Tornadoes · United States · Tennessee · 2018

EF0 tornado, Ruthville to Jewell, Tennessee, February 24, 2018

From Ruthville to Jewell, this EF0 tornado ran 5.2 miles across Weakley County on February 24, 2018, touching down at 7:21 PM CST and reaching 75 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $50,000 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
February 24, 2018
Touchdown
7:21 PM CST (01:21 UTC)
Lifted
7:26 PM CST (01:26 UTC)
On the ground
5 minutes
Path length
5.2 miles (8.3 km)
Path width
75 yards (69 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$50,000
County
Weakley County
Touchdown point
36.411, -88.790
Lift-off point
36.445, -88.712
Record number
1802241921-01

The damage survey

16 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS MEG and NWS PAH, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 98 mph.

  • Variable damage directions
  • Variable damage directions.
  • Convergent damage path comprising of dozens of very large trees uprooted.
  • At least a dozen trees with tops or limbs broken out.

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

What the Weather Service recorded

A strong cold front interacted with a very unstable airmass across the Midsouth during the afternoon and evening hours of February 24h. All facets of severe weather occurred.

A weak tornado tracked across rural parts of northern Weakley County. Trees were knocked down and a couple of farm buildings were damaged.

A weak tornado tracked across rural areas knocking down trees.

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

The warnings

18 minutes of warning. NWS MEG issued a tornado warning for this county at 01:03 UTC, 18 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 01:45 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 21:18 UTC and running to 03:58 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
21:18 UTC03:58 UTCTornado WatchMEG
00:45 UTC01:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEG
01:03 UTC01:45 UTCTornado WarningMEG
01:17 UTC07:15 UTCFlash Flood WarningMEG
01:20 UTC02:00 UTCTornado WarningMEG
01:27 UTC02:06 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningMEG
01:30 UTC02:00 UTCTornado WarningMEG
01:43 UTC02:03 UTCTornado WarningMEG

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 Enhanced Risk, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 00:42 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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Memphis, TN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Feb 24, 5:47 PM CST, 1 hour 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 24, 5:47 PM CST, 1 hour 34 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Memphis TN
547 PM CST Sat Feb 24 2018

.DISCUSSION...
Updated for the Aviation Discussion.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 348 PM CST Sat Feb 24 2018/

DISCUSSION...

Severe thunderstorms are possible across all of the Midsouth this
afternoon into tonight. There is an enhanced risk of severe
weather including the potential for wind, tornadoes, and hail. Heavy
rain is also a threat adding to the already saturated soils. The
flood watch will remain in effect through tonight for much of the
Midsouth. Expect numerous showers and thunderstorms to continue
through this afternoon into tonight ahead of an approaching cold
front. The frontal boundary should be southeast of the forecast
area by late tonight.

The front will become stationary north of the gulf coast Sunday
and Sunday night while an area of rain north of the boundary moves
into across north Mississippi. The rain chance will continue over
that area into Sunday night before moving to the east.

Another complex system will provide a chance of flooding rain and
possible severe weather around the middle of the week.

SWC

&&

.AVIATION...
For 00Z TAFs

VFR conditions in eastern sites until line gets to the areas then
LIFR likely as line gets to each site like in Jonesboro. Expect
changing winds and gusty winds with ceiling and visibilities
varying with storms. By Sunday morning things should improve a
lot. Should be light north winds switching to northeast/east by
Sunday afternoon with VFR ceilings and visibility. TLSJr

&&

.MEG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AR...Flood Watch through late tonight for Clay-Craighead-Crittenden-
     Cross-Greene-Lawrence-Lee AR-Mississippi-Phillips-Poinsett-
     Randolph-St. Francis.

MO...Flood Watch through late tonight for Dunklin-Pemiscot.

MS...Flood Watch through late tonight for Alcorn-Benton MS-Coahoma-
     DeSoto-Marshall-Panola-Quitman-Tate-Tippah-Tunica.

TN...Flood Watch through late tonight for Benton TN-Carroll-Chester-
     Crockett-Decatur-Dyer-Fayette-Gibson-Hardeman-Hardin-
     Haywood-Henderson-Henry-Lake-Lauderdale-Madison-McNairy-
     Obion-Shelby-Tipton-Weakley.

