Thunderstorm Wind — Montgomery, Tennessee

2019-10-26 · near Shiloh, Montgomery, Tennessee

Event narrative

A 5-10 mile wide swath of severe downburst winds struck western Montgomery County, including the northwest half of Clarksville. Dozens of power lines and power poles were blown down and thousands of trees were snapped or uprooted, with some falling on homes. Two houses and five mobile homes were reportedly destroyed, mainly by falling trees. Other homes and businesses received minor structural damage from the high winds, especially in northwest Clarksville, such as the grandstands at the Clarksville Speedway on Needmore Road which were toppled over, and the Clarksville Outlaw Field airport which had one hangar destroyed and a few planes damaged. A nursing home in Palmyra also suffered roof damage. Power outages lasted up to 2 weeks, with most Montgomery County schools closed during this 2 week period. Damage estimates from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency across Montgomery County reached $4.09 million. Winds were estimated up to 90 mph.

Wider weather episode

The remnant surface low pressure of former Tropical Storm Olga moved north-northeastward across far western portions of Middle Tennessee during the afternoon hours on October 26. This system brought a 5 to 10 mile wide swath of severe convective winds estimated at up to 95 mph across northwest Perry County, Humphreys County, eastern Houston County, and western Montgomery County, roughly along a line from Parsons, TN to the northwest half of Clarksville, TN. These severe winds brought down thousands of trees and power lines, resulting in widespread power outages that lasted up to 2 weeks in some areas. Some structural damage to homes and businesses also occurred, especially across northwest Perry County and in the Clarksville area, although the majority of damage was caused by falling trees. Damage across these four counties was estimated at $8.07 million by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (36.3406, -87.5751)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 862186. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.