EF3 Tornado — Hamilton, Tennessee

2012-03-02 · near Bartlebaugh, Hamilton, Tennessee

Event narrative

Harrison Tornado--Segment #1. This tornado was the strongest of the day in the southeastern U.S.--rated a strong EF3 with 165 MPH maximum winds. The tornado formed on a northward-extending peninsula in Lake Chickamauga, just north of the Booker T. Washington State Park. At this point, the tornado downed a few trees and caused some light structural damage.

The tornado then moved ENE and crossed Waconga Bay. On the east side of the bay the tornado smashed a very large marina--Island Cove Marina--causing $6,000,000 in damage. The tornado was a strong EF1 with about 110 mph winds. The tornado track so far was about 2 miles long.

The tornado continued to strengthen as it went on land, crossed State Highway 58 and quickly strengthed to EF2. Over the next two miles the path was a consistent EF2 to EF3 through several neighborhoods. The worst damage was found along Short Tail Springs Road, Woodland Bay Drive and Davis Mill Circle. The most intense damage was found near the intersection of Short Tail Springs Road and Woodland Bay Drive where many residences suffered EF3 damage with one residence wiped out. Across, to the south of Short Tail Springs Road, an entire forest of trees was downed.

By the time the tornado left this neighborhood it was mainly EF2, went across another couple of inlets of the lake, and emerged as an EF1 by the time it crossed Ooltewah-Georgetown Rd, (CR 1145). From here to the Bradley County line, the tornado continued to the ENE through rural areas oscillating between EF1 and low-end EF2 damage. The tornado continued into and across Bradley, northern Polk County, and into southern McMinn County. The total pathlength was 41 miles.

In Hamilton County, there were 30 injuries, including 6 serious injuries, but no fatalities. There were 80+ homes destroyed, 85+ homes with major damage with a total of 260+ with damage to about $20 Million. Damage to public infrastructure totaled $2.1 Million. Initial overall estimates exceeded $28 Million.

A Presidential Disaster was declared for this area. EMA officials were amazed there were no deaths after seeing the intensity at some locations.

Note: The tornado had two turns in Hamilton County--a slight left turn at 35.1367/-85.1121 and another slight left turn (even farther left) at 35.1585/-85.0352.

Wider weather episode

A deepening low pressure system moved northeast from the Mid Mississippi Valley through the Great Lakes initially driving a warm front northward through the Southern Appalachian region during the afternoon. The associated cold front swept across the area late Friday night. A one hundred knot upper level jet positioned over a 50 knot low level jet resulted in a strongly sheared environment. The intense shear and moderate instability produced an atmosphere conducive to long-lived, discrete, supercell thunderstorms. A total of 9 tornadoes ranging in intensity from EF-0 to EF-3 produced widespread damage and nearly 50 injuries to East Tennessee residents in the path of the storms.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.1280, -85.1608)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 374002. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.