Scattered showers and thunderstorms affected Middle Tennessee during the morning hours on May 3rd. Isolated flash flooding occurred in Maury and Williamson Counties, and a small, brief EF-0 tornado touched down in Coffee County.
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 OHX wrote it up.
Scattered showers and thunderstorms affected Middle Tennessee during the morning hours on May 3rd. Isolated flash flooding occurred in Maury and Williamson Counties, and a small, brief EF-0 tornado touched down in Coffee County.
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 Nashville, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 3, 5:24 AM CST, 2 hours 36 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Nashville TN 624 AM CDT Mon May 3 2021 .UPDATE... FOR 12Z AVIATION DISCUSSION. && .DISCUSSION... TODAY...Considerable activity is still ongoing across Middle Tennessee. Presently, an upper trough is working its way across the region that is providing the energy for these cells during the next several hours. However, look for the activity to diminish by late morning and through the afternoon as weak surface and upper ridging develops across Middle Tennessee and drier air fills in behind the departing shortwave. TONIGHT...Storm chances will increase as a surface boundary comes together to our immediate west. By 06Z, the NAM forecast sounding for BNA shows considerable instability (SBCAPE >2700 J/KG, Lifted Index of -9) and also moderate LLWS (0-3 km SRH of 238). Mid-level lapse rates >8.0 C/km can also be expected. However, one possible inhibitor could be an elevated inversion that may cap off some of these updrafts, especially after we lose the surface heating. The SPC does have nearly all of Middle Tennessee under a marginal or slight risk of severe storms through 12Z. TUESDAY...This is our best opportunity for severe storms. The slow-moving surface boundary will keep Middle Tennessee under a warm, moist and unstable air mass. The SPC has drawn an enhanced risk across areas generally south of I-40, with a slight risk over the remainder of the mid state. This environment appears able to support supercell development owing to pronounced wind shear, and steep lapse rates will definitely increase the potential for large hail. TUESDAY NIGHT...The severe potential will extend into the evening as the surface boundary finally inches its way across Middle Tennessee with the upper trough following shortly thereafter. Look for considerable drying after 06Z, with our rain and storm chances dropping off accordingly. WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...Markedly cooler air will replace the pre-frontal air mass beginning on Wednesday. The remainder of the week looks to be rain-free, with the possible exception of a few showers mainly north of I-40 on Thursday afternoon as we get clipped by a fast-moving shortwave. Look for temperatures to rebound by Saturday. A low pressure system will bring our next chance of rain Saturday night and Sunday. && .AVIATION... 12Z TAF DISCUSSION. BNA/MQY/CKV/CSV...A large area of showers with a few imbedded thunderstorms is moving across Middle Tennessee this morning. Expect VSBY's to be periodically reduced with ceilings dropping to MVFR during showers. (CKV looks to be out of the rain area.) The activity will diminish by late morning with ceilings improving for a time this afternoon. Winds will also increase from the SSW as the showers diminish. Another round of storms will develop overnight. && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && DISCUSSION......08 AVIATION........08
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Nashville TN 500 AM CDT Mon May 3 2021 TNZ005>011-023>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-041000- Stewart-Montgomery-Robertson-Sumner-Macon-Clay-Pickett-Houston- Humphreys-Dickson-Cheatham-Davidson-Wilson-Trousdale-Smith-Jackson- Putnam-Overton-Fentress-Perry-Hickman-Lewis-Williamson-Maury- Marshall-Rutherford-Cannon-De Kalb-White-Cumberland-Bedford-Coffee- Warren-Grundy-Van Buren-Wayne-Lawrence-Giles- 500 AM CDT Mon May 3 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Middle Tennessee. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Some severe storms are possible early this morning and again tonight across Middle Tennessee, mainly after midnight. Main threats are damaging winds and large hail. An isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Another round of showers and thunderstorms is expected on Tuesday in the late morning and afternoon hours. Some severe storms are possible with damaging winds and large hail the main threats. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed. Please relay any information about observed severe weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and CDC guidelines. 08
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Nashville TN 425 AM CDT Mon May 3 2021 TNZ058-060-094-095-031000- Lawrence TN-Lewis TN-Maury TN-Giles TN- 425 AM CDT Mon May 3 2021 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN LEWIS...NORTHERN LAWRENCE...SOUTHWESTERN MAURY AND NORTHWESTERN GILES COUNTIES UNTIL 500 AM CDT... At 424 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 9 miles west of Summertown, or 12 miles northwest of Lawrenceburg, moving northeast at 35 mph. Winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Mount Pleasant, Summertown, Henryville and Hampshire. LAT...LON 3541 8758 3566 8720 3543 8703 3530 8749 TIME...MOT...LOC 0924Z 239DEG 29KT 3538 8747 Shamburger
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Nashville TN
441 AM CDT Mon May 3 2021
TNZ059-060-031015-
Williamson TN-Maury TN-
441 AM CDT Mon May 3 2021
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR NORTHEASTERN MAURY AND
SOUTHEASTERN WILLIAMSON COUNTIES UNTIL 515 AM CDT...
