EF2 Tornado — Shelby, Tennessee

2008-02-05 · near Whitehaven, Shelby, Tennessee

Event narrative

A tornado continued northeast from DeSoto County, Mississippi. After the tornado crossed into Tennessee, several warehouses sustained damage. The DSC warehouse near Clarke Road was struck causing EF-2 damage. Three people were killed inside the warehouse. Hardy Bottling Company sustained substantial damage as well. Tractor-trailers were tossed about in the area. Windows were shattered in the Willow Lake Business Park and utility poles and trees were snapped in the area. A utility substation sustained severe damage along Clarke Road causing major power outages in the area. The tornado then continued northeast and struck homes along Maple Tree Drive and Pinbranch Court. Five homes received major damage and had to be condemned. Other homes sustained roof damage. The tornado continued northeast and struck the Hickory Ridge Mall causing a wall to collapse at the Sears Department Store. Six injuries occurred at the mall. This damage was estimated at EF-1. The tornado then struck a Taco Bell along Winchester Road before lifting. Thirteen people in all were transported to an area hospital due to injuries sustained from the tornado.

Wider weather episode

A strong low pressure system tracked from Northern Arkansas into Southern Missouri during the evening hours of February 5th, 2008. Supercells developed out ahead of the system during the late afternoon into the early evening. The storms produced tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. As the supercells moved east during the evening, a cold front moved into West Tennessee. A squall line developed along the front and produced another round of large hail and damaging winds. The front continued to push east into the overnight hours.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.9947, -89.9869)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 82421. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.