&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 24, 2:49 PM CST, 4 hours 32 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Memphis TN
249 PM CST Sat Feb 24 2018

ARZ008-009-017-018-026>028-035-036-048-049-058-MOZ113-115-
MSZ001>017-020>024-TNZ001>004-019>022-048>055-088>092-251200-
Alcorn-Benton MS-Benton TN-Calhoun-Carroll-Chester-Chickasaw-Clay-
Coahoma-Craighead-Crittenden-Crockett-Cross-DeSoto-Decatur-
Dunklin-Dyer-Fayette-Gibson-Greene-Hardeman-Hardin-Haywood-
Henderson-Henry-Itawamba-Lafayette-Lake-Lauderdale-Lawrence-
Lee AR-Lee MS-Madison-Marshall-McNairy-Mississippi-Monroe-Obion-
Panola-Pemiscot-Phillips-Poinsett-Pontotoc-Prentiss-Quitman-
Randolph-Shelby-St. Francis-Tallahatchie-Tate-Tippah-Tipton-
Tishomingo-Tunica-Union-Weakley-Yalobusha-
249 PM CST Sat Feb 24 2018

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of East Arkansas...
the Missouri Bootheel...North Mississippi...and West Tennessee.

.DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight

There is an Enhanced Risk of severe thunderstorms this afternoon
into the evening hours across all of the Midsouth. Damaging
winds, hail, flash flooding and tornadoes are all possible.

The threat of flooding will continue across all of the Midsouth
although it will be greatest North and West of a line from
Clarksdale Mississippi to Memphis to Paris, Tennessee.

Saturated soil may make trees especially prone to be toppled by
winds.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Sunday through Friday

Heavy rain and strong to possibly severe thunderstorms are possible
Wednesday. Flooding is also a concern midweek.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation may be requested this afternoon through late
tonight.

SWC

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 24, 5:45 PM CST, 1 hour 36 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
545 PM CST SAT FEB 24 2018

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

0540 PM     TSTM WND DMG     EGYPT                   35.87N 90.95W
02/24/2018                   CRAIGHEAD          AR   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN IN WESTERN CRAIGHEAD COUNTY, EGYPT AREA.

&&

WLC
Local storm report, Feb 24, 6:05 PM CST, 1 hour 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
605 PM CST SAT FEB 24 2018

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

0554 PM     TSTM WND GST     TRUMANN                 35.67N 90.52W
02/24/2018  E70 MPH          POINSETT           AR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            LIGHT POLES AND TREES DOWN IN THE TRUMANN AREA.

&&

WLC
Local storm report, Feb 24, 6:11 PM CST, 1 hour 10 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
611 PM CST SAT FEB 24 2018

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

0555 PM     TSTM WND DMG     5 S BONO                35.83N 90.81W
02/24/2018                   CRAIGHEAD          AR   BROADCAST MEDIA

            PAVILLION DESTROYED NEAR BONO, MULTIPLE REPORTS OF WIND
            DAMAGE IN THE AREA.

&&

WLC
Local storm report, Feb 24, 6:20 PM CST, 1 hour 1 minute before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
620 PM CST SAT FEB 24 2018

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

0619 PM     FLASH FLOOD      POCAHONTAS              36.26N 90.97W
02/24/2018                   RANDOLPH           AR   PUBLIC

            SEVERAL ROADS ACROSS TOWN UNDER WATER.

&&

JAB
Local storm report, Feb 24, 6:29 PM CST, 52 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
629 PM CST SAT FEB 24 2018

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

0619 PM     TSTM WND DMG     KEISER                  35.67N 90.09W
02/24/2018                   MISSISSIPPI        AR   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            DAMAGE TO FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN KEISER, BLOWN
            TRANSFORMERS, POWER LINES AND TREES DOWN.

&&

WLC
Local storm report, Feb 24, 6:34 PM CST, 47 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
634 PM CST SAT FEB 24 2018

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

0614 PM     TORNADO          3 W OSCEOLA             35.70N 90.05W
02/24/2018                   MISSISSIPPI        AR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            ROOF RIPPED OFF HOTEL, CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE. TIME
            ESTIMATED BY RADAR.

&&

WLC

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), 00:00Z

1.4 hours before the tornado, 196 km from the path. February 25, 2018.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Nashville Metro, TN at 00:00Z on 2018-02-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 78 joules per kilogram, CIN -34, lifted condensation level 1167 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°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 2018-02-25The 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 235 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 61 knots.1939587897117Sfc1 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
78 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Surface CAPE
771 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1167 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
61 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
235 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
256 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.1
0-3 km lapse rate
6.4 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

