PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 348 PM CST TUE FEB 12 2008 ...SURVEY OF THE TORNADO THAT STRUCK WILLIAMSON COUNTY NEAR LIEPERS FORK... OFFICIALS OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONDUCTED A GROUND SURVEY OF THE TORNADO THAT STRUCK WILLIAMSON COUNTY NEAR LIEPERS FORK IN THE EARLY MORNING OF FEBRUARY 6, 2008. THIS TORNADO IS SEPARATE FROM THE ONE THAT STRUCK FAIRVIEW EARLIER IN THE EVENING ON FEBRUARY 5TH, 2008. BASED ON THE OBSERVED DAMAGE...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DETERMINED THIS TORNADO WAS RATED AN EF-1 WITH WINDS NEAR 110 MPH. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES WEST OF LIEPERS FORK NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF PINEWOOD ROAD AND HARGROVE ROAD...AND CONTINUED ALONG HARGROVE ROAD FOR ABOUT ONE MILE. THIS TORNADO CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO TREES AND MINOR DAMAGE TO SEVERAL HOMES IN ITS PATH. THE TORNADO WAS APPROXIMATELY 300 YARDS WIDE. $$ DAVIS/LAROSA ############################################################################### PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 338 PM CST TUE FEB 12 2008 ...SURVEY OF TORNADOES THAT STRUCK PERRY...HICKMAN...DICKSON... DAVIDSON AND SUMNER COUNTIES... OFFICIALS OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONDUCTED A TWO DAY GROUND SURVEY OF MULTIPLE TORNADOES THAT OCCURRED IN PERRY...HICKMAN... DICKSON...DAVIDSON AND SUMNER COUNTIES DURING THE EVENING OF FEBRUARY 5TH AND MORNING OF FEBRUARY 6TH, 2008. BASED ON THE OBSERVED DAMAGE IN PERRY...HICKMAN...DICKSON...AND DAVIDSON COUNTIES...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DETERMINED THAT THE TORNADOES WERE RATED AN EF-0 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA INTENSITY SCALE, HAVING WINDS NEAR 85 MPH. IN SUMNER COUNTY...THERE WERE TWO TORNADOES NOTED. THE FIRST TORNADO STRUCK WESTERN SUMNER COUNTY AND WAS DETERMINED TO BE AN EF-0...AND THE SECOND TORNADO WAS DETERMINED AS AN EF-1 WITH WINDS NEAR 110 MPH. THE EF-1 TORNADO IN SUMNER COUNTY TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF GALLATIN...NEAR LIBERTY...AND CONTINUED FOR ABOUT 10 MILES TO 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF GALLATIN...NEAR GRABALL. THIS TORNADO CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO TREES AND MINOR ROOF DAMAGE TO HOMES IN ITS PATH. THE TORNADO WAS APPROXIMATELY 200 YARDS WIDE AT ITS PEAK INTENSITY. THE EF-0 TORNADOES IN PERRY...HICKMAN...DICKSON...DAVIDSON...AND WESTERN SUMNER COUNTIES PRODUCED MAINLY MINOR TREE DAMAGE. THIS DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY SUPERCELL NUMBER THREE THAT PRODUCED SIX SEPARATE TORNADO TOUCHDOWNS ALONG ITS TRACK. $$ DAVIS/LAROSA ############################################################################### PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 644 PM CST SAT FEB 9 2008 ...SURVEY OF TORNADO THAT STRUCK BENTON AND HOUSTON COUNTIES IN NORTHWEST MIDDLE TENNESSEE... OFFICIALS OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONDUCTED A GROUND SURVEY OF A TORNADO THAT OCCURRED IN BENTON AND HOUSTON COUNTIES DURING THE EVENING OF FEBRUARY 5TH, 2008. BASED ON THE OBSERVED DAMAGE, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DETERMINED THAT THE TORNADO WAS RATED ON THE HIGH END OF AN EF-1 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA INTENSITY SCALE, HAVING WINDS NEAR 110 MPH. THE ENHANCED FUJITA INTENSITY SCALE RANGES FROM EF-0, WITH WINDS AS LOW AS 65 MPH TO EF-5, WITH WINDS OVER 200 MPH. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ALONG DANVILLE ROAD ABOUT 4.3 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF BIG SANDY IN THE NORTHERN PART OF BENTON COUNTY. THE TORNADO WAS ABOUT 50 YARDS WIDE WHERE IT FIRST TOUCHED DOWN. THE TORNADO THEN INCREASED TO ONE QUARTER MILE WIDE AS IT MOVED RAPIDLY NORTHEAST ALONG OR CLOSE TO DANVILLE ROAD, DAMAGING HOMES AND SNAPPING AND UPROOTING MANY TREES. IT THEN CROSSED THE TENNESSEE RIVER AND INTO WESTERN HOUSTON COUNTY ALONG COUNTY HIGHWAY 147, WHERE IT DAMAGED HOMES AND UPROOTED AND SNAPPED MORE TREES. THE TORNADO THEN LIFTED ABOUT ONE HALF MILE WEST NORTHWEST OF MCKINNON. THE TORNADO TRAVELLED 4.6 MILES IN BENTON COUNTY AND 2.6 MILES IN HOUSTON COUNTY, FOR A TOTAL PATH LENGTH OF 7.2 MILES. THE SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM THAT GENERATED THE TORNADO CONTINUED MOVING RAPIDLY NORTHEAST AND INTO MONTGOMERY COUNTY. DAMAGE CAUSED FROM STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS ESTIMATED AT 80 TO 100 MPH, OCCURRED FOR NEARLY A MILE ALONG INDIAN MOUND ROAD, AND AT A FEW LOCATIONS NEARBY ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 79 BETWEEN OAKWOOD AND WOODLAWN. $$ STEIGERWALDT ############################################################################## PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 445 PM CST FRI FEB 8 2008 ...RESULTS OF TORNADO SURVEYS... ...UPDATED TO INCLUDE INTENSITY RATING FOR SUMNER TROUSDALE AND MACON COUNTIES... AFTER SURVEYING DAMAGE FROM THE FEBRUARY 5TH STORMS THAT STRUCK MIDDLE TENNESSEE, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT FOUR INDIVIDUAL TORNADOES OCCURRED ALONG A PATH EXTENDING FROM CLIFTON IN WAYNE COUNTY TO NORTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE IN MACON COUNTY. THE FIRST TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN OVER NORTHEAST HARDIN COUNTY, MOVED NEAR CLIFTON, AND LIFTED NEAR FLATWOODS IN NORTHERN WAYNE COUNTY. A SECOND TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN EXTREME SOUTHEAST PERRY COUNTY, A FEW MILES NORTHEAST OF THE END OF THE PREVIOUS TORNADO TRACK. THIS TORNADO REMAINED ON THE GROUND AS THE STORM MOVED ACROSS NORTHWEST LEWIS COUNTY AND INTO HICKMAN COUNTY. THE TORNADO STRUCK THE BRUSHY COMMUNITY, THEN TURNED TOWARD THE LEFT JUST EAST OF CENTERVILLE BEFORE DISSIPATING. THE FIRST TWO TORNADOES HAVE BEEN RATED AS EITHER EF-O OR EF-1. A THIRD TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE END OF THE PREVIOUS TORNADO TRACK EAST OF CENTERVILLE, AND PASSED THROUGH FAIRVIEW, IN NORTHWEST WILLIAMSON COUNTY, BEFORE LIFTING NEAR THE DAVIDSON COUNTY LINE. THIS TORNADO HAS BEEN RATED AS EITHER EF-1 OR EF-2. THE SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM CONTINUED TO MOVE NORTHEASTWARD, ACROSS NASHVILLE, BEFORE SPAWNING A FOURTH TORNADO, WHICH DROPPED DOWN ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF GALLATIN, NEAR THE CUMBERLAND RIVER. THIS TORNADO