March 31, 2006 Tornado

The National Weather Service damage assessment team concluded the same tornado that hit just east of Greenwood in Johnson County was the same tornado to hit northern Shelby County. The tornado was on the ground for approximately 17 miles, four tenths of a mile wide at its widest point and rated F2 on the Fujita damage scale with approximately 120 MPH winds. A damage map and photos are available below.

The tornado first touched down just west of I-65 where it did some structural damage in the South Park industrial area. It then crossed I-65 causing a tractor trailer to be blown off the road and other accidents. The tornado remained north of Main Street/Rocklane Road across the remainder of Johnson County. The worst of the damage occurred to two homes, both of which lost their roofs and were uninhabitable.

In Shelby County, the tornado caused tree and roof damage to homes until it reached the I-74/London Road area. The tornado reached its maximum width in this area and also caused F2 type damage to 6 homes on both sides of the interstate.

The assessment also found an area of extreme wind damage in southern Shelby County. The damage was located along State Highway 252 to the west of the community of Flat Rock.

Map of Tornado Track

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Radar Images

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Radar Images: Reflectivity and Storm Relative Velocity
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Tornado Damage Images.

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Johnson County Damage Images

Shelby County Damage Images

Tornado Path in Field