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

10.6 hours after it, 196 km from the path. February 25, 2018.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Nashville Metro, TN at 12:00Z on 2018-02-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 87 joules per kilogram, CIN -1, lifted condensation level 507 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°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 2018-02-25The 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 -80 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 69 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
87 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-1 J/kg
Surface CAPE
125 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
507 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
69 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-80 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-17 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
3.6 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Everett-Stewart (UCY), 22 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
23:35 UTC6864.4170° 11 kt1006.4
23:55 UTC6864.4170° 13 kt1006.1
00:15 UTC6864.4180° 12 kt1006.1
00:35 UTC69.864.4170° 15 kt221005.4HZ
00:55 UTC6864.4170° 15 kt221005.4
01:15 UTC6862.6220° 20 kt261007.8HZ
01:35 UTC60.859240° 11 kt1007.5BR
01:55 UTC62.660.8220° 11 kt1007.8BR
02:15 UTC64.460.8220° 16 kt231007.8BR
02:35 UTC62.659220° 18 kt251008.5
02:55 UTC62.657.2210° 12 kt191008.5
03:15 UTC60.855.4220° 12 kt1008.5

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

The radar

The Paducah radar (KPAH), 71 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 01:22 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

What was reported nearby

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

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
01:00 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Ne ParisHenry, TNPOWER POLES AND TREES DOWN ALONG INDIA AND MCINTOSH ROADS.
01:02 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 Ne Union CityObion, TNSEVERAL HOMES DAMAGED AND POWER LINES DOWN. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
01:02 UTCTORNADO3 Ne Union CityObion, TN*** 3 INJ *** POSSIBLE TORNADO. 10 PEOPLE WERE RESCUED FROM SEVERAL DAMAGED STRUCTURES AROUND THE AREA. THREE INDIVIDUALS WERE TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL WITH UNKNOWN INJURIES.
01:10 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 Sw TrimbleDyer, TNMULTIPLE TREES DOWN ACROSS ROAD BETWEEN NEWBERN AND TRIMBLE.
01:42 UTCTSTM WND DMG6 Nne GleasonWeakley, TN4 FOOT DIAMETER TREE DOWN ACROSS HIGHWAY 190, BLOCKING BOTH LANES. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR.
01:45 UTCTSTM WND DMGDresdenWeakley, TNSOME TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY.
01:50 UTCFLASH FLOOD3 Ne NewbernDyer, TNFLOODED ROADS BETWEEN TRIMBLE AND NEWBERN. POSSIBLE ROADS WASHED OUT.
02:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGHuntingdonCarroll, TNTREES AND POWER LINES DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY. TREE DOWN ON HOUSE.

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

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2018 tornado in TennesseeEvery tornado in Tennessee since 1950Warnings in force in Tennessee nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of February 24, 2018

29 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
February 243:53 PM CSTEF2Robertson, TN to KY12.935011$850,000
February 245:11 PM CSTEF0Jackson, AR0.250$20,000
February 245:19 PM CSTEF1Barren, KY1.950$280,000
February 245:20 PM CSTEF1Cross, AR3.275$500,000
February 245:21 PM CSTEF2Clay, AR to MO41.915015$2.5 million
February 246:06 PM CSTEF2Mississippi, AR9.91001$1.0 million
February 246:30 PM CSTEF2New Madrid, MO0.91502$750,000
February 246:51 PM CSTEF0Obion, TN5.675$50,000
February 247:07 PM CSTEF1Obion, TN3.24503$2.0 million
February 247:17 PM CSTEF0Gibson, TN4.375$25,000
February 247:36 PM CSTEF0Weakley, TN7.475$25,000
February 247:37 PM CSTEF1Calloway, KY8.3125$450,000
February 247:37 PM CSTEF1McCracken, KY1.9100$85,000
February 247:42 PM CSTEF1Graves, KY1.2100$50,000
February 247:50 PM CSTEF1Calloway, KY1.4100$550,000
February 248:02 PM CSTEF1Henry, TN3.975$50,000
February 248:44 PM CSTEF0Christian, KY5.375$20,000
February 248:45 PM CSTEF2Christian, KY5.42009$6.0 million
February 248:50 PM CSTEF1Montgomery, TN5.3150$1.0 million
February 248:55 PM CSTEF0Christian, KY0.550$6,000
February 249:03 PM CSTEF2Montgomery, TN4.12002$7.0 million
February 249:15 PM CSTEF0Logan, KY2.9300$30,000
February 249:19 PM CSTEF1Robertson, TN3.6150$50,000
February 249:21 PM CSTEF1Butler, KY1.4100$20,000
February 249:50 PM CSTEF0Simpson, KY1.7100$50,000
February 2410:33 PM CSTEF2Green, KY1.3100$130,000
February 2412:03 AM ESTEF1Clermont, OH3.5200$85,000
February 2412:13 AM ESTEF1Brown, OH4.9300$65,000
February 2412:50 AM ESTEF1Garrard, KY0.1100$50,000

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.