Flash Flooding in Tennessee, July 9, 2025

Name: Flash Flooding in Tennessee, July 9, 2025
Start: 2025-07-09T14:38
End: 2025-07-09T17:30
Location: Tennessee

July 9, 2025 · NWS OHX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Scattered thunderstorms developed across portions of Middle Tennessee during the afternoon of July 9, 2025. Weak steering flow meant that these storms were generally slow-moving.

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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 OHX wrote it up.

Scattered thunderstorms developed across portions of Middle Tennessee during the afternoon of July 9, 2025. Weak steering flow meant that these storms were generally slow-moving. This combined with above average atmospheric moisture meant that the stage was set for heavy rain and flooding. One thunderstorm in Lawrence and Wayne counties produced four to six inches of heavy rain which caused flooding in the Loretto, St. Joseph, and Iron City areas.

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 Nashville, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 9, 10:58 AM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

Updated at 1154 AM CDT Wed Jul 9 2025
Rain and storm chances will become more widespread this afternoon. The overall severe threat this week and weekend remains low.
Localized flash flooding, frequent lightning, and gusty winds will be possible with any storms this week.
Expect warm and humid conditions for the foreseeable future, but excessive heat won't be a factor anytime soon.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 9, 10:58 AM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Nashville TN
1158 AM CDT Wed Jul 9 2025

...New AVIATION...

.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 1154 AM CDT Wed Jul 9 2025

- Rain and storm chances will become more widespread this
  afternoon. The overall severe threat this week and weekend
  remains low.

- Localized flash flooding, frequent lightning, and gusty winds
  will be possible with any storms this week.

- Expect warm and humid conditions for the foreseeable future, but
  excessive heat won't be a factor anytime soon.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
(Rest of today through Thursday)
Issued at 1139 AM CDT Wed Jul 9 2025

A weak surface boundary and upper tough are situated to the
northwest of Middle Tennessee this morning. Already, the air mass
across the mid state is plenty unstable, with Precipitable Water
values also above the 90th percentile climatologically. So the
interaction between these mesoscale features and the moist and
unstable environment will produce medium to high rain and storm
chances this afternoon and early evening. With the upper trough
coming through overnight, our rain and storm chances will drop off
some tomorrow, but we'll still see some convective activity
tomorrow, most notably along the Cumberland Plateau.

&&

.LONG TERM...
(Thursday Night through next Wednesday)
Issued at 1139 AM CDT Wed Jul 9 2025

Mainly daytime rain and storms are going to be a fixture in the
forecast for the foreseeable future, as the current air mass
stays with us. PoPs will increase again somewhat this weekend and
early next week as a series of weak shortwaves comes through
Middle Tennessee. Temperatures will start to build back up as we
head into the weekend and early next week, but excessive heat
won't be a factor anytime soon. At this time, the risk of any
hazardous weather throughout the next 7 days is very low. The
worst we anticipate is the occasional strong thunderstorm and
heat indices climbing back into the low 100s beginning on
Saturday.

&&

.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1154 AM CDT Wed Jul 9 2025

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will impact the area this
afternoon. Direct impacts to terminals may result in MVFR cigs
and visibilities, gusty winds, and frequent lightning. Storm
coverage will taper off around 00Z, but MVFR to IFR cigs along
with patchy fog will build back into the area overnight with
conditions slow to improve Thursday morning. Another round of
scattered storms is expected Thursday afternoon.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Nashville      90  72  91  72 /  70  20  30  10
Clarksville    87  71  89  71 /  60  10  20  10
Crossville     85  66  83  65 /  70  40  70  20
Columbia       88  70  88  70 /  80  30  30  10
Cookeville     86  68  85  67 /  70  40  50  10
Jamestown      85  67  83  66 /  80  40  60  10
Lawrenceburg   88  70  88  69 /  80  40  40  10
Murfreesboro   90  70  89  70 /  80  40  40  10
Waverly        86  70  88  70 /  70  10  10   0

&&

.OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.
&&

SHORT TERM...Rose
LONG TERM....Rose
AVIATION.....Clements

The radar

The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 129 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:37 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Lawrence

When: July 9, 2:38 PM CST to 5:30 PM CST
Where: Lawrence County, 2.05 mi WNW of Loretto to 1.56 mi W of Wayland Spgs
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 35.090, -87.484

A slow-moving thunderstorm produced 4 to 6 inches of rain in southern Lawrence County, causing flash flooding in the Loretto, St. Joseph, and Iron City. Reports of flooding included across Fairview Road in Loretto, along South 2nd Avenue near South Lawrence Elementary School, along TN-277, and flooding inside the Iron City Fire Department. Damages are a rough estimate.

Flash Flood, Wayne

When: July 9, 3:38 PM CST to 5:30 PM CST
Where: Wayne County, 2.82 mi SSE of Fairview to 2.55 mi S of Fairview
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 35.010, -87.670

A slow-moving thunderstorm produced 4 to 6 inches of rain across portions of southern Wayne County. This caused flooding over Chisholm Highway near the Southgate Community approximately 1 mile north of the Tennessee and Alabama state line. Extent of damages is unknown.

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Tennessee in 2025 Every state in 2025 This day in weather history Warnings in Tennessee, July 2025

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: 1261760, 1261762.