April 5, 2017 Severe Storms

April 5, 2017

Tornado Statistics
#	Counties	Rating	Time (CDT)	Length (miles)	Width (yards)	Fatalities	Injuries
1	Bedford	EF1	347 PM	7.1 miles	150 yards	0	0
2	Warren	EF1	459 PM	3.4 miles	125 yards	0	1

Overview

A powerful spring storm system moved across the eastern US on Wednesday, April 5, 2017. This system brought numerous severe thunderstorms to many states from the Midwest into the Southeast, with hundreds of reports of large hail, wind damage, and numerous tornadoes. Across Middle Tennessee, several supercell thunderstorms developed along and ahead of a cold front that moved west to east across the area, with dozens of reports of large hail up to golf ball size, wind damage, and two confirmed EF1 tornadoes. In addition, strong westerly gradient winds measured up to 50 mph behind the cold front caused wind damage in several areas.

Reports & Outlooks
SPC Storm Reports	SPC Event Archive	Local Storm Reports	Storm Surveys	Peak Wind Gusts

EF1 Bedford County Tornado
Counties:	Bedford
Time:	347 PM CDT
EF Scale:	EF1
Estimated Peak Winds:	95 mph
Damage Path Length:	7.1 miles
Damage Path Width:	150 yards
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Storm Survey: A rare and unique anticyclonic landspout tornado touched down in southern Bedford County off a left splitting supercell and an anticyclonic rear flank downdraft coupled with strong southwesterly surface flow. The damage path started off of Charlie Russell Road consisting of uprooted and snapped trees as well as a barn sustaining significant damage from rear flank downdraft winds. The path continued northeast uprooting and snapping dozens of hardwood and softwood trees. Off of Highway 412, several homes sustained roof damage as well as loss of underpinning off of a couple of mobile homes. Additional barn damage was observed on Womack Road along with several more trees uprooted and snapped. Significant tree damage occurred off of Narrows Lane including a 4ft wide oak tree snapped at the base. The tornado then weakened and continued northeast across Highway 82 and Highway 130 blowing down more trees. Entering Shelbyville, the tornado weakened further, but still blew a boat across a parking lot, shifted a few cars, and tossed a dumpster at the Davis Estates Apartments on Anthony Lane, then blew down some playground equipment at Coopers Steel Manufacturing on Hillcrest Drive before lifting. The tornado was widely viewed and documented on video by numerous residents of the area, and based on the videos the path length was increased from the originally estimated 5.4 miles to 7.1 miles. NWS Nashville greatly appreciates the opinions and expertise from NWS Norman and NWS Huntsville in determining the characteristics of this very unique event.
Bedford County Damage Survey Photos & Map:

EF1 Irving College Tornado

Counties:

Warren

Time:

459 PM CDT

EF Scale:

EF1

Estimated Peak Winds:

95 mph

Damage Path Length:

3.4 miles

Damage Path Width:

125 yards

Fatalities:

0

Injuries

1

Storm Survey:

A fast-moving weak tornado, which was widely viewed and documented on video by numerous residents, touched down in the Irving College area of southeast Warren County about 7 miles southeast of McMinnville. Damage began on Smith Hollow Road where a barn was heavily damaged and several trees were snapped. Another barn was damaged and more trees blown down on Northcutt Cove Road, and one dozen gravestones were blown over and trees blown down at a cemetery between Northcutt Cove Road and Maude Etter Road. Large trees were blown down on Dry Creek Road where one fell onto and heavily damaged a home. The most concentrated damage was around the intersection of Highway 56 and Chapel Hill Drive, where a mobile home was destroyed injuring a woman inside, an outbuilding was destroyed, part of the roof was blown off a home, and several trees and power poles were blown down. The tornado blew down some more trees on Hill Road before lifting near the Collins River. This survey was aided by the Warren County Emergency Management Agency and Warren County 911 Center.

Warren County Damage Survey Photos & Map: