EF4 Tornado — Madison, Tennessee

2008-02-05 · near Gilmore, Madison, Tennessee

Event narrative

The tornado touched down at the Union University Campus near the U.S. Highway 45 Bypass in Jackson producing tremendous damage. Fifty one people were injured at Union University as two dormitories collapsed during the passage of the violent tornado. Eighty percent of the dorms were severely damaged or destroyed. Three academic buildings received major damage and 14 other campus buildings were damaged. Several hundred vehicles in the campus parking lots were also damaged or destroyed. The damage in the University area was rated EF-4 with maximum winds of 170 mph. The track was 125 yards wide. The damage at the university alone was estimated at $40,000,000. The tornado then tracked across the U.S. Highway 45 Bypass damaging several banks and businesses before hitting the Regional Hospital and adjacent doctors' offices. The tornado then moved across North Jackson inflicting significant damage to many subdivisions and businesses. The Chapel Creek, Indian Hills and Wyndhurst subdivisions were all struck by the tornado. The tornado also damaged the Jackson Oaks Senior Living Complex. The tornado continued to track northeast striking the Northside High School in the Oak Hill area. The tornado then moved through the Walnut Trace subdivision before crossing Old Medina Road and damaging more houses. The tornado then continued northeast causing EF-3 damage near the intersection of Christmasville Road and Ashport Road in Northeast Madison County before lifting. The Madison County Fire Station No. 11 was destroyed. The station's fire engine and pumper, water and brush trucks were all damaged. Several homes in the area were also damaged. The maximum winds were 145 mph in this area and the track was 100 yards wide. Along the track of this tornado over 70 structures were destroyed with over 500 more damaged.

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 → (35.6772, -88.8646)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 83137. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.