A weak upper level trough moved across the Mid South generating isolated severe thunderstorms as it moved into a slightly unstable environment over East Central Tennessee.
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 weak upper level trough moved across the Mid South generating isolated severe thunderstorms as it moved into a slightly unstable environment over East Central Tennessee.
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 May 17, 7:01 PM EST, 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 801 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 .AVIATION... WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING WILL GIVE WAY TO SOME LIGHT TO PERHAPS MODERATE SHOWERS THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT MOVING IN FROM THE WEST. THIS ACTIVITY SHOULD ARRIVE AT KCHA THIS EVENING AND EVENTUALLY KTYS/KTRI LATER TONIGHT. LOW VFR TO MVFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT...BEFORE LIFTING AFTER SUNRISE. HOWEVER... SCATTERED -SHRA WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD AS AN UPPER-TROUGH SWINGS THROUGH. HOWEVER...BASED ON UNCERTAINTIES IN TIMING...HAVE OPTED TO GO WITH VCSH ATTM. && .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. TN...NONE. VA...NONE. && AMP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 1040 AM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-181000- 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- 1040 AM EDT (940 AM CDT) FRI MAY 17 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST TENNESSEE...SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA...AND EXTREME SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT... AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL SLOWLY DRIFT EASTWARD ACROSS THE TENNESSEE RIVER VALLEY TODAY AND TONIGHT...PRODUCING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. A FEW STORMS MAY BECOME STRONG...WITH THE MAIN CONCERNS BEING SMALL HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. ALSO... OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS EXPECTED WITH THE STRONGER STORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY... THE BEST CHANCES FOR STRONGER STORMS WILL BE ON SATURDAY...SUNDAY... AND WEDNESDAY...BUT FOR NOW...IT APPEARS THERE IS LITTLE THREAT FOR ORGANIZED SEVERE STORMS DURING THIS PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED DUE TO THE ISOLATED NATURE OF THE SEVERE THREAT.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 523 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 TNZ016-042-044-172215- HAWKINS TN-NORTHWEST GREENE TN-WASHINGTON TN- 523 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR GREENE...HAWKINS AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES UNTIL 615 PM EDT... AT 518 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR TUSCULUM...OR 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF GREENEVILLE...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...BAILEYTON... JEAROLDSTOWN AND FALL BRANCH. 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!
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 535 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 TNZ067-068-172215- LOUDON TN-ROANE TN- 535 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LOUDON AND ROANE COUNTIES UNTIL 615 PM EDT... AT 529 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES WEST OF LOUDON...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH. SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...KINGSTON... ROCKWOOD...PAINT ROCK...FAIRVIEW...BRADBURY...HARRIMAN AND DEARMOND. 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. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH PER HOUR...MAY OCCUR WITH THIS THUNDERSTORM. 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!
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 612 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 TNZ016-017-042-044>046-172300- HAWKINS TN-NORTHWEST CARTER TN-NORTHWEST GREENE TN-SULLIVAN TN-UNICOI TN-WASHINGTON TN- 612 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR GREENE...CARTER...HAWKINS... WASHINGTON...UNICOI AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES UNTIL 700 PM EDT... AT 609 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM AROUND 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SURGOINSVILLE TO NEAR JOHNSON CITY...AND MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...KINGSPORT...GRAY... COLONIAL HEIGHTS...WATAUGA...FALL BRANCH...SULLIVAN GARDENS...BLUFF CITY...CHURCH HILL...TRI-CITY AIRPORT...MOUNT CARMEL...OKOLONA... BLOUNTVILLE AND BLOOMINGDALE. 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!
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 653 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 TNZ016-017-VAZ005-006-008-172345- HAWKINS TN-RUSSELL VA-SCOTT VA-SULLIVAN TN-WASHINGTON VA- 653 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CITY OF BRISTOL...WASHINGTON... SCOTT...RUSSELL...EXTREME EASTERN HAWKINS AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES UNTIL 745 PM EDT... AT 650 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR KINGSPORT...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH. SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...GATE CITY...BRISTOL TN...BRISTOL VA...WEBER CITY...BLOOMINGDALE...BLOUNTVILLE... HILTONS...FORT BLACKMORE...BENHAMS...NICKELSVILLE...DUNGANNON... COLLINGWOOD AND HANSONVILLE. 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!
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 749 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 TNZ036-067>069-180015- ANDERSON TN-KNOX TN-LOUDON TN-ROANE TN- 749 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR WESTERN KNOX...ANDERSON...LOUDON AND EXTREME EASTERN ROANE COUNTIES UNTIL 815 PM EDT... AT 744 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LENOIR CITY...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH. SMALL HAIL AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...LENOIR CITY...OAK RIDGE...FARRAGUT AND KARNS. 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!
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 818 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 TNZ036-069-180045- ANDERSON TN-KNOX TN- 818 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR KNOX AND ANDERSON COUNTIES UNTIL 845 PM EDT... AT 812 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR FARRAGUT...OR 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF OAK RIDGE...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...OAK RIDGE...CLINTON AND KARNS. 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!
The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 80 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:35 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Two trees were reported down near highway 61 between Oliver Springs and Clinton.
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, May 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: 446339.