUL 4 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BEDFORD AND COFFEE COUNTIES...
AT 1130 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS WERE
TRACKING A STORM WITH WEAK ROTATION NEAR LYNCHBURG...MOVING
NORTH AT 30 MPH.
SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH INCLUDE RAUS...NORMANDY...SHELBYVILLE AND
WARTRACE.
WINDS 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3534 8648 3556 8646 3550 8614 3534 8622
3533 8626 3535 8625 3538 8628 3540 8626
3541 8628 3537 8633 3536 8633 3534 8640
3532 8642
BOYDThe Nashville radar (KOHX), 72 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:15 UTC.
4 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Marshall County Sheriff's Office reported portions of Thick and Pyles Road were underwater where the Caney Creek crosses the roads. Also, 4 to 6 inches of standing water was reported along Highway 31 in Chapel Hill. The middle and high school parking lots were flooded in the city.
The Smith County Emergency Manager reported several roads closed across the county. Specific roads included Winding Hill Lane in New Middleton, South Main Street and County House Circle in South Carthage. Dry Fork Road was closed due to high water as well.
The Giles County Emergency Manager reported numerous road closures across Giles County due to flash flooding, including Highway 31 north of Pulaski.
One foot of water was reported over the road at the intersection of Deep Draw and Highland Lane.
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, July 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: 467178, 467182, 467183, 467184.