Two rounds of severe thunderstorms impacted Middle Tennessee late in the evening of April 27, 2026, and into the early morning hours of April 28th. A line of thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front, but the first round was scattered thunderstorms ahead of this line.
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.
Two rounds of severe thunderstorms impacted Middle Tennessee late in the evening of April 27, 2026, and into the early morning hours of April 28th. A line of thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front, but the first round was scattered thunderstorms ahead of this line. The thunderstorms preceding the main line produced large hail and damaging wind gusts while the line of thunderstorms was mainly responsible for scattered wind damage. An EF-1 tornado was confirmed in northern Davidson and southern Robertson counties. The strongest straight-line wind damage was reported in northern Lawrence County where numerous downed trees and other structural damage was found in the Summertown area.
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 Apr 27, 9:33 PM CST, 1 hour 44 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Nashville TN 1033 PM CDT Mon Apr 27 2026 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .KEY MESSAGES... Updated at 1014 PM CDT Mon Apr 27 2026 - Severe thunderstorm risk this evening into the overnight hours with all hazards possible. Risk levels range from level 1 out of 5 along the Plateau to 3 out of 5 for northwest Middle Tennessee. - Additional strong to severe thunderstorms are forecast across the area Tuesday evening into Tuesday night. The main risks are damaging winds and large hail. The tornado risk is low. - Good drought relief rainfall is expected with 1 to 3 inches across most of the mid state through mid-week. Although some locally heavy downpours and standing water may occur, significant flooding is not expected. && .SHORT TERM... (Tonight through Wednesday Night) Issued at 1014 PM CDT Mon Apr 27 2026 A non-PDS Tornado Watch is currently in effect for western Middle Tennessee counties until 5 a.m. Although the main line of organized convection is still impacting southeast Missouri and southern Illinois, discreet cells are now beginning to develop over northwest Middle Tennessee. The environment across the mid state is quite unstable, with steep mid-level lapse rates, plenty of available moisture and significant low-level wind shear. A capping inversion that was evident on the 00Z OHX sounding is expected to erode prior to the arrival of storms later this evening. The HRRR has consistently shown widespread convection developing ahead of the approaching line of storms and more or less merging by late evening, with little abatement into the early morning hours. Although the severe threat is expected to diminish as the convection propagates eastward and we lose more of our daytime heating, the convection itself is expected to hold together all the way across Middle Tennessee, and that will consume the bulk of the overnight hours. The cold front that is the primary culprit for this active weather pattern will stall out just to our northwest, keeping us in this warm, unstable environment for an additional day, so we'll get to do this again tomorrow night (although the setup will be quite different). On Tuesday, a low pressure center will ride northeastward out of the Arklatex and right along the cold frontal boundary before pulling the entire system through the mid state Tuesday night and early Wednesday. There is less of a severe risk tomorrow night than tonight, but all severe modes will still be possible. We can expect our rain and storm chances to finally taper off on Wednesday as cooler air fills in behind the departing cold front. && .LONG TERM... (Thursday through next Tuesday) Issued at 1014 PM CDT Mon Apr 27 2026 Significantly cooler weather will prevail from late week, through the weekend and into early next week. And that will get us into May. There are low to medium rain chances on Friday and Friday night as an active weather system skirts across the Gulf Coast states, but there's little severe threat with that one. The next appreciable rain chances won't come our way until the middle of next week. && .AVIATION... (00Z TAFS) Issued at 625 PM CDT Mon Apr 27 2026 No significant changes with this TAF update. Main changes were to slow arrival of thunderstorms slightly as latest mesoanalysis suggest delayed initialization over Middle TN. Otherwise, a line of thunderstorms, some severe, are still expected to move through the overnight. Damaging winds and hail will be the greatest threats. VFR conditions remain this evening until storms arrive, most likely after 02z. VFR conditions return Tuesday afternoon with scattered showers and thunderstorms developing after 00z. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Nashville 65 83 66 75 / 90 50 100 70 Clarksville 65 82 63 72 / 100 50 90 40 Crossville 55 75 59 71 / 90 60 80 90 Columbia 64 83 63 75 / 90 50 90 70 Cookeville 58 78 61 72 / 90 50 90 80 Jamestown 55 78 59 71 / 90 50 90 90 Lawrenceburg 63 81 63 75 / 90 50 90 80 Murfreesboro 63 83 63 76 / 90 50 90 80 Waverly 65 83 61 71 / 100 50 100 50 && .OHX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...Rose LONG TERM....Rose AVIATION.....Cravens
