An anomalously wet air mass was in place across East Tennessee on Monday June 8, 2026. An upper level shortwave lifting north from the Ozarks into the Upper Midwest during the day, lead to widespread shower and thunderstorm activity across the forecast area, resulting in some flash flooding primarily in the Knoxville metro area.
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.
An anomalously wet air mass was in place across East Tennessee on Monday June 8, 2026. An upper level shortwave lifting north from the Ozarks into the Upper Midwest during the day, lead to widespread shower and thunderstorm activity across the forecast area, resulting in some flash flooding primarily in the Knoxville metro 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 Morristown, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 8, 1:16 PM EST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Morristown TN
216 PM EDT Mon Jun 8 2026
...New DISCUSSION...
.KEY MESSAGES...
Updated at 212 PM EDT Mon Jun 8 2026
- Very heavy rainfall rates and an increased risk for flash
flooding is expected this afternoon into early evening,
especially over our TN and SW NC counties.
- Chances for showers and thunderstorms will continue each day
through next Monday, and some storms may contain very heavy
rainfall.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 212 PM EDT Mon Jun 8 2026
The threat of flash flooding will continue this afternoon into
early evening and the flash flood watch will be left as is for
now. While the threat of flooding still looks isolated this
afternoon into early evening, there continues to be potential for
extremely high rainfall rates given the near record PWAT values
combined with the tall skinny CAPE profiles, high freezing levels,
and slow storm movement. CAMS continue to show the potential for
localized high rainfall totals, and although exact locations for
any very heavy rainfall is still unclear there appears to be an
enhanced threat from portions of the Plateau across our central
CWA and adjacent southern counties near and south of a poorly
defined, nearly stationary, summertime boundary. This boundary
currently looks to be draped somewhere across NE TN not far from
Morristown.
PWAT values will still be quite high despite a small tick down on
Tuesday, and the atmosphere overall is still similar to today with
very heavy rain rates favored. There will be a slight increase in
flow that should result in slightly faster storm motion. However,
despite the expected uptick in storm motion, given the very moist
environment and another heavy rain favorable CAPE profile along
with a deep warm cloud layer, very heavy rainfall rates and
localized flooding will be possible again Tuesday. Right now no
additional flash flood watch will be issued for tomorrow, but
trends will be monitored.
The warm and sticky conditions are then expected to continue for the
remainder of the week and possibly through the weekend into the
beginning of next week, with chances for showers and storms each day
some of which will contain torrential downpours. The weak upper
trough that is moving across the region today and Tuesday will move
off to our east and northeast by midweek and be replaced by a
resurgence of the upper ridge. This may allow for a bit of a lull
in the convection mid week, but at least isolated to scattered
coverage is still expected Wednesday and Thursday. By Friday through
the weekend into next Monday models have been suggesting a front may
be approaching although the details about timing and how much
progress it makes are still very uncertain. However, there may be
more upper support from the jet to our north or shortwaves in the
flow aloft as the ridge breaks down and the front approaches, which
would bring another uptick in convection but also introduces the
possibility of some drying if the front actually makes it to our
south and east.
&&
.AVIATION...
(18Z TAFS)
Issued at 1257 PM EDT Mon Jun 8 2026
We will see scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms around
early in the period, then they will diminish before chances trend
upward again late in period. Highest chances overall look to be at
CHA and TYS. Will have mainly VFR/MVFR conditions in the forecast,
although the details are uncertain and IFR (or lower) conditions
will be possible at times at least briefly. Will try to time the
periods with the higher thunderstorm probabilities with prob30 and
tempo groups.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Chattanooga Airport, TN 69 86 70 89 / 50 70 40 20
Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport, TN 68 85 70 88 / 70 80 40 40
Oak Ridge, TN 68 84 69 87 / 60 90 30 50
Tri Cities Airport, TN 67 83 67 85 / 30 80 50 80
&&
.MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NC...Flood Watch until 9 PM EDT this evening for Cherokee-Clay.
TN...Flood Watch until 9 PM EDT /8 PM CDT/ this evening for Anderson-
Bledsoe-Blount Smoky Mountains-Bradley-Campbell-Claiborne-
Cocke Smoky Mountains-East Polk-Grainger-Hamblen-Hamilton-
Hancock-Hawkins-Jefferson-Johnson-Knox-Loudon-Marion-McMinn-
Meigs-Morgan-North Sevier-Northwest Blount-Northwest Carter-
Northwest Cocke-Northwest Greene-Northwest Monroe-Rhea-
Roane-Scott TN-Sequatchie-Sevier Smoky Mountains-Southeast
Carter-Southeast Greene-Southeast Monroe-Sullivan-Unicoi-
Union-Washington TN-West Polk.
VA...NONE.
&&
DISCUSSION...99
AVIATION...99Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Morristown TN 222 PM EDT Mon Jun 8 2026 NCZ060-061-TNZ012>018-035>047-067>074-081>087-098>102-VAZ001-002- 005-006-008-091830- Cherokee-Clay-Scott TN-Campbell-Claiborne-Hancock-Hawkins- Sullivan-Johnson-Morgan-Anderson-Union-Grainger-Hamblen- Northwest Cocke-Cocke Smoky Mountains-Northwest Greene- Southeast Greene-Washington TN-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-Scott VA-Russell-Washington VA- 222 PM EDT Mon Jun 8 2026 /122 PM CDT Mon Jun 8 2026/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southwest North Carolina...east Tennessee and southwest Virginia. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Showers and thunderstorms will continue over the area today into this evening, some with very heavy rainfall and the risk of isolated flash flooding especially in areas that see repeated or prolonged periods of heavy rain. See the flash flood watch for more information. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday Showers and storms can be expected across the area each day this week. Some of these may bring heavy rainfall rates and the potential for localized flooding, especially on Tuesday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Any flooding reports will be appreciated.
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Morristown TN
355 PM EDT Mon Jun 8 2026
TNZ016-039-082045-
Hamblen TN-Hawkins TN-
355 PM EDT Mon Jun 8 2026
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHWESTERN HAWKINS AND
NORTHEASTERN HAMBLEN COUNTIES THROUGH 445 PM EDT...
At 354 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 7
miles southwest of Rogersville, moving north at 15 mph.
HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 40 mph.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.
Locations impacted include...
Rogersville, Bulls Gap, St. Clair, and Klondike.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.
Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.
Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe
shelter inside a building or vehicle.
&&
LAT...LON 3628 8300 3627 8302 3628 8303 3626 8306
3625 8312 3645 8320 3646 8317 3646 8297
TIME...MOT...LOC 1954Z 175DEG 14KT 3631 8307
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
KRSThe Knoxville radar (KMRX), 66 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:06 UTC.
6 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Multiple reports of roadside ditches full, water spilling over roadways at a depth of 3 to 5 inches, including Old Stage Road, along with water in yards.
The underpass beneath the railroad tracks, near Hall of Fame Drive and 5th Avenue, has flooded to a depth of several feet.
Intersection of Keith Road and Sanderson Road was flooded, with a report of stalled vehicle as well.
A building at the intersection of North Central Street and Broadway was taking on water through front doors.
Flooding near the intersection of 3rd Creek Road and Hinton Drive. Floodwaters were reported to be up to at least knee depth.
An intersection on Middlebrook Pike had minor flooding reported. No vehicles were stranded but small vehicles may be unable to pass through.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Tennessee in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Tennessee, June 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: 1341348, 1341350, 1341351, 1341357, 1341359, 1341361.