This Day in Weather History: May 2nd

Weather History - May 2nd

Local and Regional Events:

May 2, 1984:

High winds picked up a trailer home northwest of the Pierre Airport and hurled it through the air, smashing it to the ground 50 yards away. The upper sections of a home were damaged by the airborne trailer. Several branches and shed roofs were also damaged nearby.

May 2, 2008:

A two-day blizzard dropped two to four feet of snow across the northern Black Hills and in Harding and Butte counties. Six to 14 inches of snow fell along the eastern foothills and in western Perkins and Meade counties.

U.S.A and Global Events for May 2nd:

1762: A tornado struck Port Royal Island, South Carolina. It left a path 400 yards wide, tore up trees by the roots, and carried away houses and bridges.

1929: Virginia's worst tornado disaster occurred on this day. Six tornadoes, two of which were west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, killed 22 people. One tornado killed twelve children and a teacher at Rye Cove, in Scott County. The storms destroyed four schools.

1983: Severe thunderstorms produced 21 tornadoes across the northeastern states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. One tornado even occurred in Ontario, Canada. Of the 21 tornadoes in the United States, nine were rated F3, and six were rated F2. The tornadoes caused five deaths.

2010: May began with two days of historical rainfall over much of Middle Tennessee, with massive swath stretching along the I-40 corridor from Benton County to Davidson County. Some areas received nearly 20 inches of rain during this 2-day period, the highest of which was 19.41 inches reported by a CoCoRaHS observer in Camden, TN. Numerous rainfall records were broken at the Nashville International Airport, including the most rain received in a 6 hour period, highest calendar day rainfall, and wettest month, along with several others. Incredibly, the Nashville Airport experienced its wettest and third wettest days in history on back to back days. Many area rivers exceeded their record crest levels, including the Harpeth River near Kingston Springs, which rose to 13.8 feet above the previous record. The Cumberland River at Nashville reached its highest level since flood control was implemented in the late 1960s, flooding parts of downtown Nashville. Waters from the Cumberland reached as far inland as 2nd Avenue, flooding many downtown businesses. Forty-nine Tennessee counties were declared disaster areas with damage estimates of between $2 and $3 billion statewide. Many Nashville landmarks received damage from floodwaters, including Gaylord Opryland Hotel and the Grand Ole Opry. Other popular Nashville landmarks affected by the floods include LP Field, Bridgestone Arena, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, which received damage to the basement and its contents, including two Steinway grand pianos and the console of the Martin Foundation Concert Organ. Over $300 million in Federal Disaster Assistance was approved for the people of Tennessee.

Click HERE for more This Day in Weather History from the Southeast Regional Climate Center.