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Nashville TN
1120 PM CDT Mon Apr 27 2026
TNZ025-026-057-059-280500-
Hickman TN-Williamson TN-Dickson TN-Cheatham TN-
1120 PM CDT Mon Apr 27 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN DICKSON...
NORTHWESTERN WILLIAMSON...SOUTH CENTRAL CHEATHAM AND NORTHEASTERN
HICKMAN COUNTIES THROUGH MIDNIGHT CDT...
At 1120 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Centerville, moving east at 30 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Dickson, Centerville, White Bluff, Kingston Springs, Burns, Fairview,
Bon Aqua, Pinewood, Lyles, Nunnelly, and Leipers Fork.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 40 between mile markers 155 and 159, and between mile
markers 161 and 187.
Interstate 840 between mile markers 1 and 14.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 500 AM CDT for Middle
Tennessee.
&&
LAT...LON 3595 8759 3595 8756 3596 8755 3597 8753
3598 8753 3616 8715 3590 8698 3577 8754
3594 8762
TIME...MOT...LOC 0420Z 248DEG 27KT 3589 8749
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
27Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Nashville TN
1126 PM CDT Mon Apr 27 2026
TNZ006-007-025>027-280515-
Robertson TN-Dickson TN-Davidson TN-Cheatham TN-Montgomery TN-
1126 PM CDT Mon Apr 27 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHWESTERN DAVIDSON...
NORTHEASTERN DICKSON...SOUTHEASTERN MONTGOMERY...NORTHERN CHEATHAM
AND SOUTHWESTERN ROBERTSON COUNTIES THROUGH 1215 AM CDT...
At 1126 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 10
miles northwest of Ashland City, moving east at 40 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and half inch hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Springfield, Ashland City, Goodlettsville, Millersville, Greenbrier,
Coopertown, Ridgetop, Joelton, Pleasant View, Cheatham Dam, Beaman
Park, and Whites Creek.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 65 between mile markers 90 and 93.
Interstate 24 between mile markers 20 and 43.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 500 AM CDT for Middle
Tennessee.
&&
LAT...LON 3649 8672 3642 8672 3642 8675 3641 8675
3638 8673 3634 8672 3623 8672 3625 8728
3643 8729
TIME...MOT...LOC 0426Z 267DEG 34KT 3634 8720
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
27Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Nashville TN
1213 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
TNZ008-027>029-280600-
Davidson TN-Wilson TN-Trousdale TN-Sumner TN-
1213 AM CDT Tue Apr 28 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTHEASTERN DAVIDSON...SOUTHERN
SUMNER...NORTHERN WILSON AND TROUSDALE COUNTIES THROUGH 100 AM CDT...
At 1212 AM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over
Goodlettsville, or 12 miles southeast of Springfield, moving east at
40 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is
possible.
Locations impacted include...
Gallatin, Hartsville, Hendersonville, Mount Juliet, Goodlettsville,
White House, Millersville, Ridgetop, Cottontown, Bethpage, Bledsoe
Creek State Park, and Dickerson Chapel Recreation Area.
This includes the following highways...
Interstate 65 between mile markers 93 and 103.
Interstate 24 between mile markers 37 and 41.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 500 AM CDT for Middle
Tennessee.
&&
LAT...LON 3650 8622 3649 8623 3648 8619 3644 8617
3644 8614 3629 8613 3629 8614 3625 8613
3627 8684 3636 8684 3635 8682 3636 8679
3639 8678 3640 8676 3642 8675 3641 8669
3642 8670 3646 8667
TIME...MOT...LOC 0512Z 265DEG 36KT 3635 8673
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
27The Ft Campbell radar (KHPX), 135 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:17 UTC.
