Severe thunderstorms formed along an outflow boundary across the Mid South and moved into the Southern Appalachians during the afternoon and early evening. The |result of the early Spring event was mostly wind damage along with some small hail.
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.
Severe thunderstorms formed along an outflow boundary across the Mid South and moved into the Southern Appalachians during the afternoon and early evening. The |result of the early Spring event was mostly wind damage along with some small hail.
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 21, 9:14 PM EST, 2 hours 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 1014 PM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013 .DISCUSSION...MCS HAS WEAKENED AND MOVED NE OF THE AREA. PATCHY FOG WILL LIKELY DEVELOP OVERNIGHT. CURRENT FORECAST MINS LOOK GOOD. LOW CONFIDENCE IN CURRENT MODEL RUNS PERTAINING TO CONVECTION. EXPECT SIMILAR CONDITIONS ON WEDNESDAY WITH A CHANCE OF STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS. ONGOING CONVECTION OVER MID TN WILL CONTINUED TO BE MONITORED. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN 66 84 63 81 57 / 20 60 50 30 20 KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN 65 84 62 80 56 / 20 60 50 40 30 OAK RIDGE, TN 65 84 62 81 56 / 20 60 50 40 30 TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN 61 83 61 79 55 / 30 50 50 50 40 && .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. TN...NONE. VA...NONE. && SON
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 250 PM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-221900- 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- 250 PM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013 /150 PM CDT TUE MAY 21 2013/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON ACROSS THE CUMBERLAND PLATEAU...WHILE ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP ELSEWHERE. THE STORMS ON THE PLATEAU WILL BE MOVING EAST OR NORTHEAST AT AROUND 25 MPH...AND MAY REACH STRONG TO SEVERE LEVELS THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE MAIN CONCERNS ARE DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS UP TO 60 MPH AND LARGE HAIL. ALSO...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL CAN BE EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY... ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...AS A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT NEARS THE REGION. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND LATER THIS WEEK ON WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY. TG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 726 PM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013 TNZ018-045>047-220030- JOHNSON TN-NORTHWEST CARTER TN-SOUTHEAST CARTER TN-UNICOI TN- 726 PM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CARTER...JOHNSON AND UNICOI COUNTIES UNTIL 830 PM EDT... AT 721 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES WEST OF BEECH MOUNTAIN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 5 TO 10 MPH. OTHER ISOLATED STRONG STORMS WERE NOTED OVER UNICOI COUNTY AND SOUTHERN PARTS OF JOHNSON COUNTY. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THE STRONGEST OF THESE STORMS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ALSO OCCUR DUE TO THE SLOW MOVEMENT. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...MOUNTAIN CITY... HUNTER...ELK MILLS...DOEVILLE...NEVA...SADIE...TRADE...SHADY VALLEY AND LAUREL BLOOMERY. THE STORMS MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS...FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER LOCAL MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES. TG
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 752 PM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013 NCZ061-220030- CLAY NC- 752 PM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CLAY COUNTY UNTIL 830 PM EDT... AT 748 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF NANTAHALA LAKE...OR 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF HAYESVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. OTHER ISOLATED STRONG STORMS WERE DETECTED OVER THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF CLAY COUNTY. HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF DIMES OR PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...MAINLY RURAL AREAS OF CLAY COUNTY. IN ADDITION TO SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS. 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
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
825 PM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0824 PM TSTM WND DMG GREENEVILLE 36.17N 82.82W
05/21/2013 GREENE TN 911 CALL CENTER
TREES DOWN COUNTYWIDE
&&
SONEILLSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN 900 PM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013 TNZ017-018-046-VAZ008-220145- JOHNSON TN-NORTHWEST CARTER TN-SULLIVAN TN-WASHINGTON VA- 900 PM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE CITY OF BRISTOL VA AND WASHINGTON COUNTY VIRGINIA...JOHNSON...CARTER AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES UNTIL 945 PM EDT... AT 853 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF BRISTOL TN...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. OTHER ISOLATED STRONG STORMS MAY LINGER OVER THE NORTHEAST TIP OF TENNESSEE...AND ALSO TRACK NORTHEAST INTO A SMALL PART OF SOUTHWESTERN VIRGINIA. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST OF THESE LINGERING STORMS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...BRISTOL TN...BRISTOL VA...MOUNTAIN CITY...ABINGDON...DOEVILLE...SOUTH HOLSTON DAM...NEVA...BENHAMS...TRADE...SHADY VALLEY...HARR...HILANDER PARK...HOLSTON...LINDELL...EMORY-MEADOW VIEW...DAMASCUS...GLADE SPRING...LAUREL BLOOMERY AND KONNAROCK. 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
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1045 PM EDT TUE MAY 21 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0850 PM FLASH FLOOD HAMPTON 36.28N 82.17W
05/21/2013 CARTER TN EMERGENCY MNGR
ROADS WASHED OUT IN HAMPTON. REPORTED BY THE EMA.
0825 PM HAIL BLUFF CITY 36.46N 82.27W
05/21/2013 E1.00 INCH SULLIVAN TN TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER REPORTED QUARTER-SIZE HAIL IN BLUFF CITY.
0845 PM TSTM WND DMG JONESBOROUGH 36.29N 82.48W
05/21/2013 WASHINGTON TN 911 CALL CENTER
MANY TREES DOWNED COUNTY-WIDE
&&
GHPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1221 AM EDT WED MAY 22 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0630 PM TSTM WND DMG DANDRIDGE 36.02N 83.42W
05/21/2013 JEFFERSON TN 911 CALL CENTER
MANY TREES DOWNED COUNTY-WIDE MAINLY NEAR DANDRIDGE.
&&
GHThe Roanoke radar (KFCX), 140 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:02 UTC.
1 flash flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Flooding on Rush Creek Road. Water rescues needed for stranded vehicles.
Numerous trees were reported down around Nickelsville and Fort Blackmore.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Virginia in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, 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: 455240, 446389.