EF0 Tornado — Franklin, Tennessee

2011-02-28 · near Awalt, Franklin, Tennessee

Event narrative

The worst damage occurred in western portions of Franklin county. In these locations mobile homes were destroyed, multiple power poles and trees were snapped, and homes sustained significant roof damage. A 79 year old man was killed near Estill Springs, along UT Farm road, when the mobile home he occupied was picked up and thrown 70 yards.

Wider weather episode

A powerful cold front and upper level system combined with a marginally unstable, moist and highly sheared environment to produce severe thunderstorms and a tornado. A quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) developed during the morning hours across the mid South and raced eastward at 50 to 60 mph. The storms arrived in southern middle Tennessee around midday, with one storm intensifying into a tornadic supercell. A strong tornado of EF-2 strength tracked from just east of Lynchburg (Moore County) to just northeast of Estill Springs (Franklin County), killing a 79 year old male (near Estill Springs) in his mobile home and injuring four others.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.2794, -86.2762)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 317486. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.