20 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe thunderstorm winds downed powerlines in the 3000 block of Highway 412 West. Trees were also downed which blocked Highway 13 South near Highway 128. Damages are a rough estimate.
Estimated quarter size hail fell in the Dickson area.
Severe thunderstorm winds downed trees, removed the siding off of a house, and flipped two outbuildings on Tidwell Switch Road in Bon Aqua. Damages are a rough estimate.
Estimated half dollar size hail fell in Dickson.
Severe thunderstorm winds caused damage to powerlines in the Hohenwald area, resulting in numerous power outages. Damages are a rough estimate.
Severe thunderstorm winds caused structural damage to a barn and downed several trees in the Cumberland City area. Damages are a rough estimate.
A swath of damaging wind occurred across portions of northern Lawrence County in the early morning hours of April 28th. Damage was sporadic across the area consisting of snapped and uprooted trees and downed powerlines. There were a few trees that fell on either houses, farm outbuildings, or sheds. Additional damage included partial loss of roofing shingles on a house along the partial loss of metal roofing of a shop building. Winds were estimated to be between 60 to 70 mph for most areas though a few areas likely reached 80 to 90 mph. One injury occurred when a tree fell on an automobile. Damages are a rough estimate.
A severe thunderstorm downed a large tree limb in Fredonia. Damages are a rough estimate.
Severe thunderstorm winds downed numerous trees southwest of Dickson, caused structural damage to three barns, and damaged a car. About 3,000 customers were without power in Dickson County. Damages are a rough estimate.
An EF-1 tornado touched down just east of Ridgewood Road and proceeded east after inflow produced straight-line wind damage along Strawberry Hill Road. The tornado moved east, leaving convergent swirl markings in an open farm field and snapping two rows of pine trees. The tornado continued east-northeast into Robertson County. Damages are a rough estimate.
This is a continuation of the EF-1 tornado that began in Davidson County. As the tornado entered Robertson County, it followed the southern edge of the valley along Browns Lake Road where the most extensive damage occurred with hundreds of trees snapped and uprooted. Most structural damage was caused by falling trees or winds north of the circulation. The tornado damaged around five barns and outbuildings west of Browns Lake before lifting near the lake. Damages are a rough estimate.
Severe thunderstorm winds caused a tree to fall on a house in White Bluff which caused a gas leak on Johnny Hall Road. No injuries were reported. Damages are a rough estimate.
Severe thunderstorm winds downed a large tree onto Highway 96 in Fairview. Damages are a rough estimate.
A severe thunderstorm downed tree limbs which blocked a roadway in Millersville. Damages are a rough estimate.
Severe thunderstorm winds downed a tree along Interstate 40 at mile marker 213. Damages are a rough estimate.
Severe thunderstorm winds downed a tree onto a powerline which partially blocked Lebanon Road in Mt. Juliet. Damages are a rough estimate.
Severe thunderstorm winds downed a tree on Moss Glen Road in Lebanon. Damages are a rough estimate.
Severe thunderstorm winds downed a tree which blocked a lane of Spring Creek Road in Lebanon. Damages are a rough estimate.
Severe thunderstorm winds downed powerlines along Foster Avenue in Ethridge. Damages are a rough estimate.
Severe thunderstorm winds caused tree damage along TN-240 in Summertown. One person was trapped in a camper, but was not injured. Damages are a rough estimate.
Severe thunderstorm winds downed a tree in a parking lot off New Salen Highway in Murfreesboro. Damages are a rough estimate.
Severe thunderstorm winds downed trees which blocked Crews Road in Ethridge. Damages are a rough estimate.
Severe thunderstorm winds downed a tree onto a home on Good Hope Road in Ethridge. Several other trees were also downed in the area. Damages are a rough estimate.
Severe thunderstorm winds downed a tree in a yard in Dibrell. Damages are a rough estimate.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Tennessee, 2026Warnings in Tennessee, April 2026
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: 1322383, 1322362, 1322363, 1322364, 1322367, 1322365, 1322368, 1322366, 1322369, 1322384, 1322385, 1322370, 1322372, 1322371, 1322373, 1322374, 1322375, 1322376, 1322379, 1322380, 1322377, 1322381, 1322382, 1322378.