High Wind — Davidson, Tennessee

2013-10-31 · Davidson, Tennessee

Event narrative

Numerous trees and power lines were blown down across Davidson County, especially during the evening hours, with many blocked roads. The KBNA ASOS measured a peak wind gust of 52 mph around 830 PM CDT. One 9 year old boy was killed by electrocution around 930 PM CDT when he rode his bicycle over a live power line that had been knocked down by a fallen large tree limb. This death occurred in the 500 block of Charles E Davis Boulevard around 1.5 miles southeast of downtown Nashville. Trees were reportedly blown down in Old Hickory, a large tree limb was blown down on power lines in the Charlotte Park area of west Nashville, and a large tree limb was blown down in Sevier Park. Trees were blown down and blocked roads such as Robertson Avenue in west Nashville, Towry Street at Paragon Mills Road in Antioch, and Carter Avenue in east Nashville. Two houses were set on fire in Oak Hill at Rochelle Drive and Overton Drive due to downed power lines. A few windows were broken out of the Omni Hotel in downtown Nashville.

Wider weather episode

A powerful storm system moved across the Tennessee & Ohio Valleys during the afternoon and evening hours on October 31. A very strong southerly low level jet, measured at 82 knots at 850mb on the OHX November 1 00Z upper air sounding, caused strong to damaging gradient winds at the surface of 50 to 60 mph for many hours west of the Cumberland Plateau. Scattered showers and thunderstorms also developed during the evening hours as a cold front swept across Middle Tennessee, with several reports of damaging winds received.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 480287. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.