Nocturnal tornadoes: How common are they in Middle TN?

Jaxie Pidgeon
·2 min read

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Severe weather in Middle Tennessee is nothing new, but over the last few years, we’ve noticed a number of the strongest tornadoes to hit the region have come late at night or overnight.

“In Tennessee, about 46% of our tornadoes happen during the overnight hours,” said Ryan Husted, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service (NWS) in Nashville.

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Husted said nighttime tornadoes can pose an even bigger threat since many people are sleeping and may not be aware of the danger that’s headed their way.

According to a study from Northern Illinois University, nocturnal tornadoes are nearly twice as deadly as those that happen during the day.

“We’re third in the nation in tornado deaths because of those overnight tornadoes,” Husted said.

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Monday’s tornadoes in DeKalb and Wilson counties happened during the afternoon, however, that’s not always the case. Back in March 2020, an EF-3 tornado struck Davidson, Wilson and Smith counties just after midnight leading to five deaths in those places. A few hours later, just before 2 a.m., Putnam County was hit with an EF-4 twister that killed 19.

“In the southeast especially, we see a lot of overnight tornadoes,” Husted said. “That’s because we get the low-level jet that helps us stay a little more mixed in the atmosphere at the ground, and that allows those tornadoes to continue to be a potential threat. In the Great Plains, it becomes mainly just a wind and hail threat overnight, but here, we have enough energy and wind to keep going well into the overnight hours.”

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Husted emphasized the importance of having a safety plan because severe weather in Middle Tennessee can strike at any time.

NWS severe weather safety tips:

  • GET IN – If you are outside, get inside. If you’re already inside, get as far into the middle of the building as possible.

  • GET DOWN – Get underground if possible. If you can’t, go to the lowest floor possible.

  • COVER UP – Flying and falling debris are a storm’s number one killer. Use pillows, blankets, coats, helmets, etc. to cover up and protect your head and body from flying debris.

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.

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