March 1933 Nashville tornado outbreak

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 tornadoes of all time in that state.^[1]

Tornado event

In Mid-March 1933, most of the Tennessee 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.^[2]

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.^[3] It was estimated (by the damage) that the tornado was an F3;^[4] 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.^[5]

On April 16, 1998, another tornado (which started near the same point as the 1933 tornado^[4]) 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.^[6] 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.^[5][7]

Other Tornadoes

Other tornadoes associated with the outbreak struck parts of Arkansas, 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.^[8] 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

References

1. ^ http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080206/NEWS15/802070393
2. ^ http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bna/research/tornado_1933/pages4-5.jpg
3. ^ http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bna/research/tornado_1933/pages8-9.jpg
4. ^ ^{a b} NewsChannel 5.com - Nashville, Tennessee - Similarities and Differences Between 1933 and 1998 Nashville Tornadoes
5. ^ ^{a b} The Nashville Tornado of March 14, 1933
6. ^ NCDC: Event Details
7. ^ NCDC: Event Details
8. ^ US F4 , F5 TORNADOES

External links

• Event synopsis from Mark A. Rose, National Weather Service