MOVED THROUGH CASTALIAN SPRINGS, EXTREME NORTHERN TROUSDALE COUNTY, ACROSS MACON COUNTY, STRIKING THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF LAFAYETTE, BEFORE MOVING INTO KENTUCKY, WHERE IT FINALLY LIFTED NORTHEAST OF TOMPKINSVILLE. THE PATH LENGTH OF THIS TORNADO WAS APPROXIMATELY 51 MILES. MUCH OF THE DAMAGE ALONG THIS PATH WAS RATED EF-2 ALTHOUGH SOME AREAS RECEIVED EF-3 DAMAGE. THIS LONG TRACK TORNADO HAD WINDS IN THE 110 TO 140 MPH RANGE AND CAUSED DAMAGE THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE WIDE. $$ VANNOZZI ############################################################################## PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 1225 PM CST FRI FEB 8 2008 ...RESULTS OF TORNADO SURVEYS... AFTER SURVEYING DAMAGE FROM TUESDAY NIGHT`S TORNADOES THAT STRUCK MIDDLE TENNESSEE, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT FOUR INDIVIDUAL TORNADOES OCCURRED ALONG A PATH EXTENDING FROM CLIFTON TO NORTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE. THE FIRST TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN OVER NORTHEAST HARDIN COUNTY, MOVED NEAR CLIFTON, AND LIFTED NEAR FLATWOODS IN NORTHERN WAYNE COUNTY. A SECOND TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN EXTREME SOUTHEAST PERRY COUNTY, A FEW MILES NORTHEAST OF THE END OF THE PREVIOUS TORNADO TRACK. THIS TORNADO REMAINED ON THE GROUND AS THE STORM MOVED ACROSS NORTHWEST LEWIS COUNTY, AND INTO HICKMAN COUNTY. THE TORNADO STRUCK THE BRUSHY COMMUNITY, THEN TURNED TOWARD THE LEFT JUST EAST OF CENTERVILLE BEFORE DISSIPATING. THE FIRST TWO TORNADOES HAVE BEEN RATED AS EITHER EF-O OR EF-1. A THIRD TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE END OF THE PREVIOUS TORNADO TRACK EAST OF CENTERVILLE, AND PASSED THROUGH FAIRVIEW, IN NORTHWEST WILLIAMSON COUNTY, BEFORE LIFTING NEAR THE DAVIDSON COUNTY LINE. THIS TORNADO HAS BEEN RATED AS EITHER EF-1 OR EF-2. THE SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM CONTINUED TO MOVE NORTHEASTWARD, ACROSS NASHVILLE, BEFORE SPAWNING A FOURTH TORNADO, WHICH DROPPED DOWN ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF GALLATIN, NEAR THE CUMBERLAND RIVER. THIS TORNADO MOVED THROUGH CASTALIAN SPRINGS, EXTREME NORTHERN TROUSDALE COUNTY, ACROSS MACON COUNTY, STRIKING THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF LAFAYETTE, BEFORE MOVING INTO KENTUCKY, WHERE IT FINALLY LIFTED NORTHEAST OF TOMPKINSVILLE. THE PATH LENGTH OF THIS TORNADO WAS APPROXIMATELY 51 MILES. A TOTAL OF 24 FATALITIES HAVE SO FAR BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO THIS TORNADO: 7 IN SUMNER COUNTY, 3 IN TROUSDALE COUNTY, AND 14 IN MACON COUNTY. $$ ROSE ############################################################################## PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 553 PM CST WED FEB 6 2008 ...UPDATED PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT... PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM THE STORM SURVEY TEAM. STORM SURVEY FOR SUMNER COUNTY...THE TORNADO SET DOWN SOUTHEAST OF GALLATIN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HARSH LANE AND HILTON LANE. AS IT TOUCH DOWNED THE DAMAGE PATH WAS 300 YARDS WIDE AND INCREASED TO A 1/2 MILE WIDE DAMAGE PATH