A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved east through across all of southern middle Tennessee during the early morning hours of the 6th. A significant tornado developed in northern Franklin County producing damage in the Estill Springs/Decherd areas.
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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 HUN wrote it up.
A line of strong to severe thunderstorms moved east through across all of southern middle Tennessee during the early morning hours of the 6th. A significant tornado developed in northern Franklin County producing damage in the Estill Springs/Decherd areas. There were were also a few other reports of damaging winds.
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 Huntsville, AL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 5, 11:21 PM CST, 1 hour 39 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Huntsville AL 1121 PM CST Mon Nov 5 2018 .UPDATE... For 06Z TAFS. && .NEAR TERM...(Tonight) Issued at 920 PM CST Mon Nov 5 2018 Squall line is coming more together now across west TN into NE MS this Mon evening. Developing line is still fairly linear at this point, although as the QLCS becomes more organized over the next couple of hrs, it should begin to show more bowing segments as the airmass continues to destabilize. Tornado Watches are in effect across portions of west/mid TN into north MS and will likely be issued for the cntrl TN Valley in the next hr or so. Main wx threats with the oncoming squall line continue to be damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes. The line should make its way across the area thru the overnight period and begin to exit NE AL heading into the daytime hrs Tue. Trailing cold front will also make its way thru the area shorty after the squall line, exiting NE AL to the east Tue morning. The wx should quickly improve in the wake of the frontal passage Tue morning, with rainfall tapering off just in time for Election Day. Only major change to the ongoing forecast was to have POPs mirror the movement of the squall line to the east during the overnight period. .SHORT TERM...(Tuesday through Wednesday) Issued at 310 PM CST Mon Nov 5 2018 Shower activity will quickly end from west to east across our eastern areas after daybreak Election Day Tuesday, as the QLCS and front head east of the region. Air temperatures behind the front are not that much colder, with highs on Tuesday rising to around 70. This also big picture wise will help tamp down overall storm strength. In a trough dominated mid/upper level pattern into the midweek across the greater North American domain, another system forming to our west will bring more chances of showers for the midweek. Upglide and moisture with this next system, along with minimal shear could bring an isolated thunderstorm in as well. Cooler air filtering in from the west will result in a cooler mid week, with high temperatures only in the low/mid 60s. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday night through Sunday) Issued at 310 PM CST Mon Nov 5 2018 The extended portion of the forecast begins Wednesday night with a disturbance moving through relatively zonal H5 flow. This will have sparked some shower activity across the area during the day Wednesday, with activity tapering off from NW to SE through the day. Lows Thursday morning will bottom out in the lower/middle 40s before yet another disturbance affects the area later in the day. This lobe of vorticity will precede a deepening H5 trof diving SE from the Upper MidW. While scattered showers are possible Thursday, a more widespread rain event arrives the next day as the upper trof deepens and becomes negatively tilted across the Great Lakes. A sfc low will strengthen across the OH Valley and drag a cold front across the area late in the day Friday, bringing upwards of 0.75" of rainfall to the region once again. High pressure at the sfc builds into the area for the weekend, with dry and unseasonably cold temperatures expected. After daytime highs Friday only topping out in the lower/middle 50s, lows Saturday morning will fall into the lower to middle 30s. Some moderation of temps is expected by Saturday afternoon with highs climbing into the lower 50s. A colder morning is expected Sunday morning with temperatures at or slightly below freezing. As a result, widespread frost is expected both mornings, with the potential for a Freeze Warning possible Sunday morning (as of this moment). Will continue to monitor this threat and will issue appropriate products as necessary as the window of time for that nears. Beyond the weekend, another (mostly dry) cold front will push through the area on Monday, with another sfc high building into the area from the NW. Have only included SCHC PoPs for this time period for now, but this may need adjusting as we head through the week. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Tuesday night) Issued at 1121 PM CST Mon Nov 5 2018 Squall line will move ewd across north AL heading into the overnight hrs, and impact the KMSL terminal around 06-07Z and the KHSV airport near 08-10Z. Reduced cigs/vis are likely within this line of tsra, along with vrb winds gusting near 40kt at times. The line will then move east of NE AL by Tue morning along with the passage of a cold front, with cloud cover diminishing across the area. South winds around 15-17kt with higher gusts ahead of the front will also diminish with the passage of the front. && .HUN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AL...NONE. TN...NONE. && NEAR TERM...09 SHORT TERM...RSB LONG TERM...12 AVIATION...09 For more information please visit our website at weather.gov/huntsville.
