Tornadoes · United States · Tennessee · 2011

EF0 tornado, Cleveland to East Cleveland, Tennessee, April 27, 2011

From Cleveland to East Cleveland, this EF0 tornado ran 1.0 miles across Bradley County on April 27, 2011, touching down at 7:35 PM EDT and reaching 50 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $20,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
EF0
Date
April 27, 2011
Touchdown
7:35 PM EDT (23:35 UTC)
Lifted
7:37 PM EDT (23:37 UTC)
On the ground
2 minutes
Path length
1.0 miles (1.6 km)
Path width
50 yards (46 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$20,000
County
Bradley County
Touchdown point
35.180, -84.868
Lift-off point
35.189, -84.856
Record number
1104271735-02

What the Weather Service recorded

Favorable atmospheric conditions resulted in a deadly tornado outbreak across east Tennessee on the 27th. The thunderstorms produced more than 50 tornadoes across the east Tennessee area with 32 deaths and more than 200 injured. The tornadoes produced from light to heavy damage to hundreds of homes and businesses. Hail as large as baseballs was also reported.

Northeast Cleveland Tornado. A NWS storm survey reported an EF0 tornado touched down just northeast of Cleveland. It had a path width of 50 yards and path length of around 1 mile. The 80 mph wind downed numerous trees.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

56 minutes of warning. NWS MRX issued a tornado warning for this county at 22:39 UTC, 56 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 23:45 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 20:36 UTC and running to 05:00 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
12:00 UTC06:00 UTCWind AdvisoryMRX
12:36 UTC15:07 UTCTornado WatchMRX
12:37 UTC13:30 UTCTornado WarningMRX
13:20 UTC14:00 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningMRX
15:28 UTC20:36 UTCTornado WatchMRX
18:56 UTC20:00 UTCTornado WarningMRX
19:53 UTC22:45 UTCFlood AdvisoryMRX
20:00 UTC21:00 UTCTornado WarningMRX
20:36 UTC05:00 UTCTornado WatchMRX
20:39 UTC23:30 UTCFlood AdvisoryMRX
22:01 UTC23:00 UTCTornado WarningMRX
22:39 UTC23:45 UTCTornado WarningMRX
22:57 UTC02:00 UTCFlash Flood WarningMRX
23:01 UTC23:22 UTCTornado WarningMRX
23:21 UTC00:00 UTCTornado WarningMRX
00:10 UTC01:15 UTCTornado WarningMRX
00:53 UTC01:27 UTCTornado WarningMRX
01:53 UTC02:18 UTCTornado WarningMRX
02:03 UTC10:00 UTCFlood WarningMRX
02:14 UTC03:00 UTCTornado WarningMRX

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a High Risk, with a 0.30 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 19:12 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), 12:00Z

11.6 hours before the tornado, 189 km from the path. April 27, 2011.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2011-04-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -195, lifted condensation level 714 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2011-04-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -84 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 57 knots.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-195 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
714 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-84 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-38 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.9 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Nashville Metro, TN (KBNA), 00:00Z

0.4 hours after it, 189 km from the path. April 28, 2011.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 2011-04-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 308 joules per kilogram, CIN -100, lifted condensation level 669 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 2011-04-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 169 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 104 knots.1939587897117136Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
308 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-100 J/kg
Surface CAPE
24 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
669 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
104 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
169 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
247 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.3
0-3 km lapse rate
4.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Chattanooga/Lovell (CHA), 35 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
21:59 UTC73.468340° 16 kt1000TSRA BR
22:04 UTC71.668340° 37 kt47997.6TSRA BR
22:07 UTC71.668230° 25 kt501000.3TSRA FG
22:14 UTC71.668160° 40 kt531000.3+TSRAGR FG
22:29 UTC71.66820° 3 kt1000.3-TSRA BR
22:53 UTC1000+RA FG
23:00 UTC1001+RA FG
23:47 UTC7769.8190° 15 kt271000.7
23:53 UTC77.5470.34190° 14 kt271000.7
00:14 UTC75.268200° 20 kt281002.7-TSRA
00:19 UTC73.469.8230° 17 kt281003TSRA
00:25 UTC73.469.8260° 18 kt301002+TSRA
00:28 UTC71.669.8260° 18 kt301002.7TSRA
00:33 UTC71.668180° 10 kt231001.7TSRA
00:53 UTC7368170° 8 kt1001.4TS
01:19 UTC75.266.2180° 16 kt271001.4

