Thunderstorms were suppressed across the Great Valley throughout the daytime hours with development on the Tennessee and North Carolina border terrain. By late afternoon, the local air mass over the valley had become moderately unstable and supported the development of widely scattered severe convection across Central East Tennessee and a small part of Southwest Virginia.
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.
Thunderstorms were suppressed across the Great Valley throughout the daytime hours with development on the Tennessee and North Carolina border terrain. By late afternoon, the local air mass over the valley had become moderately unstable and supported the development of widely scattered severe convection across Central East Tennessee and a small part of Southwest Virginia.
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 18, 2:38 PM EST, 2 hours 6 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Morristown TN 338 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019 .SHORT TERM...(Tonight and Sunday)... Upper level ridging remains across the southeast and into the Mid-Atlantic this afternoon with a rather potent shortwave trough advecting off the Rockies. Closer to the surface, high pressure remains situated across the area leading to generally clear skies. Water vapor imagery shows a fairly dry atmosphere in place with some convection beginning to initiate across western NC. Convective activity across the MRX area remains uncertain, however as of discussion time, some of the diurnally driven CU seems to be showing signs of cooler cloud tops and vertical growth. The atmosphere is unstable with CAPE values in the 1000 to 2000 J/kg range. A light southeasterly low level flow could enhance orographic lift, and along with differential heating could allow for isolated thunderstorms this afternoon. Again, confidence remains low but feel the need to keep low end PoPs in the forecast for the afternoon. Would expect any convection to remain short lived given the relatively light flow aloft, and no forcing. Overnight, the aforementioned shortwave aloft will lift northeast into the Midwest with surface low pressure developing across the central plains and ejecting northeast into Iowa by Sunday morning. A cold front attendant this surface low will begin to move into the Tennessee valley before slowing down as the main dynamics aloft move into the Great Lakes. An increasing pressure gradient would promote an increase in southerly flow and gusty winds. The forecast will remain dry through Sunday afternoon with highs in the mid to upper 80s. .LONG TERM...(Sunday night through Saturday)... The main headline for the extended will be anomalous ridging building in across the region for the middle to late part of next week with mostly dry weather and above normal temperatures. There will be a large ridge across the Western Atlantic with troughing across the Central CONUS on Sunday night. A shortwave trough and closed low will be moving northeast across the Great Lakes. The occluding surface low will have a slowing cold front which will approach our area by late Sunday night. Main dynamics remain to our north and west with this system with weak forcing across our area. For this reason, expect lower PoPs with the front as it moves east into our region with the highest PoPs across western and southern portions of the CWA. Overall, chance PoPs are expected with some low- end likely PoPs possible across the Cumberland Plateau and southern Tennessee Valley. Believe that most areas will have light precip with this system. but it will be lighter and more scattered as the front approaches compared to further north and west. The front stalls near our area on Monday before moving quickly north as a warm front on Tuesday. Could have a few lingering slight chance/chance PoPs on Monday near the frontal boundary, but expect most areas remain dry. Ridging builds in on Wednesday and continues to increase through the end of the week. Some weak isentropic ascent could lead to a few scattered showers or thunderstorms on Wednesday morning, but confidence is low. Even if some develop, slight chance PoPs are all that's expected Wednesday. The 500mb heights are expected to be near 590 to 594 dam Wednesday afternoon through Friday which is near the max climatological percentile. This anomalous ridging will keep us mainly dry and result in max temperatures about 10 to 15 degrees above normal. Expect we will have a few diurnally driven isolated showers or thunderstorms across the higher terrain of the mountains, but most areas should remain dry and unseasonably warm. It will definitely be a summer-like pattern during the majority of the extended. As we get into next weekend, the GFS breaks from the ECMWF and Canadian by trying to flatten the ridge as several shortwaves move across the Ohio Valley. However, tend to forecast with persistence with such a strong ridge, so will trend closer to the ECMWF and Canadian keeping ridging firmly in place. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Chattanooga Airport, TN 65 87 67 85 / 10 20 50 40 Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport, TN 66 86 67 84 / 20 10 40 40 Oak Ridge, TN 65 86 66 85 / 20 10 40 30 Tri Cities Airport, TN 62 86 63 82 / 20 10 20 40 && .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...None. TN...None. VA...None. && AD/JB
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Morristown TN 311 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-191915- Cherokee-Clay-Scott-Campbell-Claiborne-Hancock-Hawkins-Sullivan- Johnson-Morgan-Anderson-Union-Grainger-Hamblen-Northwest Cocke- Cocke Smoky Mountains-Northwest Greene-Southeast Greene- Washington-Unicoi-Northwest Carter-Southeast Carter-Roane-Loudon- Knox-Jefferson-Northwest 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-Russell- 311 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019 /211 PM CDT Sat May 18 2019/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southwest North Carolina...east Tennessee and southwest Virginia. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Morristown TN
440 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019
TNZ086-087-182130-
Northwest Monroe TN-Southeast Monroe TN-
440 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN MONROE COUNTY UNTIL 530
PM EDT...
