May 4-5, 2003 Tornado Outbreak

May 4-5, 2003 track map

Tornado Statistics
#	Counties	Rating	Time (CST)	Length (miles)	Width (yards)	Fatalities	Injuries
1	Stewart	F0	2228	0.10	10	0	0
2	Perry	F0	2331	1.54	200	0	0
3	Montgomery/Robertson	F3	2334	31.50	1000	0	1
4	Hickman/Williamson	F1	0024	2.71	100	0	0
5	Davidson	F1	0040	0.20	70	0	0
6	Williamson	F1	0043	4.00	100	0	0
7	Rutherford	F0	0108	0.20	50	0	0
8	Wilson	F1	0130	0.20	50	0	8
9	Trousdale	F1	0131	1.20	50	0	0
10	Wilson	F1	0142	0.50	50	0	0
11	Cannon	F1	0145	9.20	100	0	0
12	Lawrence	F0	0945	0.10	30	0	0
13	Cheatham	F0	1355	0.10	10	0	0
14	Cannon	F1	1550	4.10	150	0	0

Reports & Outlooks
SPC Storm Reports	SPC Day 1 Outlook	SPC Event Archive	Public Information Statement

F0 Stewart County Tornado
Counties:	Stewart
Time:	10:28 PM CST
EF Scale:	F0
Damage Path Length:	0.10 miles
Damage Path Width:	10 yards
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Damage: STORM DATA: Law enforcement reported a brief touchdown about 8 miles east of Dover near Indian Mound. There was damage to a brick home at Rorie Hollow Rd. SHAMBURGER (2015): No NWS storm survey was conducted for this tornado. NCDC incorrectly lists the time and location of this tornado, which were corrected based on radar data.

F0 Perry County Tornado
Counties:	Perry
Time:	11:31 PM CST
EF Scale:	F0
Damage Path Length:	1.57 miles
Damage Path Width:	200 yards
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Damage: SHAMBURGER (2016): This brief EF0 tornado, which is not listed in official NCDC or Storm Data records, was added to the NWS Nashville database based on radar data and aerial imagery from Google Earth. This tornado touched down in inaccessible heavily forested areas about one half mile north of the Gothardt Road and Lower Lick Creek Road intersection. The tornado moved northeast and snapped or uprooted dozens of trees in all directions before lifting just east of Linden Pineview Road, about 1.9 miles south-southeast of Pine View.

F3 Montgomery/Robertson County Tornado

Counties:

Montgomery/Robertson

Time:

11:34 PM CST

EF Scale:

F3

Damage Path Length:

31.50 miles

Damage Path Width:

1000 yards

Fatalities:

0

Injuries:

1

Damage:

STORM DATA (Montgomery County): A tornado affected the southeast part of Montgomery County and did damage from Roberts Road, to Fredonia and to Albright Road. 108 homes were damaged. Estimated loss is about 3/4 of a million dollars. The tornado destroyed 2 brick homes on state Highway 12 near Fredonia and a mobile home on Albright Rd. One woman was injured in the mobile home. The Frazier family in the brick home took their 3 children to the basement. Their brick home was ripped to pieces and blown into the nearby woods. A man on Roberts Road said 3 large oak trees were ripped out of the ground and thrown on top of his house. A neighbor's garage from about a 1/4 of a mile away landed on the back of his house. Montgomery County EMA reported 108 homes were damaged by the tornado.

STORM DATA (Robertson County): There was $1.8 million dollars worth of damage to the Springfield Industrial Park. 25 to 30 homes were damaged from Stroudsville, Sandy Springs and Springfield areas at a cost of $3.2 million dollars.

SHAMBURGER (2015): No NWS storm survey was conducted for this tornado. This major, long track tornado is incorrectly listed separately by NCDC and Storm Data from the tornado in Robertson County, when radar data clearly indicates they were the same tornado, and both have been combined in this entry. In addition, the path length, location, and time of the tornado has been corrected based on radar data.

