EF0 Tornado — Johnson, Tennessee

2017-05-12 · near Shady Vly, Johnson, Tennessee

0.1 mi

Path length

40 yds

Path width

Event narrative

This was a very small and brief tornado that remained on the ground for less than 8 minutes and 250 yards while causing widespread roof damage to two homes, as well as completely destroying two sheds and a carport structure. Everyone interviewed stated that the system was rain shielded, thereby not allowing any witnesses to the event. The storm moved almost due east dropping out of the Holston Mountains and into the valley floor below where the brief EF-0 spun up before weakening into a straight line wind event with estimated winds of 50-70 mph for another one quarter mile. The straight line winds also caused some minor roof damage as well as completely destroying a dilapidated barn.

Wider weather episode

Scattered thunderstorms formed in the unstable air in the vicinity of a surface low pressure area riding along a weak frontal boundary. Some of the storms were slow moving and generated some minor nuisance flooding. There was even a weak tornado that developed over the extreme northeast corner of Tennessee.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (36.5211, -81.9314)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 687939. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.