The National Weather Service (NWS) has completed its storm survey, to assess the path and strength of tornadoes that hit several middle Tennessee communities on Saturday, December 9.
NWS confirms 6 tornadoes struck middle Tennessee on December 9.
The NWS storm survey findings are as follows (last updated December 13, 1 pm):
Tornado #1 – Indian Mound, TN
Stewart TN, Montgomery TN Counties
Date 12/09/2023
Time (Local) 1:20 PM – 1:30 PM (TN)
EF Rating EF-1
Est. Peak Winds 110 mph
Path Length 7.10 miles
Max Width 75 yards
Injuries/Deaths 0 / 0
The tornado first touched down just east of the Cumberland River near Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge off of Commissary Hollow Road. Minor damage was observed to trees with a home sustaining significant roof damage. The tornado continued east-northeast where dozens more trees were snapped and uprooted along Lower Cross Creek Road. Once the tornado entered Indian Mound, more trees were either uprooted or snapped along Highway 46.
The tornado then intensified on Red Top Road and Gillum Hollow Road where a church overhang awning and greenhouses were damaged. A few more barns and outbuildings were damaged along Gillum Hollow Road with several instances of uprooted and snapped trees along its path including a tree falling onto a residence. The tornado finally began to weaken as it entered into far western portions of Montgomery County where only a few large branches were broken. The tornado then lifted near Indian Mound Road and Liverpool Road.
Tornado #2 – Clarksville, TN
Montgomery TN, Todd KY, and Logan KY Counties
Date 12/09/2023
Time (Local) 1:41 PM – 1:56 PM (TN)
EF Rating EF-3
Est. Peak Winds 150 mph
Path Length 42.91 miles
Max Width 600 yards
Injuries/Deaths 62 / 3
This EF-3 tornado first touched down on Fort Campbell just north of the Sabre Airfield with mostly minor tree damage. It quickly intensified as crossed Walnut Grove Road and destroyed a building next to a church. The tornado then continued northeast and damaged dozens of homes in a neighborhood along Garrettsburg Road near Purple Heart Highway.
The tornado then went through a heavily wooded neighborhood south of Britton Springs Road where dozens of mobile and manufactured homes were destroyed. The tornado crossed into another neighborhood causing heavy damage in and near Eva Drive, with several houses shifted off their foundations that were only attached with straight nails (EF2/120mph). The tornado intensified to EF-3 (140 mph) as it crossed Highway 41 and struck several commercial businesses, including a vacant fast food restaurant and strip mall where only the interior remained. Just east of Highway 41 north of Ringgold Road, another neighborhood was struck with several homes sustaining significant damage.
As the tornado continued northeast, it strengthened further to EF-3 (150mph), destroying four two story brick and vinyl siding homes on Henry Place Blvd. Debris was blown across the field towards West Creek Elementary School where the school sustained roof damage. As the tornado crossed Peachers Mill Road, two dozen brand new two story brick apartment homes were severely damaged with roofs missing on at least a dozen of these structures. Dozens more houses suffered significant roof damage along and near Needmore Road and Tiny Town Rd (EF-2). The tornado then crossed I-24 at Trenton Road where numerous cedar trees were uprooted. Continuing across Tylertown Road, the tornado caused EF-1 to EF-2 damage roof and siding damage to dozens of homes across 3 neighborhoods before moving into Kentucky.
A total of nearly 1000 homes were impacted by the tornado, including 114 homes destroyed and 268 homes with major damage, with 3 people killed and 62 injured.
Tornado #3 – Cumberland Furnace, TN
Dickson County
Date 12/09/2023
Time (Local) 3:29 PM – 3:39 PM
EF Rating EF-2
Est. Peak Winds 125 mph
Path Length 5.83 miles
Max Width 300 yards
Injuries/Deaths 1 / 0
This EF-2 tornado touched down southwest of the intersection of Woods Valley Road and Bone Road, then moved east-northeast where it snapped a few pine trees and caused roof damage to a home. Continuing east-northeast, the tornado damaged a mobile home and outbuilding on Gamble Hollow Road. The tornado intensified to EF-2 as it crossed Highway 48, causing the most significant damage along its path as it completely removed the top level of a home, leaving only the lower exterior walls in place. Winds were estimated at 125 mph in this area. The tornado maintained its strength as it continued toward Freeman Loop, striking an A-frame house and ripping off the top half of the home. As it continued eastward, the tornado did substantial damage to another mobile home and snapped and uprooted dozens of trees along Freeman Loop before finally lifting after crossing Barton’s Creek.
