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F1 tornado in Bedford County, Tennessee

Tornado April 20, 2000 · Bedford County, Tennessee

F1
Rating
2.0 mi
Path length
67 yd
Path width
1
Death
$30K
Damage as recorded
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 67 yards (0.04 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F1 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F1 meant moderate damage: roofs badly stripped, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, windows broken; the scale paired it with winds of 73–112 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 down about 2.5 mles west of Wartrace at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and Horse Mountain Road...having an intensity of F1 and a width of about 200 feet. The total path length is about 2 miles.The greatest amount of damage and the fatality occurred near the beginning of its track where the tornado had its greatest intensity. The damage included some large trees that were uprooted and snapped...roof damage to one house...moving both a house and mobile home on their foundations..and overturning a nearby mobile home.Regarding the fatality...local law enforcement mentioned that as the storm approached...a man got back in a small pickup truck to escape the impending rain and hail. The tornado then struck and moved or rolled the truck across a field and through a barn...causing or aiding the barn being destroyed. The truck ended up in a creekbed over 350 feet away. The man was throw from the truck and was found underneath the vehicle in the creekbed. Only sporadic damage occurred after the tornado weakened...with roof damage to several barns and out buildings...some twisting...snapping...and uprooting of some trees...and a few power poles snapped.

Began near Wartrace (35.5333, -86.4000).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5139372. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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