At 440 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Spring Hill, moving northeast at 40 mph.
Winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm.
Locations impacted include...
Franklin, Columbia, Brentwood, Spring Hill, Nolensville, Thompson's
Station and Triune.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 65 between mile markers 48 and 64.
Interstate 840 between mile markers 27 and 45.
LAT...LON 3564 8697 3572 8704 3600 8670 3597 8662
3591 8663 3587 8662 3585 8660 3584 8660
3583 8663 3582 8661 3581 8662 3581 8661
3579 8661 3579 8666 3577 8666 3577 8668
3575 8668 3575 8670 3574 8670
TIME...MOT...LOC 0940Z 235DEG 34KT 3571 8694
ShamburgerSpecial Weather Statement National Weather Service Nashville TN 512 AM CDT Mon May 3 2021 TNZ027-028-062-031045- Rutherford TN-Davidson TN-Wilson TN- 512 AM CDT Mon May 3 2021 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN DAVIDSON... NORTHWESTERN RUTHERFORD AND CENTRAL WILSON COUNTIES UNTIL 545 AM CDT... At 512 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over La Vergne, or 12 miles northwest of Murfreesboro, moving northeast at 35 mph. Winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Lebanon, Smyrna, La Vergne, Mount Juliet, Watertown, Rural Hill, Belinda City, Cedars Of Lebanon State Park and Gladeville. This includes the following highways... Interstate 40 between mile markers 228 and 239. Interstate 24 between mile markers 61 and 70. Interstate 840 between mile markers 60 and 76. LAT...LON 3592 8656 3602 8667 3626 8637 3610 8615 TIME...MOT...LOC 1012Z 230DEG 32KT 3600 8655 Shamburger
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Nashville TN 631 AM CDT Mon May 3 2021 TNZ058-060-094-095-031200- Lawrence TN-Lewis TN-Maury TN-Giles TN- 631 AM CDT Mon May 3 2021 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEASTERN LEWIS...NORTHEASTERN LAWRENCE...SOUTHWESTERN MAURY AND NORTHWESTERN GILES COUNTIES UNTIL 700 AM CDT... At 631 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Summertown, or 11 miles southeast of Hohenwald, moving east at 45 mph. Winds in excess of 40 mph will be possible with this storm. Locations impacted include... Columbia, Mount Pleasant, Summertown and Henryville. LAT...LON 3532 8744 3550 8751 3565 8705 3542 8697 TIME...MOT...LOC 1131Z 250DEG 38KT 3545 8739 Shamburger
The Nashville radar (KOHX), 61 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:02 UTC.
1 flash flood, 1 flood, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Several reports of roads flooded and closed across Williamson County including Spring Hill.
Flooding was reported on Kedron Road in Spring Hill.
A brief EF-0 tornado touched down along Boynton Valley Road in the Fredonia community and moved northeast, blowing down numerous trees and causing minor damage to 2 homes. The tornado path was also clearly visible in an adjacent corn field. The tornado blew down additional trees that fell across and blocked Fredonia Road before it lifted. Numerous residents in the area witnessed and took photos of the tornado.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Tennessee, 2021Warnings 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: 963677, 963678, 957708.