Tornado #4 – White Bluff, TN
Dickson & Cheatham Counties
Date 12/09/2023
Time (Local) 4:03 PM – 4:24 PM
EF Rating EF-2
Est. Peak Winds 125 mph
Path Length 14.29 miles
Max Width 500 yards
Injuries/Deaths 0 / 0
The tornado touched down in the Claylick community in eastern Dickson County snapping and uprooting several trees and destroying an outbuilding. It quickly intensified to low end EF-2 strength as it crossed Nosegay Road and demolished a single story manufactured home. The tornado continued to Pack Annex Road where it did minor damage to the tops of high-tension power lines and continued to snap large trees as it moved northeast into Cheatham County. Uprooted trees and minor roof damage occurred in the Griffintown area of Cheatham County. The tornado weakened and caused sporadic tree damage as it moved into Cheatham Wildlife Management Area. It strengthened once more, causing prolific tree damage and structure damage to homes along Dry Creek Road south of Ashland City. The tornado lifted after causing minor structure damage and snapping a few trees near River Road.
Tornado #5 – Springfield, TN
Robertson County
Date 12/09/2023
Time (Local) 4:19 PM – 4:24 PM
EF Rating EF-2
Est. Peak Winds 120 mph
Path Length 3.5 miles
Max Width 300 yards
Injuries/Deaths 4 / 0
This EF-2 tornado touched down near Fairway Trail and Kemper Court in southern Springfield. Moving northeast, the tornado snapped and uprooted trees along many residential streets and caused minor damage to a few homes. More significant damage to homes occurred further northeast on Rudolph Street and Brentlawn Drive.
The tornado strengthened as it crossed Highway 41 near the Kroger shopping center, with numerous businesses damaged from high-end EF1 to low-end EF2 intensity (110-115 mph). 25 vehicles in the Kroger parking lot were flipped with some thrown into nearby ditches. The tornado then crossed the railroad tracks behind Kroger and reached its peak intensity as it entered an industrial area, where multiple warehouse structures were heavily damaged. With the majority of these metal building systems having Grade 5 bolts holding down the columns, winds were estimated at EF-2/120 mph in this area.
The tornado then struck a fire department and strip mall (EF-1/110 mph) and bent a steel transmission pole at a power substatation (EF-2/115 mph) on the east side of the industrial park. As the tornado continued northeast, it significantly weakened but still uprooted trees and caused minor roof damage to homes on Greystone Drive and Sloan Lane. On Roy Pitt Road, the tornado destroyed a two car garage and rolled a trailer on its side (EF-1). The tornado finally lifted near the intersection of Oakland Road and Highway 76E.
Tornado #6 – Davidson / Sumner County
Davidson TN and Sumner TN Counties
Date 12/09/2023
Time (Local) 4:39 PM – 5:22 PM
EF Rating EF-2
Est. Peak Winds 130 mph
Path Length 29.73 miles
Max Width 400 yards
Injuries/Deaths 0 / 3
This EF-2 tornado touched down just to the east of I-24 on Brick Church Lane. There were a few trees down and shingle damage to several homes in this area. The tornado strengthened in the Madison area causing EF-2 damage with winds up to 120-125 mph. The heaviest damage was confined to two areas, off of East Campbell Road as well as Nesbitt Lane. Multiple mobile homes were destroyed on Nesbitt Lane. This is where 3 fatalities occurred. Multiple single-family homes and a church off of East Campbell Road were missing large sections of their roofs, with some exterior walls collapsed. Several metal power poles in the area were bent as well. Nearby, an apartment complex off Palmer Avenue sustained damage.
As the tornado moved further northeast, substantial damage was found to houses in a cul-de-sac on Stoney River Lane. Two buildings were toppled and several others damaged in an industrial complex off of Myatt Drive. The tornado then continued across the Cumberland River and Old Hickory Lake, coming onshore again in the immediate dam vicinity. It is this location in which the strongest winds were found, up to 130 miles per hour, due to substantial damage to a grove of hundreds of trees in which all of them were either snapped, uprooted, or missing major branches.
The tornado persisted into Hendersonville downing hundreds of trees and causing roof damage to multiple homes. It damaged many businesses along Main Street. The tornado continued northeast into Gallatin where EF-2 (115 mph) damage was found to a few homes in The Club at Foxland Harbor as we as the Foxland Harbor Golf and Country Club. At this point, the tornado began to weaken, though EF-1 damage was found as it crossed Hwy 109 and Steam Plant Road. Several trees were still found to be uprooted, along with minor roof and shingle damage to a couple of homes as the tornado crossed Hartsville Pike. The tornado lifted just to the northeast of Castalian Springs on Lauderdale Lane. Around 600 homes/businesses were damaged in Sumner County.
