Damaging Winds in Tennessee, July 13, 2015

Name: Damaging Winds in Tennessee, July 13, 2015
Start: 2015-07-13T17:10
End: 2015-07-13T18:10
Location: Tennessee

July 13, 2015 · NWS MRX · 9 events in 6 counties and zones

A bowing line of severe convection in association with an outflow boundary moved southeast across Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee during the late afternoon through early evening hours. Atmospheric shear was more than adequate along with moderate to high instability.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MRX wrote it up.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jul 13, 2:02 PM EST, 3 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 13, 2:02 PM EST, 3 hours 8 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
302 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)...STRONG TO SEVERE
CONVECTION CONTINUES TO BUILD RAPIDLY SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE OHIO
VALLEY AT MID AFTERNOON AND SHOULD BE ON THE MRX WFO DOORSTEP BY
AROUND 5-6 PM EDT. MODERATE TO STRONG CAPE VALUES AND 35-40 KTS OF
SHEAR SHOULD KEEP THE CONVECTION QUITE STRONG AS IT MOVES THROUGH
THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN REGION. WOULD EXPECT A LULL IN THE ACTION
LATER THIS EVENING INTO THE EARLY MORNING HOURS TUESDAY.
HOWEVER...CONVECTION SHOULD BE FIRING WELL TO THE NORTHWEST ACROSS
THE MIDWESTERN STATES AS THE MAIN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH HAS YET TO
SWING ACROSS APPALACHIANS. WOULD EXPECT MORE SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TO BUILD INTO THE FORECAST AREA AGAIN AROUND 08-15Z.
THESE MAY BE A BIT WEAKER WITH LESS INSTABILITY IN THE DIURNAL MIN
PERIOD. AN ENHANCED RISK FOR SEVERE CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE WELL
THROUGH THE DAY TUESDAY AS ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX FEEDS OFF
RESIDENT STRONG INSTABILITY AND EVEN STRONGER SHEAR. STAYED CLOSE
TO THE MOS BLEND CONCERNING MIN AND MAX TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE
PERIOD.

.LONG TERM (TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY)...WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS STILL LOOK TO BE IN PROGRESS TUESDAY
EVENING...DECREASING OVERNIGHT WITH DEEP TROUGH OVER THE EAST
COAST. VERY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE EARLIER TUESDAY AND GOOD SHEAR WILL
CAUSE POTENTIALLY LARGE AREA OF DAMAGING WINDS...SOME LARGE
HAIL...HEAVY RAINFALL AND A FEW TORNADOES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA.
CONSIDERABLE CLOUDS OVERNIGHT WITH VERY WARM OVERNIGHT LOWS.
WEDNESDAY AIR MASS WILL BE SOMEWHAT DRIER AS NORTHWEST FLOW BEHIND
OVERNIGHT STORMS AND WEAK BOUNDARY OR FRONT WILL HELP ATMOSPHERE TO
BE LESS UNSTABLE. WEAK SHORTWAVE ENERGY WILL PASS THROUGH FROM NW
TO SE BUT RAIN CHANCES MUCH LOWER. HIGH TEMPERATURES STILL VERY
WARM WITH WARM START. WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY A BREAK IN
CONVECTION AS SOUTH CENTRAL UPPER RIDGE MOVES BACK SLIGHTLY EAST
AND NW STORM TRACK SHIFTS NORTH AND EAST. DIURNAL STORMS AGAIN
POSSIBLE FRIDAY AS BOUNDARY TO SOUTH SHIFTS BACK NORTH AS WEAK WARM
FRONT WITH INCREASING MOISTURE FROM THE SOUTH. ON THE WEEKEND THE
RIDGE SHIFTS BACK WEST WHICH PLACES THE FORECAST AREA IN THE PATH
OF STORM COMPLEXES MOVING OR DEVELOPING SOUTHEAST FROM THE OHIO
VALLEY INTO THE EASTERN TN VALLEY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
BE MORE NUMEROUS THROUGH THE END OF THE EXTENDED. TEMPERATURES WILL
BE SIMILAR THROUGH THE EXTENDED WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 80S TO LOWER
90S WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AND UPPER 80S TO MID 90S FRIDAY THROUGH
MONDAY. LOWS WILL BE IN THE MID 60S TO THE MID 70S.

