March 1933 Nashville tornado outbreak
Encyclopedia
The March 1933 Nashville tornado outbreak was a deadly tornado outbreak
that affected the city of Nashville
and the Middle Tennessee
region on March 14, 1933. The entire outbreak killed 61 and injured hundreds more. It was one of two significant tornado events in Middle Tennessee during that year, the other being the Beatty Swamps Tornado of May 10, 1933
which was one of the deadliest single tornado
es of all time in that state.
and Mississippi Valleys experienced a very warm late winter season due to a warm southerly flow coming in from the Gulf of Mexico
, which bumped temperatures into the upper 70s and low 80s on March 14 while normal temperatures at that time are in the upper 40s and low 50s. Two low pressure systems were moving across the central part of the continent with one storm centered over the Great Lakes and another one over Arkansas. With the southern storm, a fast moving cold front approached from the west and produced a squall line
of thunderstorms along it.
At around 6:45 PM, one thunderstorm was approaching the Nashville area and just after 7:00 PM, after sunset, a tornado touched down a few miles west of downtown Nashville, damaging the Tennessee State Capitol
. Damage was more severe in the eastern sections of Nashville. A total of 1400 homes, five factories, 36 stores, 16 churches, four schools, one library and a lodge hall were damaged or destroyed by the storm in Nashville. In Lebanon
, about 228 structures were damaged or destroyed while additional structures were also destroyed in Donelson
. The maximum width was estimated to be around 800 yards. After tracking for about 45 miles, the storm dissipated after affecting portions of Smith County. The tornado killed 15 and injured 45. Eleven of the fatalities were in Nashville and four in Lebanon. It was estimated (by the damage) that the tornado was an F3; the Fujita Scale
had not been implemented at that time. Damage was estimated at $2.2 million ($27.5 million in 1998 dollars) with little damage reported outside of Davidson County
as the tornado weakened considerably before dissipating. After the storm, National Guard troops, Red Cross and Salvation Army
officials and Boy Scouts
quickly responded in the cleanup and recovery efforts. Due to the fast and heavy response of local police, looting and panic was minimal.
On April 16, 1998, another tornado (which started near the same point as the 1933 tornado) affected the downtown area, causing mostly F1 or F2 damage to skyscrapers and businesses, with isolated F3 damage to poorly constructed structures. One person was killed by that tornado one month after the event and damage was estimated at around $100 million in 1998 dollars. However, the strongest tornado was an F5 (the only official F5 tornado in Tennessee) south of Nashville that killed three people in Wayne County
. At that time it was producing F4 damage before moving into Lawrence County, where it increased to F5 strength. While weather warnings were forbidden in 1933. In 1998, weather alert and warning systems were more advanced and reliable. NOAA weather radio, TV and Radio provided a timely, accurate alert to the incoming storms, that kept the death and injuries to a very low number considering the location of the damage path of this tornado.
As a result of the death in Centennial Park, the City of Nashville added a system consisting of 72 ATI tornado sirens in 2002 to alert residents that were outdoors at the time about incoming severe weather.
, Indiana
, Kentucky
, and Ohio
.
The strongest tornado of the outbreak occurred near the Tennessee-Kentucky
border near Pruden. The F4 storm killed at least 12 and injured 162 others. This storm was the first in a series that tracked east, just south of the Kentucky border, eventually dissipating shortly after causing serious damage in Kingsport.
Tornado outbreak
While there is no single agreed upon definition, generally at least 6-10 tornadoes produced by the same synoptic scale weather system is considered a tornado outbreak. The tornadoes usually occur within the same day, or continue into the early morning hours of the succeeding day, and within the...
that affected the city of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and the Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee....
region on March 14, 1933. The entire outbreak killed 61 and injured hundreds more. It was one of two significant tornado events in Middle Tennessee during that year, the other being the Beatty Swamps Tornado of May 10, 1933
Beatty Swamps Tornado of May 10, 1933
The Beatty Swamps Tornado was an F4 tornado that struck shortly after midnight on May 10, 1933 the community of Beatty Swamps, Tennessee , located in Overton County, and one of Tennessee's most-disastrous events -- killing more Middle Tennessee residents than any other tornado before or since,...
which was one of the deadliest single tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
es of all time in that state.