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
20:35 UTCTSTM WND DMGEnglewoodMcminn, TNTREES AND POWER LINES DOWN ON HWY 165.
21:42 UTCTORNADOMount VernonMonroe, TN*** 1 INJ *** POSSIBLE TORNADO. INJURY OCCURRED ON GAMBLE GAP ROAD. IN MOUNT VERNON AREA...7 HOUSES DESTROYED...23 WITH MAJOR DAMAGE...50 WITH MINOR DAMAGE.
22:15 UTCHAIL 1.75ChattanoogaHamilton, TNHAIL OCCURRING IN THE MISSIONARY RIDGE AREA.
22:16 UTCTORNADO6 Se ChattanoogaHamilton, TNEF1. MAX WIND OF 90 MPH. NEAR EAST RIDGE.
22:19 UTCHAIL 1.75OoltewahHamilton, TNHAIL AT INTERSTATE 75 NEAR OOLTEWAH
22:30 UTCHAIL 1ClevelandBradley, TN
22:30 UTCHAIL 1.75ClevelandBradley, TN
22:30 UTCTORNADOClevelandBradley, TNEF1. PATH LENGTH OF 2.5 MILES. PATH WIDTH OF 250 YARDS. MAX WIND OF 100 MPH.
22:38 UTCHAIL 1.75ClevelandBradley, TNHAIL OCCURRING 1 MILE SOUTH OF EXIT 25 ON INTERSTATE 75.
22:40 UTCTSTM WND DMGClevelandBradley, TNTREES DOWN ON OLD PARKERSVILLE ROAD.
22:49 UTCFUNNEL CLOUDBentonPolk, TN
22:54 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 Sw EtowahMcminn, TNROOF BLOWN OFF HOME AND SEVERAL TREES DOWN IN THE COG HILL COMMUNITY.
23:00 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 Nnw BentonPolk, TNTREES AND POWER LINES DOWN NEAR THE ATHENS RD AND PINHOOK RD INTERSECTION.
23:00 UTCHAIL 1.25ClevelandBradley, TN
23:22 UTCHAIL 1Spring CityRhea, TN
23:25 UTCFUNNEL CLOUD1 S DunlapSequatchie, TN
23:25 UTCHAIL 11 S DunlapSequatchie, TN
23:30 UTCTORNADO8 Ssw PikevilleBledsoe, TN*** 4 FATAL, 10 INJ *** EF3.PATH LENGTH OF 9 MILES. PATH WIDTH OF ONE QUARTER MILE. MAX WIND OF 140 MPH. BEGAN NEAR PITTS GAP ROAD WITH PATH OF DAMAGE CONTINUING NORTHEAST TO NEAR NEW HARMONY. SEVEN HOUSES DESTRYOED AND
23:50 UTCTORNADO8 Ssw PikevilleBledsoe, TN*** 4 FATAL, 10 INJ *** POSSIBLE TORNADO. BEGAN NEAR PITTS GAP ROAD WITH PATH OF DAMAGE CONTINUING NORTHEAST TOWARD RHEA COUNTY. SEVERAL HOUSES DESTRYOED.
00:05 UTCTORNADO1 S Spring CityRhea, TN*** 2 INJ *** POSSIBLE TORNADO. 19 ROOFS DESTROYED. 21 HOMES WITH DAMAGE. DAMAGE PATH IS 100 FEET WIDE AND BEGINS ALONG RIDGELINE SOUTHWEST OF SPRING CITY AND TRACKED TO THE NORTHEAST TO JUST SOUTH OF SPRING CITY.
00:29 UTCTORNADO4 Se CollegedaleHamilton, TNEF4. MAX WIND SPEED 190 MPH. PATH WIDTH 800 YARDS. PATH LENGTH 15 MILES. CONTINUOUS NORTHEAST TRACK LEADING INTO EASTERN PORTIONS OF CLEVELAND.
00:30 UTCTORNADO1 S Spring CityRhea, TN*** 2 INJ *** POSSIBLE TORNADO. 19 ROOFS DESTROYED. 21 HOMES WITH DAMAGE. DAMAGE PATH IS 100 FEET WIDE AND BEGINS ALONG RIDGELINE SOUTHWEST OF SPRING CITY AND TRACKED TO THE NORTHEAST TO JUST SOUTH OF SPRING CITY.
00:40 UTCTORNADOClevelandBradley, TNPOSSIBLE TORNADO. REPORTED ON LEAD MINE VALLEY RD.
00:48 UTCHAIL 1.752 E ClevelandBradley, TN
00:55 UTCHAIL 1.754 N ClevelandBradley, TN
01:12 UTCTORNADO7 Ssw AthensMcminn, TNPOSSIBLE TORNADO
01:15 UTCTSTM WND DMGDunlapSequatchie, TNROOF BLOWN OFF BUILDING.
01:15 UTCFLOODDunlapSequatchie, TNFLOODING ON HWY 127.
01:15 UTCHAIL 1AthensMcminn, TNOCCURRING ON SOUTH JACKSON STREET.
01:27 UTCTORNADO8 Nne EtowahMcminn, TNPOSSIBLE TORNADO REPORTED
01:30 UTCTORNADO8 Ssw PikevilleBledsoe, TN*** 4 FATAL, 10 INJ *** EF3.PATH LENGTH OF 9 MILES. PATH WIDTH OF ONE QUARTER MILE. MAX WIND OF 140 MPH. BEGAN NEAR PITTS GAP ROAD WITH PATH OF DAMAGE CONTINUING NORTHEAST TO NEAR NEW HARMONY. SEVEN HOUSES DESTRYOED AND
01:30 UTCTORNADOMount VernonMonroe, TNPOSSIBLE TORNADO. TRAILER THROWN FROM ITS FOUNDATION.
01:30 UTCTORNADOTellico PlainsMonroe, TNPOSSIBLE TORNADO. ROOF DAMAGE TO NUMEROUS BUSINESSES.
01:40 UTCTORNADOSpring CityRhea, TNEF1. PATH LENGTH OF 1.5 MILES. PATH WIDTH OF 75 YARDS. MAX WIND OF 90 MPH.
02:05 UTCTSTM WND DMGClevelandBradley, TNCOUPLE TREES DOWN.
02:08 UTCTSTM WND DMGSpring CityRhea, TNNUMEROUS TREES DOWN ON ROAD AND DAMAGE TO A HOME.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2011 tornado in TennesseeEvery tornado in Tennessee since 1950Warnings in force in Tennessee nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of April 27, 2011

209 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 271:12 AM CDTEF1Yazoo, MS9.7250$70,000
April 271:15 AM CDTEF1Leflore, MS27.750$50,000
April 271:24 AM CDTEF1Leflore, MS3.2100$50,000
April 271:36 AM CDTEF0LaSalle Parish, LA8.0100$40,000
April 271:40 AM CDTEF2Holmes, MS12.31,760$100,000
April 271:40 AM CDTEF3Holmes, MS23.01,760$700,000
April 271:51 AM CDTEF2Attala, MS23.0860$553,000
April 271:51 AM CDTEF0Holmes, MS1.750$25,000
April 271:59 AM CDTEF2Holmes, MS8.8880$10,000
April 272:06 AM CDTEF1Grenada, MS1.9150$60,000
April 272:17 AM CDTEF2Montgomery, MS11.71,760$425,000
April 272:20 AM CDTEF1Attala, MS0.550$25,000
April 272:25 AM CDTEF2Choctaw, MS6.81,7502$350,000
April 272:29 AM CDTEF1Winston, MS4.2150$85,000
April 272:29 AM CDTEF3Choctaw, MS58.71,80025$5.4 million
April 272:37 AM CDTEF2Webster, MS13.31,32015$605,000
April 272:47 AM CDTEF1Winston, MS7.3200$60,000
April 273:20 AM CDTEF1Noxubee, MS6.2150$300,000
April 273:43 AM CDTEF2Tishomingo, MS9.31501$500,000
April 274:01 AM CDTEF1Lauderdale, AL to TN9.2200$1,000
April 274:03 AM CDTEF2Kemper, MS to AL35.21,410$3.2 million
April 274:19 AM CDTEF1Lauderdale, AL1.81001
April 274:27 AM CDTEF2Pickens, AL14.41,232$1.8 million
April 274:41 AM CDTEF3Pickens, AL22.5704$741,000
April 275:03 AM CDTEF1Fayette, AL7.31764$1.4 million
April 275:17 AM CDTEF3Tuscaloosa, AL20.3200$9.3 million
April 275:18 AM CDTEF3Walker, AL18.937520$13 million
April 275:38 AM CDTEF2Lincoln, TN25.9400
April 275:40 AM CDTEF1Marshall, TN2.9100$75,000
April 275:47 AM CDTEF0Rutherford, TN2.150$8,000
April 275:48 AM CDTEF2Cullman, AL30.38801
April 275:50 AM CDTEF1Shelby, AL3.4100$3.7 million
April 275:50 AM CDTEF1Lawrence, TN2.71501$11,000
April 275:52 AM CDTEF0Rutherford, TN1.675$50,000
April 275:53 AM CDTEF2Blount, AL3.22003$9.3 million
April 275:54 AM CDTEF2Jefferson, AL7.820020$18 million
April 276:12 AM CDTEF1Blount, AL14.8200$42,000
April 276:13 AM CDTEF2Moore, TN2.075$25,000
April 276:16 AM CDTEF2St. Clair, AL3.82005$865,000
April 276:20 AM CDTEF1Marshall, AL11.075
April 276:24 AM CDTEF0Smith, TN3.450$5,000
April 276:24 AM CDTEF1Marshall, AL6.4100
April 276:30 AM CDTEF2Marshall, AL20.0880
April 276:30 AM CDTEF1Marshall, AL4.650
April 276:30 AM CDTEF1Marshall, AL3.4100
April 276:30 AM CDTEF1Marshall, AL5.750
April 276:32 AM CDTEF1Green, KY3.1150
April 276:35 AM CDTEF1Marshall, AL4.9100
April 276:35 AM CDTEF1Marshall, AL0.350$10,000
April 276:43 AM CDTEF0Marshall, AL2.875
April 276:45 AM CDTEF0Coffee, TN1.750$5,000
April 276:45 AM CDTEF1Marshall, AL4.8200
April 276:45 AM CDTEF1Marshall, AL6.9300
April 276:47 AM CDTEF1Jackson, TN3.3100$10,000
April 276:49 AM CDTEF0Jackson, TN2.050$20,000
April 276:49 AM CDTEF1Marshall, AL1.6100
April 276:50 AM CDTEF1Warren, TN13.2100$100,000
April 276:58 AM CDTEF1DeKalb, AL27.93001
April 277:02 AM CDTEF1Monroe, KY5.9550
April 277:10 AM CDTEF2DeKalb, AL5.8200$30,000

All 210 of them

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.