AS IT MOVED THROUGH THE COMMUNITY OF CASTALIAN SPRINGS IN EASTERN SUMNER COUNTY. THIS TORNADO THEN MOVED THROUGH NORTHWEST TROUSDALE COUNTY AND CROSSED HIGHWAY 141 NEAR THE GAS PLANT BEFORE MOVING INTO MACON COUNTY. STORM STRENGTH WAS AT LEAST AN EF 2. STORM SURVEY INDICATED THE TORNADO THEN ENTERED MACON COUNTY FROM THE SOUTHWEST AND TRAVELED NORTHEAST. THE NORTHWEST TO NORTH SIDE OF THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE RECEIVED DAMAGED WITH MULTIPLE FATALITIES. DAMAGE PATH OF THE TORNADO THROUGH THE CITY WAS NEAR 3/4 MILE WIDE AND INCREASED TO WIDER THAN 3/4 OF A MILE AS IT MOVED NORTHEAST OF THE CITY. STORM STRENGTH WAS AT LEAST AN EF 2. PREVIOUS PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT ISSUED AT 10 AM. ...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TO SURVEY TORNADO DAMAGE... BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR IMAGES AND DAMAGE REPORTS FROM AROUND MIDDLE TENNESSEE LAST NIGHT, IT APPEARS THAT AT LEAST TWO SIGNIFICANT LONG LIVED SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS MOVED ACROSS THE AREA. BOTH OF THEM ENTERED MIDDLE TENNESSEE FROM THE WEST AT ABOUT 800 PM AND THEN MOVED RAPIDLY NORTHEASTWARD. ONE PRODUCED DAMAGE IN NORTHWESTERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE, BETWEEN THE TOWNS OF BIG SANDY AND OAKWOOD. ANOTHER TRAVELED FROM NEAR THE TOWN OF CLIFTON, IN NORTHWESTERN WAYNE COUNTY, ALL THE WAY TO THE KENTUCKY BORDER NORTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT THIS TORNADO WAS NOT ON THE GROUND ALONG ITS ENTIRE PATH, THERE ARE INTERMITTENT DAMAGE REPORTS EXTENDING ALONG THE ENTIRE 140 MILE PATH OF THE SUPERCELL. FOLLOWING ARE THE PRELIMINARY DAMAGE REPORTS FOR EACH SUPERCELL TRACK. SUPERCELL 1 ENTERED EXTREME NORTHWESTERN WAYNE COUNTY AT APPROXIMATELY 800 PM AND DAMAGED SEVERAL HOUSES 4 MILES EAST OF CLIFTON. THE STORM THEN TRAVELED ACROSS SOUTHERN PERRY COUNTY, BLOWING TREES DOWN AND DAMAGING A HOME ALONG HURRICANE CREEK ROAD, 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LINDEN. THE TORNADO MOVED ACROSS EXTREME NORTHWESTERN LEWIS COUNTY, DAMAGING HOMES AND TRAILERS, BLOWING DOWN TREES, BARNS, AND OUTBUILDINGS, AND CAUSING SOME OF THE FIRST INJURIES OF THE NIGHT. THE STORM RACED ACROSS SOUTHERN AND EASTERN HICKMAN COUNTY, PRODUCING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE 7 MILES SOUTH OF CENTERVILLE IN THE BRUSHY COMMUNITY. THE TORNADO CLIPPED NORTHWESTERN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, HITTING THE TOWN OF FAIRVIEW, WHERE DAMAGE OCCURRED, ALONG WITH 13 ADDITIONAL INJURIES. THE TORNADO APPEARS TO HAVE LIFTED AS IT CROSSED INTO DAVIDSON COUNTY, AND THERE WERE NO FURTHER REPORTS OF WIND DAMAGE UNTIL IT TOUCHED BACK DOWN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF OLD HICKORY LAKE IN SOUTHERN SUMNER COUNTY. THE TORNADO APPEARS TO HAVE INCREASED MARKEDLY IN INTENSITY. WIDESPREAD DAMAGE WAS REPORTED IN THE TOWN OF CASTALIAN SPRINGS, WHERE THE FIRST DEATHS FROM THE TORNADO OCCURRED. IT THEN MOVED ACROSS EXTREME NORTHERN TROUSDALE COUNTY, KILLING AN ELDERLY COUPLE, AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO A NATURAL GAS PLANT THAT RESULTED IN A LARGE FIRE, BEFORE PRODUCING ITS MOST WIDESPREAD DEVASTATION