Tornado event
In Mid-March 1933, most of the TennesseeTennessee Valley
The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to northwest Georgia and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina...
and Mississippi Valleys experienced a very warm late winter season due to a warm southerly flow coming in from the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, which bumped temperatures into the upper 70s and low 80s on March 14 while normal temperatures at that time are in the upper 40s and low 50s. Two low pressure systems were moving across the central part of the continent with one storm centered over the Great Lakes and another one over Arkansas. With the southern storm, a fast moving cold front approached from the west and produced a squall line
Squall line
A squall line is a line of severe thunderstorms that can form along or ahead of a cold front. In the early 20th century, the term was used as a synonym for cold front. It contains heavy precipitation, hail, frequent lightning, strong straight-line winds, and possibly tornadoes and waterspouts....
of thunderstorms along it.
At around 6:45 PM, one thunderstorm was approaching the Nashville area and just after 7:00 PM, after sunset, a tornado touched down a few miles west of downtown Nashville, damaging the Tennessee State Capitol
Tennessee State Capitol
The Tennessee State Capitol, located in Nashville, Tennessee, is the home of the Tennessee legislature, the location of the governor's office, and a National Historic Landmark. Designed by architect William Strickland, it is one of Nashville's most prominent examples of Greek Revival architecture...
. Damage was more severe in the eastern sections of Nashville. A total of 1400 homes, five factories, 36 stores, 16 churches, four schools, one library and a lodge hall were damaged or destroyed by the storm in Nashville. In Lebanon
Lebanon, Tennessee
Lebanon is a city in Wilson County, Tennessee, in the United States. The population was 20,235 at the 2000 census. It serves as the county seat of Wilson County. Lebanon is located in middle Tennessee, approximately 25 miles east of downtown Nashville. Local residents have also called it...
, about 228 structures were damaged or destroyed while additional structures were also destroyed in Donelson
Donelson, Tennessee
Donelson is a neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee located east of downtown Nashville along U.S. Highway 70. It is named in honor of John Donelson, co-founder of Nashville and father-in-law of Andrew Jackson, Nashvillian and seventh President of the United States...
. The maximum width was estimated to be around 800 yards. After tracking for about 45 miles, the storm dissipated after affecting portions of Smith County. The tornado killed 15 and injured 45. Eleven of the fatalities were in Nashville and four in Lebanon. It was estimated (by the damage) that the tornado was an F3; the Fujita Scale
Fujita scale
The Fujita scale , or Fujita-Pearson scale, is a scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation...
had not been implemented at that time. Damage was estimated at $2.2 million ($27.5 million in 1998 dollars) with little damage reported outside of Davidson County
Davidson County, Tennessee
Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2010, the population was 626,681. Its county seat is Nashville.In 1963, the City of Nashville and the Davidson County government merged, so the county government is now known as the "Metropolitan Government of Nashville and...
as the tornado weakened considerably before dissipating. After the storm, National Guard troops, Red Cross and Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
officials and Boy Scouts
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
quickly responded in the cleanup and recovery efforts. Due to the fast and heavy response of local police, looting and panic was minimal.
On April 16, 1998, another tornado (which started near the same point as the 1933 tornado) affected the downtown area, causing mostly F1 or F2 damage to skyscrapers and businesses, with isolated F3 damage to poorly constructed structures. One person was killed by that tornado one month after the event and damage was estimated at around $100 million in 1998 dollars. However, the strongest tornado was an F5 (the only official F5 tornado in Tennessee) south of Nashville that killed three people in Wayne County
Wayne County, Tennessee
As of the census of 2010, there were 17,021 people, 5,822 households, and 4,321 families residing in the county. The population density was 23 people per square mile . There were 6,701 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile...
. At that time it was producing F4 damage before moving into Lawrence County, where it increased to F5 strength. While weather warnings were forbidden in 1933. In 1998, weather alert and warning systems were more advanced and reliable. NOAA weather radio, TV and Radio provided a timely, accurate alert to the incoming storms, that kept the death and injuries to a very low number considering the location of the damage path of this tornado.
As a result of the death in Centennial Park, the City of Nashville added a system consisting of 72 ATI tornado sirens in 2002 to alert residents that were outdoors at the time about incoming severe weather.
Other Tornadoes
Other tornadoes associated with the outbreak struck parts of ArkansasArkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
The strongest tornado of the outbreak occurred near the Tennessee-Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
border near Pruden. The F4 storm killed at least 12 and injured 162 others. This storm was the first in a series that tracked east, just south of the Kentucky border, eventually dissipating shortly after causing serious damage in Kingsport.
See also
- List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- 1998 Nashville tornado outbreak