Deer Lodge, TN EF-2 and Thorn Hill, TN EF-1 Tornadoes

Tornadoes:

Tornado - Deer Lodge, TN Morgan County Date February 6, 2025 Time (Local) 8:04 PM - 8:22 PM EST EF Rating EF-2 Est. Peak Winds 135 mph Path Length 13.93 miles Max Width 200 yards Injuries/Deaths 2 injuries / 2 deaths Summary: Tornado may have started in southeast Fentress County (pending OHX survey) before tracking into forested areas of Morgan County that were inaccessible to the survey team. The tornado moved southeast where it produced EF-2 damage, destroyed two mobile homes, and damaged multiple barns and outbuildings near the intersection of Twin Bridge Rd and Thurman Lavender Rd. As the tornado continued southeast, it snapped the top of trees consistent with EF- 1 damage near the convergence of Highway 62 and Deer Lodge Highway. The tornado continued southeast into forested areas inaccessible to the survey team before dissipating prior to Highway 27. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

Tornado - Thorn Hill, TN Grainger County Date February 6, 2025 Time (Local) 9:26 PM - 9:32 PM EST EF Rating EF-1 Est. Peak Winds 110 mph Path Length 3.99 miles Max Width 700 yards Injuries/Deaths 0 injuries / 0 deaths Summary: The tornado began near McAnally Rd and Campground Rd before moving east along Highway 131. There were several barns and outbuildings with roof damage, and numerous snapped trees. The most significant damage was to a large barn on Highway 131 that was completely destroyed. Damage continued to around Clinch River Hardwoods and Thorn Hill Church. A large tanker trailer was overturned, and the church had some light damage to siding and windows. The path ended where trees were snapped on the side of Clinch Mountain near Highway 25E. Track Map Downloadable KMZ File

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Photos & Video

Deer Lodge EF-2

Manufactured Home Completely Destroyed (NWS Morristown Damage Survey)	Foundation of Completely Destroyed Manufactured Home (NWS Morristown Damage Survey)	Complete Destruction of Roof and Walls of another Manufactured Home (NWS Morristown Damage Survey)	Tree Damage South of Deer Lodge (NWS Morristown Damage Survey)

Widespread Tree Damage South of Deer Lodge (NWS Morristown Damage Survey)

Thorn Hill EF-1

Damage to Outbuildings (NWS Morristown Damage Survey)	Damage to Outbuildings (NWS Morristown Damage Survey)	Complete Destruction of Outbuilding (NWS Morristown Damage Survey)

Hail, Wind Damage, and Flooding

Hail in Kodak, TN (Courtesy: WATE-TV)	Hail in Kodak, TN (Courtesy: WATE-TV)	Wind Damage in Sevier County (Courtesy: WATE-TV)	Flooding in Kodak, TN  (Courtesy: WATE-TV)

Radar

(From Top-Left Clockwise): Base Reflectivity, Velocity, Normalized Rotation, and Correlation Coefficient at 8:17 PM EST	(From Top-Left Clockwise): Base Reflectivity, Velocity, Normalized Rotation, and Correlation Coefficient at 9:29 PM EST	Radar Loop of the Deer Lodge Tornado	Radar Loop of the Thorn Hill Tornado

Storm Reports

Preliminary Local Storm Report...Summary
National Weather Service Morristown TN
1035 AM EST Fri Feb 7 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1155 PM     Flash Flood      4 SSE Newport           35.90N 83.16W
02/06/2025                   Cocke              TN   Law Enforcement

            Several roadways are flooded across southern
            Cocke county.

1102 PM     Hail             5 NNW Hartford          35.88N 83.19W
02/06/2025  E1.00 Inch       Cocke              TN   Public



1100 PM     Flash Flood      1 NNE Kodak             35.99N 83.62W
02/06/2025                   Sevier             TN   Emergency Mngr

            Sevier County EM reported instances of flash
            flooding near Snyder and Hardin roads as
            well as along western portions of Douglass
            Dam road. Time estimated by radar.