&&

.POINT TEMPS/POPS...
CHATTANOOGA AIRPORT, TN             75  92  74  92 /  50  60  60  30
KNOXVILLE MCGHEE TYSON AIRPORT, TN  73  89  72  89 /  70  60  60  40
OAK RIDGE, TN                       74  89  73  89 /  70  60  60  30
TRI CITIES AIRPORT, TN              69  87  69  84 /  70  60  60  40

&&

.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...NONE.
TN...NONE.
VA...NONE.
&&

20/TD

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 13, 2:13 PM EST, 2 hours 57 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
313 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015

NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002-
005-006-008-141930-
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-
313 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015 /213 PM CDT MON JUL 13 2015/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST NORTH
CAROLINA...EAST TENNESSEE AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

AN ORGANIZED COMPLEX OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS FORECAST TO DROP
SOUTH INTO THE NORTHERN CUMBERLAND PLATEAU AND CUMBERLAND MOUNTAINS
OF SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING...AND
MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA LATER THIS EVENING
INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. DAMAGING STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS OF
60 TO 70 MPH WILL BE THE BIGGEST THREAT...ALONG WITH LARGE HAIL
AND HEAVY RAINFALL. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...

A DECAYING MCS MAY RESULT IN A FEW STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE STORMS
LINGERING INTO TUESDAY MORNING BUT THE MAIN FOCUS COMES TUESDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A COLD FRONT DROPS DOWN FROM KENTUCKY.
TUESDAY AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS REDEVELOP ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE
COLD FRONT ACROSS SOUTHEAST KENTUCKY AND SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.
INITIALLY...ISOLATED SUPERCELLS ARE POSSIBLE NEAR THE FRONT.
THEN...STORMS WILL LIKELY DEVELOP INTO AN MCS WITH EMBEDDED
SUPERCELLS THAT WILL DIVE SOUTH THROUGH THE SOUTHERN VALLEY DURING
THE EVENING HOURS. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS...VERY
LARGE HAIL...AND HEAVY RAINFALL. ADDITIONALLY THE POTENTIAL FOR A
FEW TORNADOES ALSO EXISTS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON TO AN EARLY TUESDAY
MORNING TIME-FRAME...AND THEN AGAIN TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 13, 4:54 PM EST, 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
554 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0550 PM     HAIL             BLOUNTVILLE             36.53N 82.33W
07/13/2015  E0.75 INCH       SULLIVAN           TN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

Local storm report, Jul 13, 5:02 PM EST, 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
602 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0545 PM     TSTM WND DMG     WISE                    36.98N 82.58W
07/13/2015                   WISE               VA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            TREE DOWN.

&&

Local storm report, Jul 13, 5:05 PM EST, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
605 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0540 PM     TSTM WND DMG     JONESVILLE              36.69N 83.12W
07/13/2015                   LEE                VA   911 CALL CENTER

            TREES DOWN COUNTYWIDE.

&&

Local storm report, Jul 13, 5:09 PM EST, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
609 PM EDT MON JUL 13 2015

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0550 PM     HAIL             BLOUNTVILLE             36.53N 82.33W
07/13/2015  M1.00 INCH       SULLIVAN           TN   BROADCAST MEDIA

&&

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 45 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:11 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hancock

When: July 13, 5:10 PM EST
Where: Hancock County, 0.89 mi NE of Sneedville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: State Official
Coordinates: 36.540, -83.210

Trees were reported down across the county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Hawkins

When: July 13, 5:25 PM EST
Where: Hawkins County, 0.89 mi NW of Mt Carmel
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 36.560, -82.660

One tree was reported down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sullivan

When: July 13, 5:30 PM EST
Where: Sullivan County, 0.89 mi SE of Galloway Mill
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 36.460, -82.270

One tree was reported down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sullivan

When: July 13, 5:30 PM EST
Where: Sullivan County, Blountville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 36.530, -82.330

One tree was reported down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sullivan

When: July 13, 5:30 PM EST
Where: Sullivan County, 1.31 mi WSW of Bristol
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: State Official
Coordinates: 36.570, -82.200

Numerous trees were reported down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: July 13, 5:30 PM EST
Where: Washington County, Fall Branch
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 36.420, -82.620

A privacy fence was blown over in a convective gust.

Thunderstorm Wind, Greene

When: July 13, 6:00 PM EST
Where: Greene County, 0.56 mi E of Greeneville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: State Official
Coordinates: 36.170, -82.820

Numerous trees were reported down across the county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: July 13, 6:00 PM EST
Where: Washington County, 1.31 mi WNW of Johnson City
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: State Official
Coordinates: 36.330, -82.370

Numerous trees were reported down across the entire county. Several county highways were blocked due to fallen trees.

Thunderstorm Wind, Unicoi

When: July 13, 6:10 PM EST
Where: Unicoi County, 0.89 mi SW of Rock Creek
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Broadcast Media
Coordinates: 36.140, -82.410

One tree was reported down.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Tennessee in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Tennessee, July 2015

Sources

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: 582267, 582268, 582270, 582271, 582272, 582273, 582274, 582275, 582276.