Damaging Wind in Virginia, December 11, 2021

Name: Damaging Wind in Virginia, December 11, 2021
Start: 2021-12-11T10:30
End: 2021-12-11T10:30
Location: Virginia

December 11, 2021 · NWS MRX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Following the devastating tornado outbreak across Kentucky and neighboring areas, a line of strong to severe storms moved through the Tennessee Valley region Saturday morning into the early afternoon. The main impact across the region was damaging winds.

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: 1

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 Dec 11, 5:46 AM EST, 4 hours 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 11, 5:46 AM EST, 4 hours 44 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
National Weather Service Morristown TN
546 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021

.UPDATE...
FOR 12Z AVIATION.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

Quick update to include the tornado watch information. Also made
adjustments to hourly temperature forecast.

&&

.AVIATION...
12Z TAF DISCUSSION.

Strong storm system will move across the TAF sites during the next
12 hours. A line of showers and embedded thunderstorms will move
across the TAF sites between 14-17Z. High wind gusts to 35kts+
are expected with this squall line along with heavy downpour.

This band of convection will be along and ahead of a frontal
boundary. The tight pressure gradients with this system will
produce a strong low-level jet of 60-70kts at 850mb. The tight
pressure gradient will produce windy conditions at all TAF sites
before and after the frontal passage. Southwest winds of 15 to
25kts with gusts to 30kts are anticipated becoming west then
northwest after FROPA.

Dry air will quickly move in behind the frontal passage this
evening with ceilings/vis becoming VFR with gradual weakening of
the pressure gradients.

&&

.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...NONE.
TN...High Wind Warning until 4 PM EST this afternoon for Blount Smoky
     Mountains-Cocke Smoky Mountains-Sevier Smoky Mountains-
     Southeast Monroe.

     Wind Advisory until 4 PM EST this afternoon for Anderson-Bradley-
     East Polk-Grainger-Hamblen-Hamilton-Hancock-Hawkins-
     Jefferson-Johnson-Knox-Loudon-McMinn-Meigs-North Sevier-
     Northwest Blount-Northwest Carter-Northwest Cocke-Northwest
     Greene-Northwest Monroe-Rhea-Roane-Southeast Carter-
     Southeast Greene-Sullivan-Unicoi-Union-Washington-West Polk.

     Wind Advisory until 4 PM EST /3 PM CST/ this afternoon for
     Bledsoe-Campbell-Claiborne-Marion-Morgan-Scott-Sequatchie.

VA...Wind Advisory until 4 PM EST this afternoon for Lee-Russell-
     Scott-Washington-Wise.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 11, 3:15 AM EST, 7 hours 15 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Morristown TN
315 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021

NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002-
005-006-008-120815-
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-
315 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021 /215 AM CST Sat Dec 11 2021/

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southwest North
Carolina...east Tennessee and southwest Virginia.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

High winds will continue to develop across the mountains today
with windy conditions area-wide. A high wind warning has been
issued for the Smoky Mountains. A wind advisory is in effect for
the rest of east Tennessee and southwest Virginia.

A line of storms will move quickly across the area this morning
into early afternoon. Strong gusty winds are likely with localized
damaging winds. Localized down trees and power lines are
expected. An isolated tornado is possible across the Plateau and
southeast Tennessee this morning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday

No hazardous weather is expected.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be needed today.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 11, 9:33 AM EST, 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
933 AM EST SAT DEC 11 2021

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

0900 AM     TSTM WND DMG     SOUTH PITTSBURG         35.02N 85.71W
12/11/2021                   MARION             TN   911 CALL CENTER

            SEVERAL TREES DOWN.

0900 AM     TSTM WND DMG     JASPER                  35.06N 85.63W
12/11/2021                   MARION             TN   911 CALL CENTER

            SEVERAL TREES DOWN.

&&

Local storm report, Dec 11, 9:52 AM EST, 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
952 AM EST SAT DEC 11 2021

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

0910 AM     TSTM WND DMG     SPRING CITY             35.69N 84.86W
12/11/2021                   RHEA               TN   911 CALL CENTER

            FEW TREES DOWN.

0910 AM     TSTM WND DMG     5 S PIKEVILLE           35.53N 85.20W
12/11/2021                   BLEDSOE            TN   911 CALL CENTER

            TREES DOWN IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS SOUTH OF
            PIKEVILLE.

&&

Local storm report, Dec 11, 10:10 AM EST, 20 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1010 AM EST SAT DEC 11 2021

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

0940 AM     TSTM WND DMG     3 ENE ROCKWOOD          35.88N 84.62W
12/11/2021                   ROANE              TN   NWS EMPLOYEE

            MULTIPLE TREES DOWN SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40,
            EXIT 347, ALONG HWY 27.

&&

Local storm report, Dec 11, 10:17 AM EST, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1017 AM EST SAT DEC 11 2021

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

0945 AM     TSTM WND DMG     7 NNE CHATTANOOGA       35.16N 85.21W
12/11/2021                   HAMILTON           TN   NWS EMPLOYEE

            FEW TREES DOWN.

&&

Local storm report, Dec 11, 10:18 AM EST, 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
1018 AM EST SAT DEC 11 2021

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

0800 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 4 W GATLINBURG          35.72N 83.56W
12/11/2021  M73 MPH          SEVIER             TN   PARK/FOREST SRVC

            CORRECTS PREVIOUS NON-TSTM WND GST REPORT
            FROM 4 W GATLINBURG. COVE MOUNTAIN.

&&

Special weather statement, Dec 11, 10:30 AM EST, 0 minutes before

Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Morristown TN
1030 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021

TNZ099>101-111615-
West Polk TN-Bradley TN-Hamilton TN-
1030 AM EST Sat Dec 11 2021

...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of southern Bradley,
southwestern Polk and southeastern Hamilton Counties through 1115 AM
EST...

At 1030 AM EST, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along
a line extending from South Cleveland to near Ringgold. Movement was
east at 25 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
         unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...
Chattanooga, Wildwood Lake, South Cleveland, Collegedale, Conasauga,
East Brainerd, Red Clay State Park, Flint Springs, Apison and Gap
Springs.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until noon EST for east Tennessee.

&&

LAT...LON 3499 8520 3509 8504 3509 8457 3499 8474
TIME...MOT...LOC 1530Z 268DEG 23KT 3511 8488 3492 8518

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

SR

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 63 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:31 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Lee

When: December 11, 10:30 AM EST
Where: Lee County, 1.31 mi WNW of Jonesville
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 36.690, -83.120

A tree was blown over and fell onto a house.

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 Virginia in 2021 Every state in 2021 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, December 2021

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: 993259.