1100 PM     Flash Flood      4 E Kodak               35.97N 83.56W
02/06/2025                   Sevier             TN   Emergency Mngr

            Sevier County EM reports multiple instances
            of flash flooding on SR 139 along Douglas
            Lake as well standing water on an athletic
            field at Northview Academy just off Winfield
            Dunn Parkway. Time estimated by radar.

1050 PM     Flash Flood      3 N Kodak               36.02N 83.64W
02/06/2025                   Sevier             TN   Law Enforcement

            Several roadways are flooded across northern
            Sevier county near Kodak.

1029 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 SSW Bluff City        36.45N 82.28W
02/06/2025                   Sullivan           TN   Public

            A few trees down.

1000 PM     Hail             1 SSW Newport           35.95N 83.20W
02/06/2025  E1.75 Inch       Cocke              TN   Public

            Social media photo of large hail that caused
            vehicle damage, estimated at least golf ball
            sized and time estimated from radar.

0955 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     2 NNE Mohawk            36.23N 83.04W
02/06/2025                   Greene             TN   Law Enforcement

            Several trees down.

0950 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     4 NNW Kingsport         36.58N 82.58W
02/06/2025                   Sullivan           TN   Public

            Social media photo of a tree that fell on a
            car in northern Kingsport. Time is estimated
            from radar.

0950 PM     Hail             2 SE Chestnut Hill      35.92N 83.31W
02/06/2025  M1.00 Inch       Jefferson          TN   Public

            Time estimated from radar.

0940 PM     Hail             1 E Kodak               35.97N 83.61W
02/06/2025  E1.75 Inch       Sevier             TN   Public

            Social media photo of large hail estimated
            to be at least golf ball sized. Time
            estimated from radar.

0935 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 NNW Mount Carmel      36.58N 82.67W
02/06/2025                   Hawkins            TN   Law Enforcement

            Several trees down.

0926 PM     Tornado          1 WSW Thorn Hill        36.35N 83.44W
02/06/2025                   Grainger           TN   NWS Storm Survey

            The tornado began near McAnally Rd and
            Campground Rd before moving east along
            Highway 131. There were several barns and
            outbuildings with roof damage, and numerous
            snapped trees. The most significant damage
            was to a large barn on Highway 131 that was
            completely destroyed. Damage continued to
            around Clinch River Hardwoods and Thorn Hill
            Church. A large tanker trailer was
            overturned, and the church had some light
            damage to siding and windows. The path ended
            where trees were snapped on the side of
            Clinch Mountain near Highway 25E.

0925 PM     Hail             1 NW Thorn Hill         36.37N 83.44W
02/06/2025  E1.25 Inch       Grainger           TN   Public

            Several trees down as well.

0910 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Jonesville              36.69N 83.11W
02/06/2025                   Lee                VA   Public

            Several trees down.

0847 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     Speedwell               36.46N 83.87W
02/06/2025                   Claiborne          TN   Public

            A few trees down.

0840 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     2 SSE Pound             37.10N 82.60W
02/06/2025                   Wise               VA   Public

            Several trees down.

0825 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     1 E Deerlodge           36.20N 84.75W
02/06/2025                   Morgan             TN   Public

            Several homes damaged and trees down.
            Possible tornado.

0804 PM     Tornado          2 SW Deerlodge          36.17N 84.79W
02/06/2025                   Morgan             TN   NWS Storm Survey

            *** 2 FATAL, 2 INJ ***
            Tornado may have started in southeast
            Fentress County (pending OHX survey) before
            tracking into forested areas of Morgan
            County that were inaccessible to the survey
            team. The tornado moved southeast where it
            produced EF-2 damage, destroyed two mobile
            homes, and damaged multiple barns and
            outbuildings near the intersection of Twin
            Bridge Rd and Thurman Lavender Rd. As the
            tornado continued southeast, it snapped the
            top of trees consistent with EF-1 damage
            near the convergence of Highway 62 and Deer
            Lodge Highway. The tornado continued
            southeast into forested areas inaccessible
            to the survey team before dissipating prior
            to Highway 27.

0535 PM     Hail             2 NNW Wise              37.01N 82.59W
02/06/2025  E1.50 Inch       Wise               VA   Law Enforcement



0530 PM     Hail             Dryden                  36.78N 82.94W
02/06/2025  M1.50 Inch       Lee                VA   Law Enforcement



0520 PM     Hail             Pennington Gap          36.77N 83.02W
02/06/2025  E1.25 Inch       Lee                VA   Public

            Corrects previous hail report from 2 S
            Appalachia.

