Storms developed across portions of East Tennessee in the afternoon and evening of May 3, with some producing gusty winds and small hail. Storms continued through the night, saturating the ground.
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.
Storms developed across portions of East Tennessee in the afternoon and evening of May 3, with some producing gusty winds and small hail. Storms continued through the night, saturating the ground. As a line of storms associated with a cold front moved through during the morning hours of May 4, flash flooding and damaging winds occurred.
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 3, 12:51 PM EST, 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Morristown TN 151 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021 .UPDATE... FOR 18Z AVIATION. && .DISCUSSION... Previous forecast mostly on track. Scattered showers and a few storms are ongoing and will continue through early afternoon. Biggest question for today is still whether we can get storm redevelopment this afternoon. Previous forecast mentions CAMS showing little redevelopment this afternoon. A few of the last several runs of the HRRR are showing that we do get some scattered redevelopment. It really depends on the strength of the mid-level inversion that moves in. As mentioned in the previous forecast, if we do get initiation some of these storms could be severe as the environment will be conducive with moderate instability and low/mod shear across the area. The biggest threat still looks like it will be large hail. However, isolated wind damage and a low end threat for an isolated tornado still exist. The wind advisory that was in place was allowed to expire at 10:00 AM. Will send new zones to get rid of advisory wording. SR && .AVIATION... 18Z TAF DISCUSSION. VFR conditions in place this afternoon except for periods of MVFR due to passing showers and thunderstorms. All sites should see gusty winds through the afternoon hours. MVFR conditions set in overnight as CIGs lower. More showers and storms move in tomorrow morning with a mix of VFR and MVFR conditions. SR && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Chattanooga Airport, TN 67 82 63 75 50 / 40 90 90 40 0 Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport, TN 66 81 63 72 48 / 40 70 90 50 0 Oak Ridge, TN 65 79 61 72 47 / 40 70 80 40 0 Tri Cities Airport, TN 59 81 60 71 45 / 40 70 80 60 10 && .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...NONE. TN...NONE. VA...NONE. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Morristown TN 1123 AM EDT Mon May 3 2021 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-041530- 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- 1123 AM EDT Mon May 3 2021 /1023 AM CDT Mon May 3 2021/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southwest North Carolina...east Tennessee and southwest Virginia. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight A few isolated to scattered thunderstorms will be possible this afternoon, and they may have the potential to produce large hail and strong wind gusts. Although chances are low, an isolated tornado can't be ruled out. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday Strong storms will be possible again on Tuesday ahead of a cold front. Damaging wind, large hail, and an isolated tornado are all possible. In addition to the threat of strong storms, a few rounds of heavy rain early this week could make rain accumulate enough to cause flooding, especially Tuesday. The Smoky Mountains, southeast Tennessee and southwest North Carolina will have the highest rainfall totals and therefore the highest risk for flooding. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed Tuesday for storm reports.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Morristown TN
102 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021
TNZ036-067>069-031745-
Anderson TN-Roane TN-Loudon TN-Knox TN-
102 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN LOUDON...KNOX...
SOUTH CENTRAL ANDERSON AND NORTHEASTERN ROANE COUNTIES UNTIL 145 PM
EDT...
At 102 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Oak Ridge, moving east at 50 mph.
Half inch hail and winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with
this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Clinton, Lenoir City, Alcoa, Farragut, Oliver
Springs, Louisville, Halls and Bradbury.
LAT...LON 3584 8441 3599 8444 3602 8439 3613 8382
3590 8378 3586 8383 3586 8391 3588 8395
3586 8398 3588 8400 3588 8401 3587 8403
3587 8401 3585 8401
TIME...MOT...LOC 1702Z 262DEG 43KT 3594 8433
SRSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Morristown TN
137 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021
TNZ016-037>039-069-070-073-031815-
Jefferson TN-Hamblen TN-Union TN-Grainger TN-Knox TN-North Sevier TN-
Hawkins TN-
137 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHWESTERN HAWKINS...EASTERN
KNOX...JEFFERSON...GRAINGER...NORTHERN SEVIER AND HAMBLEN COUNTIES
UNTIL 215 PM EDT...
At 136 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Rutledge to near Rockford. Movement was
east at 45 mph.
Pea size hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with these
storms.
Locations impacted include...
Knoxville, Morristown, Sevierville, Alcoa, Jefferson City,
Rogersville, Dandridge, Rutledge, Bean Station and White Pine.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
&&
LAT...LON 3643 8289 3627 8303 3617 8319 3613 8318
3615 8322 3613 8324 3608 8323 3609 8324
3588 8331 3585 8378 3589 8380 3585 8384
3585 8391 3588 8400 3587 8403 3585 8401
3585 8407 3637 8359 3635 8353 3638 8350
TIME...MOT...LOC 1736Z 262DEG 39KT 3633 8354 3587 8397
CDGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
154 PM EDT MON MAY 3 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0145 PM HAIL 2 SW STRAWBERRY PLAINS 36.04N 83.71W
05/03/2021 M0.25 INCH KNOX TN NWS EMPLOYEE
&&Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Morristown TN
210 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021
TNZ016-039-040-042>044-070-031915-
Jefferson TN-Washington TN-Hamblen TN-Northwest Greene TN-
Northwest Cocke TN-Southeast Greene TN-Hawkins TN-
210 PM EDT Mon May 3 2021
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN HAWKINS...WASHINGTON...
SOUTHEASTERN JEFFERSON...NORTHERN COCKE...GREENE AND EASTERN HAMBLEN
COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM EDT...
At 210 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from near Rogersville to 6 miles south of
Russellville to near Dandridge. Movement was east at 45 mph.
Pea size hail and wind gusts up to 50 mph will be possible with these
storms.
Locations impacted include...
Johnson City, Morristown, Greeneville, Newport, Rogersville,
Dandridge, Jonesborough, Tusculum, White Pine and Baneberry.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms, and may lead
to localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.
&&
LAT...LON 3626 8234 3617 8241 3615 8252 3610 8259
3606 8259 3605 8267 3598 8279 3597 8293
3600 8296 3597 8299 3595 8352 3596 8352
3615 8323 3642 8313 3646 8270 3642 8260
3644 8242 3642 8237 3639 8238 3640 8230
TIME...MOT...LOC 1810Z 262DEG 42KT 3636 8309 3617 8316 3600 8343
CDGThe Knoxville radar (KMRX), 48 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:26 UTC.
7 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A couple of trees were blown down along Warrensburg Road.
Multiple roadways were closed around Pigeon Forge due to flooding.
Several trees were blown down on highway 62 in the Chestnut Ridge community.
Multiple homes sustained damage.
Numerous trees were blown down and a trailer was blown over in the Pikeville area.
A couple trees were blown down.
Trees were blown down along the Foothills Parkway.
Several trees were blown down in the Sevierville area.
Several roads were closed due to flooding near Middle Valley.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, May 2021
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: 949524, 949525, 953016, 949527, 949533, 949528, 949530, 949532, 949531, 953017.