TornadoLookup

Home / Tennessee / Hamilton, Meigs, Bradley and Mcminn

F3 tornado in Hamilton, Meigs, Bradley and McMinn County, Tennessee

Tornado April 15, 1994 · Hamilton, Meigs, Bradley and McMinn County, Tennessee

F3
Rating
15.0 mi
Path length
880 yd
Path width
1
Death
7
Injuries
$5.0M
Damage as recorded
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 880 yards (0.50 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F3 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F3 meant severe damage: whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned; the scale paired it with winds of 158–206 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

What the National Weather Service wrote

The tornado first touched in northern Hamilton County near the town of Grasshopper and moved northeast crossing into Meigs County just south of Birchwood. One man was killed in Birchwood when his mobile home collapsed on top of him. Two others were injured in the same area. In Hamilton County, eight homes, three mobile homes, one church, and 17 barns were damaged or destroyed. The tornado continued across southern Meigs County passing near the towns of East View and Brittsville. Three persons were injured in the county. About 25 mobile homes and six barns were damaged or destroyed. The tornado then clipped the northern part of Bradley County. Two persons were injured in the county. Ten mobile homes and 17 homes were damaged. Numerous trees were knocked down as well. The tornado then crossed into McMinn County where it moved through the towns of Lamontville, Riceville, Georgetown, and Englewood. The tornado was not on the ground during the entire trip in McMinn County, but was on the ground for much of its lifetime. When the tornado went through the town of Riceville, the local elementary school lost the roof off its concession stand and the bleachers were damaged. Numerous trees were knocked down in the county as well. One person was injured in McMinn County. M57H

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 10349787. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

Tornadoes near your address

See every tornado that passed near a place you know, measured to its path.