IN MACON COUNTY. AS OF EARLY THIS MORNING, THE TENNESSEE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY REPORTED THAT THERE WERE 5 DEATHS IN SUMNER COUNTY, 2 IN TROUSDALE COUNTY, AND 10 IN MACON COUNTY. THE 17 FATALITIES WOULD MAKE LAST NIGHT`S TORNADO THE DEADLIEST SINGLE STORM TO STRIKE MIDDLE TENNESSEE IN NEARLY 75 YEARS, SINCE AN F4 TORNADO HIT OVERTON AND PICKETT COUNTIES ON MAY 10, 1933, CLAIMING 35 LIVES. THE SECOND SUPERCELL PRODUCED A TORNADO IN NORTHERN BENTON COUNTY THAT CAUSED WIDESPREAD DAMAGE BETWEEN BIG SANDY, FAXON, AND GRANNY`S BRANCH. ONE HOME WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY, WITH OTHER HOUSES DAMAGED AND NUMEROUS POWER LINES TORN DOWN. FIRE AND RESCUE COMMUNICATIONS WERE DEALT A HARSH BLOW WHEN THE TORNADO LIFTED THE COMMUNICATIONS BUILDING AND SLAMMED IT AGAINST A WATER TOWER, TEMPORARILY HALTING EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INTO THE NORTHERN RURAL PARTS OF BENTON COUNTY. OTHER DAMAGE OCCURRED BETWEEN STEWART AND MCKINNON, IN WESTERN HOUSTON COUNTY, WITH ADDITIONAL DAMAGE REPORTED IN WESTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY AT THE TOWN OF OAKWOOD. AS OF EARLY THIS MORNING, NO DEATHS OR INJURIES HAD BEEN REPORTED AS A RESULT OF THIS SUPERCELL. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS SENT THREE SURVEY TEAMS TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE ALONG THE FIRST SUPERCELL TRACK. ONE TEAM HAS BEEN SENT TO MACON COUNTY. A SECOND TEAM WILL SURVEY THE DAMAGE IN SUMNER AND TROUSDALE COUNTIES. AND THE THIRD TEAM WILL BEGIN IN BELLEVUE AND WORK SOUTHWARD ALONG THE REMAINDER OF THE STORM TRACK. FINALLY, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EXPRESSES ITS SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO THOSE WHO LOST FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS IN LAST EVENING`S STORMS. $$ 31 ############################################################################## PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...CORRECTED SPELLING IN 7TH PARAGRAPH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN 1040 AM CST WED FEB 6 2008 ...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TO SURVEY TORNADO DAMAGE... BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR IMAGES AND DAMAGE REPORTS FROM AROUND MIDDLE TENNESSEE LAST NIGHT, IT APPEARS THAT AT LEAST TWO SIGNIFICANT LONG LIVED SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS MOVED ACROSS THE AREA. BOTH OF THEM ENTERED MIDDLE TENNESSEE FROM THE WEST AT ABOUT 800 PM AND THEN MOVED RAPIDLY NORTHEASTWARD. ONE PRODUCED DAMAGE IN NORTHWESTERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE, BETWEEN THE TOWNS OF BIG SANDY AND OAKWOOD. ANOTHER TRAVELED FROM NEAR THE TOWN OF CLIFTON, IN NORTHWESTERN WAYNE COUNTY, ALL THE WAY TO THE KENTUCKY BORDER NORTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT THIS TORNADO WAS NOT ON THE GROUND ALONG ITS ENTIRE PATH, THERE ARE INTERMITTENT DAMAGE REPORTS EXTENDING ALONG THE ENTIRE 140 MILE PATH OF THE SUPERCELL. FOLLOWING ARE THE PRELIMINARY DAMAGE REPORTS FOR EACH SUPERCELL TRACK. SUPERCELL 1 ENTERED EXTREME NORTHWESTERN WAYNE COUNTY AT APPROXIMATELY 800 PM AND DAMAGED SEVERAL HOUSES 4 MILES EAST OF CLIFTON. THE STORM