At 440 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 14
miles east of Etowah, or 15 miles south of Madisonville, moving
northeast at 5 mph.
Pea size hail and winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Tellico Plains, Coker Creek, Mount Vernon and Citico.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3522 8434 3523 8436 3524 8436 3526 8443
3554 8431 3541 8401 3540 8402 3538 8401
3524 8420 3526 8421 3527 8423 3522 8429
3521 8429 3522 8432 3520 8435
TIME...MOT...LOC 2040Z 209DEG 5KT 3531 8427
CDGSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Morristown TN
516 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019
TNZ044>047-182200-
Washington TN-Northwest Carter TN-Southeast Carter TN-Unicoi TN-
516 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR EAST CENTRAL WASHINGTON...
NORTHEASTERN UNICOI AND SOUTHWESTERN CARTER COUNTIES UNTIL 600 PM
EDT...
At 515 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Pine Crest, or near Johnson City, moving northeast at 10 mph.
Half inch hail and winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Johnson City, Elizabethton, Erwin, Jonesborough, Central, Hampton,
Midway, Pine Crest, Unicoi, Watauga, Hunter, Limestone Cove and
Milligan College.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3613 8236 3628 8249 3640 8233 3640 8229
3642 8225 3642 8224 3640 8220 3640 8219
3641 8218 3624 8205
TIME...MOT...LOC 2115Z 236DEG 8KT 3625 8235
CDGSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Morristown TN
528 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019
TNZ086-087-182215-
Northwest Monroe TN-Southeast Monroe TN-
528 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR CENTRAL MONROE COUNTY UNTIL 615
PM EDT...
At 527 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 15
miles southeast of Madisonville, moving northeast at 5 mph.
Pea size hail and winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Vonore, Tellico Plains, Tariffville and Citico.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3527 8422 3525 8425 3530 8438 3559 8430
3545 8398 3541 8401 3541 8402 3539 8401
3524 8419
TIME...MOT...LOC 2127Z 203DEG 6KT 3532 8425
CDGSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Morristown TN
538 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019
TNZ071-072-182230-
Blount Smoky Mountains TN-NW Blount TN-
538 PM EDT Sat May 18 2019
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN BLOUNT COUNTY UNTIL
630 PM EDT...
At 538 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 11
miles southeast of Maryville, moving northeast at 5 mph.
Half inch hail and winds in excess of 30 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Townsend, Walland, Roundtop Mountain State Park and Great Smoky
Mountains National Park.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3564 8387 3583 8377 3581 8375 3581 8374
3580 8375 3575 8373 3575 8372 3573 8372
3572 8370 3571 8370 3571 8368 3569 8368
3569 8366 3559 8378
TIME...MOT...LOC 2138Z 209DEG 5KT 3566 8379
CDGThe Knoxville radar (KMRX), 95 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:44 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree and a power line was reported down near Buffalo Mountain State Park.
Quarter size hail was reported.
Quarter size hail was reported.
A tree and power line was reported down on College Heights Road.
Quarter size hail was reported.
A few trees were reported down near Louisville Point Park.
A 61 mph wind gust was recorded at McGhee Tyson Airport.
Several trees were reported down on Dripping Spring Road.
A few trees were reported down.
A few trees were reported down at the corner of Forest Hill and Gleason Drive.
A few trees were reported down on Sevierville Pike Road.
A tree was reported down across the road at the 100 block of Richmond Avenue.
A few trees were reported down.
Quarter size hail was reported and a few trees were reported down.
A tree was reported down on a mobile home along Oakland Road.
A tree was reported down on two vehicles and a home.
Three trees were reported down at mobile home park in Rogersville.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, May 2019
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: 814321, 814317, 814318, 814322, 814319, 814323, 814338, 814324, 814327, 814328, 814329, 814330, 814331, 814320, 814332, 814333, 814336.