Storm Reports Map

W - Damaging Winds

H - Hail

T - Tornado

Environment

The environment across the Mid-South region featured a cold front across Kentucky that was moving southward (Figure 1). Above the surface at 850 mb, a southwesterly low level jet of 30-50 kt was across Middle Tennessee and the Cumberland Plateau (Figure 2). This low level jet brought enhanced moisture transport into Middle and East Tennessee (Figure 3). Because of this low level moisture transport, the LCL height (lifted condensation level) was low, 500 m or less, which is favorable for tornadoes (Figure 4).

Figure 1: Theta-E and Surface Winds at 6:00 PM EST	Figure 2: 850mb Heights, Winds, Temperatures and Dew Points at 7:00 PM EST	Figure 3: 850mb Moisture Transport at 7:00 PM EST

Higher in the atmosphere, there were not a lot of notable features, with a broad trough across the eastern United States. Winds were divergent in the upper levels at 300 mb (Figure 5), which likely helped support storm development and intensification.

Shear was plentiful in southern Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, and western portions of East Tennessee, with bulk shear values of 50 kt (Figure 6) supporting rotating updrafts. Low level (0-1 km) storm-relative helicity values also indicated an environment capable of producing tornadoes (Figure 7). 

Figure 4: LCL Heights at 7:00 PM EST	Figure 5: 300mb Heights, Winds, and Divergence at 7:00 PM EST	Figure 6: Effective Bulk Shear at 6:00 PM EST

In February, it is rare to get high levels of instability in the atmosphere, measured by CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy). CAPE on this day was higher than we would typically expect for early February, in the range of 500-1000 J/kg in East and Middle Tennessee, with just over 1000 J/kg in eastern Kentucky (Figure 8). CAPE in the lowest levels of the atmosphere (0-3 km) was particularly high, above 50 J/kg, and it aligned in the same area as the high shear values (Figure 9).

Figure 7: 0-1km Storm-Relative Helicity at 6:00 PM EST	Figure 8: MUCAPE and Effective Shear at 6:00 PM EST	Figure 9: 0-3km CAPE and Surface Vorticity at 6:00 PM EST

Several composite parameters pointed toward an environment favorable for large hail and tornadoes. Composite parameters combine different elements of the atmosphere, like instability and shear, into one parameter to help diagnose different weather threats, like tornadoes. The Significant Tornado Parameter (STP) was over 1, suggesting that EF2 tornadoes or stronger were possible (Figure 10). 

Large hail was also a threat this day, as indicated by instability in the midlevels of the atmosphere. By looking at CAPE at the height where hail forms (between -10 C to -30 C), we can tell if large hail will be a threat. On this day, these CAPE values in that layer were favorable for hail, between 400 and 500 J/kg. With these values overlapping with high shear, large hail was able to form in the strong, rotating updrafts of the storms (Figure 11). 

Figure 10: STP at 7:00 PM EST	Figure 11: CAPE from the -10C to -30C Level

An important feature in East and Middle Tennessee was a boundary that was formed due to differential cloud cover across the area. In the satellite image below (Figure 12), there is a large area of overcast clouds from around Clarksville, southeast to around Knoxville. North of this cloud cover, it is mostly sunny with scattered cumulus clouds, indicating an unstable low level atmosphere. Storms are starting to develop in southeast Kentucky at this time (4 PM EST), and in western Kentucky. 

Surface observations at 4 PM EST showed the difference in temperature between the area of cloud cover and the mostly sunny area. Temperatures in Kentucky and northern East Tennessee were in the lower 70s, while areas under the cloud cover in Middle Tennessee were in the mid to upper 60s. The boundary location is indicated by the red dashed line (Figure 13). Later in the evening, the storms in western Kentucky would ride along this boundary, including the long-lived supercell thunderstorm that produced the Morgan County tornado and large hail in Kodak and Newport. 

Figure 12: Visible Satellite at 4 PM EST	Figure 13: Surface Observations at 4 PM EST