EF3 Tornado — Hamilton, Tennessee

2020-04-12 · near East Ridge, Hamilton, Tennessee

Event narrative

Ground surveys and radar data suggest the tornado touched down on the south side of Fort Oglethorpe, near the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center in Catoosa County. The tornado crossed I-75 along Scruggs Road, then crossed the Tennessee/Georgia state-line somewhere between Scruggs Road and GA-Hwy 41 (Ringgold Rd in Tennessee). It quickly moved across the Harris Hills area where some trees were uprooted and then continued towards East Brainerd Road and Stratman Circle where an auto parts store was completely leveled and nearby structures had significant roof damage done. The tornado then struck the end of a large shopping building where a restaurant was located. The restaurant facade was destroyed and the roof was peeled back. This is where the tornado picked up strength and was near its peak intensity. It continued northeast into the Drake Forest neighborhood where extensive structure, roof, and tree damage was noted. There were likely pockets of EF-3 damage here, as well. The tornado damage path really widened as it moved northeast into the Holly Hills neighborhood. This was likely the widest part of the tornado. Nearly as far as you could see to the southeast, tree trunks were snapped and significant home damage was noted. Some areas were blocked by tree debris and fallen power poles as well as large debris removal machinery which limited easy access to some areas. Additional damage was found in Ooltewah near the Summit Softball Complex and particularly significant roof damage to several units/buildings of the Integra Hills Preserve Apartments. The tornado weakened as it crossed South Lee Highway and eventually dissipated in southwestern Bradley County.

Wider weather episode

A prolonged convective event with deep moist southerly flow in an unstable environment with strong wind shear generated supercell thunderstorms across Southeast Tennessee and Southwest North Carolina. The lengthy period of heavy rain resulted in widespread three to four inch rainfall totals across East Tennessee, Southwest North Carolina, and Southwest Virginia.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.9860, -85.1907)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 876337. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.