10 deadliest tornado outbreaks in Middle Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The deadliest outbreak of tornadoes in Middle Tennessee occurred on April 29, 1909.
In fact, 62 people lost their lives, 22 of which were in Giles County, including the Bee Springs area. Read more about that event from our National Weather Service here.
Tornado Clusters: Where the most tornadoes have been recorded in Tennessee since 1950
When you look at the ten deadliest outbreaks, you will notice that most of them occurred a long time ago — in the early 1900s. Majority occurred long before modern technology of the NEXRAD doppler radar and warning system that is relied on now.
In more modern times, there was the super outbreak of 1974 that killed 38 people in the mid-state area, which was also before the Doppler Radar was implemented.
However, two of the 10 deadliest tornado outbreaks were very recent.
The March 2-3 of 2020 that claimed the lives of 25 people: one in Camden, five in Nashville and 19 in the Cookeville/Baxter area in Putnam County.
The Super Tuesday Outbreak of 2008 killed 22 people in Macon, Sumner and Trousdale counties.
Storm Shelters: A place to stay safe in your home
These tornadoes happened with modern technology in place. See how the NEXRAD Doppler Radar improved tornado detection here.
There’s one thing that both of these have in common — they both happened at night when people were asleep.
Why is TN peak tornado season in the spring months?
It reminds us that we need to have multiple ways to receive warnings, including those that can wake us up in the middle of the night.
Don’t forget to take the power and reliability of the WKRN Weather Authority with you at all times by downloading the News 2 Storm Tracker app.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