THEN TRAVELED ACROSS SOUTHERN PERRY COUNTY, BLOWING TREES DOWN AND DAMAGING A HOME ALONG HURRICANE CREEK ROAD, 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LINDEN. THE TORNADO MOVED ACROSS EXTREME NORTHWESTERN LEWIS COUNTY, DAMAGING HOMES AND TRAILERS, BLOWING DOWN TREES, BARNS, AND OUTBUILDINGS, AND CAUSING SOME OF THE FIRST INJURIES OF THE NIGHT. THE STORM RACED ACROSS SOUTHERN AND EASTERN HICKMAN COUNTY, PRODUCING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE 7 MILES SOUTH OF CENTERVILLE IN THE BRUSHY COMMUNITY. THE TORNADO CLIPPED NORTHWESTERN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, HITTING THE TOWN OF FAIRVIEW, WHERE DAMAGE OCCURRED, ALONG WITH 13 ADDITIONAL INJURIES. THE TORNADO APPEARS TO HAVE LIFTED AS IT CROSSED INTO DAVIDSON COUNTY, AND THERE WERE NO FURTHER REPORTS OF WIND DAMAGE UNTIL IT TOUCHED BACK DOWN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF OLD HICKORY LAKE IN SOUTHERN SUMNER COUNTY. THE TORNADO APPEARS TO HAVE INCREASED MARKEDLY IN INTENSITY. WIDESPREAD DAMAGE WAS REPORTED IN THE TOWN OF CASTALIAN SPRINGS, WHERE THE FIRST DEATHS FROM THE TORNADO OCCURRED. IT THEN MOVED ACROSS EXTREME NORTHERN TROUSDALE COUNTY, KILLING AN ELDERLY COUPLE, AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO A NATURAL GAS PLANT THAT RESULTED IN A LARGE FIRE, BEFORE PRODUCING ITS MOST WIDESPREAD DEVASTATION IN MACON COUNTY. AS OF EARLY THIS MORNING, THE TENNESSEE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY REPORTED THAT THERE WERE 5 DEATHS IN SUMNER COUNTY, 2 IN TROUSDALE COUNTY, AND 10 IN MACON COUNTY. THE 17 FATALITIES WOULD MAKE LAST NIGHT`S TORNADO THE DEADLIEST SINGLE STORM TO STRIKE MIDDLE TENNESSEE IN NEARLY 75 YEARS, SINCE AN F4 TORNADO HIT OVERTON AND PICKETT COUNTIES ON MAY 10, 1933, CLAIMING 35 LIVES. THE SECOND SUPERCELL PRODUCED A TORNADO IN NORTHERN BENTON COUNTY THAT CAUSED WIDESPREAD DAMAGE BETWEEN BIG SANDY, FAXON, AND GRANNY`S BRANCH. ONE HOME WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY, WITH OTHER HOUSES DAMAGED AND NUMEROUS POWER LINES TORN DOWN. FIRE AND RESCUE COMMUNICATIONS WERE DEALT A HARSH BLOW WHEN THE TORNADO LIFTED THE COMMUNICATIONS BUILDING AND SLAMMED IT AGAINST A WATER TOWER, TEMPORARILY HALTING EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INTO THE NORTHERN RURAL PARTS OF BENTON COUNTY. OTHER DAMAGE OCCURRED BETWEEN STEWART AND MCKINNON, IN WESTERN HOUSTON COUNTY, WITH ADDITIONAL DAMAGE REPORTED IN WESTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY AT THE TOWN OF OAKWOOD. AS OF EARLY THIS MORNING, NO DEATHS OR INJURIES HAD BEEN REPORTED AS A RESULT OF THIS SUPERCELL. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS SENT THREE SURVEY TEAMS TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE ALONG THE FIRST SUPERCELL TRACK. ONE TEAM HAS BEEN SENT TO MACON COUNTY. A SECOND TEAM WILL SURVEY THE DAMAGE IN SUMNER AND TROUSDALE COUNTIES. AND THE THIRD TEAM WILL BEGIN IN BELLEVUE AND WORK SOUTHWARD ALONG THE REMAINDER OF THE STORM TRACK. FINALLY, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EXPRESSES ITS SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO THOSE WHO LOST FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS IN LAST EVENING`S STORMS. $$ ROSE