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Huntsville AL 314 PM CST Mon Nov 5 2018 ALZ001>010-016-TNZ076-096-097-061200- Lauderdale-Colbert-Franklin AL-Lawrence-Limestone-Madison-Morgan- Marshall-Jackson-De Kalb-Cullman-Moore-Lincoln-Franklin TN- 314 PM CST Mon Nov 5 2018 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north Alabama and portions of southern middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Tonight... A line of strong to severe thunderstorms will move across the Tennessee Valley late tonight through early Tuesday morning. Isolated severe storms may also develop ahead of this line late this evening. Widespread damaging winds of 60 to 70 MPH are likely and a few tornadoes are possible. A lesser chance for large hail is also possible. The threat for severe storms will be highest for northern and western portions of the area. Storms will exit the area quickly to the east by sunrise or shortly thereafter in northeastern Alabama. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday... Cold temperatures will filter into the area for late this week, with the potential for widespread frost and freezing temperatures Saturday and especially Sunday mornings. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Activation of storm spotters and emergency management personnel is requested tonight into early Tuesday morning. 12
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1134 PM CST MON NOV 5 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1125 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 E WATERLOO 34.92N 88.06W
11/05/2018 LAUDERDALE AL EMERGENCY MNGR
TREE DOWN ON COUNTY RD 14 NEAR COUNTY RD 1.
&&
KDWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1221 AM CST TUE NOV 6 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1119 PM TSTM WND DMG 9 NW UNDERWOOD-PETERSVI 34.98N 87.81W
11/05/2018 LAUDERDALE AL EMERGENCY MNGR
CAMPER TRAILERS WERE BLOWN OVER AT HIGHWAY
157 NEAR CR 141.
&&
KULAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HUNTSVILLE AL
1232 AM CST TUE NOV 6 2018
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1112 PM TSTM WND DMG 9 NW UNDERWOOD-PETERSVI 34.96N 87.81W
11/05/2018 LAUDERDALE AL EMERGENCY MNGR
TREE DOWN AT CR 85 AND CR 261.
&&The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 47 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:58 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were knocked down at Pleasant Hill Road at Jacey Lane.
A tree was knocked down and partially blocked state highway 50 near the Franklin County Line.
A tornado touched down on the southern periphery of Tims Ford Lake on Awalt Drive, snapping and uprooting a few hardwood trees. It then crossed Tims Ford Lake, snapping more trees on the northeastern shore along Ridgefield Circle. Moving northeast, the tornado downed additional trees onto carports and|uprooted small hardwood trees in the Eastbrook community. The tornado continued moving northeast, skipping across U.S. Highway 41 and snapping and uprooting hardwood trees along Peabody and Decherd Estill Roads. The tornado had increased to EF-1 intensity at this point. The tornado rapidly intensified about 2 miles SE of Estill Springs as it crossed Aedc Road. The survey team found widespread damage to homes and hardwood trees in the Penile Hill and Allred Roads area. Homes here lost most if not all of their roof material, and large 3-4 foot diameter trees were snapped. The worst home damage occurred here, with walls collapsing on a well-built single family home. This was the highest rated damage along the path, topping out at 130 mph, and measuring about 500 yards wide. The tornado continued producing sporadic damage as it moved northeast, crossing Monroe Floyd Road. A well-constructed barn was stripped of its roof at this location, along with several outbuildings that were destroyed. Path width at this point was about 300 yards wide. The tornado strengthened once again as it approached Gum Creek and Knight Roads. At this location, a single-wide mobile home was rolled from its original location, heavily damaging the frame. Damage was also sustained to several homes in this area, with numerous power poles snapped. Grain silos were destroyed and debris scattered for several hundred yards at this site along the path. Damage in this location before tracking into Coffee County retained its EF-2 status, demolishing barns, rolling and destroying mobile homes, and snapping and uprooting numerous large hardwood trees and power poles. Debris was strewn several hundred yards from silos and grain bins in these locations, sustaining 120 mph winds. The tornado then crossed into Coffee County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Tennessee, 2018Warnings in Tennessee, November 2018
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: 785067, 785068, 785066.