Springfield, TN photos (courtesy of Daniel Draper of Adairville KY):

American Homes	Across from American Homes
Across from American Homes	Debris Field
Owens Corning	Owens Corning
Owens Corning	Springfield Power Station
Tree Damage

F1 Hickman/Williamson County Tornado
Counties:	Hickman/Williamson
Time:	12:24 AM CST
EF Scale:	F1
Damage Path Length:	2.71 miles
Damage Path Width:	100 yards
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Damage: STORM DATA: A well built home was 75 percent destroyed by strong (straight-line) winds (7 miles southwest of Fairview). SHAMBURGER (2015): No NWS Storm Survey was conducted for this damage. However, radar data and Google Earth aerial imagery clearly indicate this damage listed in NCDC and Storm Data as straight-line winds was actually caused by an EF1 tornado. This tornado has been added to the NWS Nashville database, with the time, location, path length, path width, and EF-scale rating estimated from radar data, the narrative in Storm Data, and aerial imagery from Google Earth. The damage path on Google Earth aerial imagery indicates the tornado touched down in far eastern Hickman County, then moved eastward across far southwestern Williamson County along and just south of Daugherty Capley Road. The tornado continued eastward across Barnhill Road, Lampley Road, and Younger Creek Road before lifting.

F1 Davidson County Tornado
Counties:	Davidson
Time:	12:40 AM CST
EF Scale:	F1
Damage Path Length:	0.20 miles
Damage Path Width:	70 yards
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Damage: STORM DATA: Considerable roof damage to homes in Bellshire Terrace Court and Bellshire Terrace Drive. Cars were overturned. This is in the Bellshire area of northern Davidson county. SHAMBURGER (2015): No NWS storm survey was conducted for this tornado. NCDC incorrectly lists the time and location of this tornado, which was corrected based on radar data. In addition, the path length of this tornado likely extended further to the northeast towards Old Hickory Blvd based on radar data, but due to the lack of damage information in that area, no changes were made to the path length.

F1 Williamson County Tornado
Counties:	Williamson
Time:	12:43 AM CST
EF Scale:	F1
Damage Path Length:	4.00 miles
Damage Path Width:	100 yards
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Damage: STORM DATA: 85 homes were damaged, 2 barns were destroyed and 5 businesses were damaged. SHAMBURGER (2015): No NWS storm survey was conducted for this damage. Based on radar data, much of the damage in Williamson County was a combination of severe downburst wind damage and brief weak tornado touchdowns, all associated with the large mesocyclone of a HP supercell as it moved west to east across the county. Determining where and how many brief tornado touchdowns could have occurred is not possible, but the potential tornado indicated by radar data in the area of this Storm Data entry was used, and the time and location was corrected.

F1 Rutherford County Tornado
Counties:	Rutherford
Time:	1:08 AM CST
EF Scale:	F1
Damage Path Length:	0.20 miles
Damage Path Width:	50 yards
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Damage: STORM DATA: Tornado was observed at the La Vergne Industrial Park, but no significant damage was reported. SHAMBURGER (2015): No NWS storm survey was conducted for this tornado. The Tennessean newspaper reported that 2 warehouses were heavily damaged at 285 Tech Park Drive in the La Vergne Industrial Park, with the roof of one warehouse caving in on two side of the structure, and the other warehouse suffering siding and exterior damage. One worker inside the first warehouse reportedly held on to a beam to avoid getting blown around and luckily avoided injury. The damage total was estimated at $2 million. Based on the described damage, the rating for this tornado was increased to F1 from F0. In addition, NCDC and Storm Data incorrectly list the time and location of this tornado, which were corrected based on radar data. Finally, the path length and path width were increased slightly based on the Tennessean newspaper reports. Radar data also indicates another tornado likely touched down northeast of the Smyrna Airport shortly after this tornado occurred, but no damage was reported.

F1 Wilson County Tornado
Counties:	Wilson
Time:	1:30 AM CST
EF Scale:	F1
Damage Path Length:	0.20 miles
Damage Path Width:	50 yards
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	8
Damage: STORM DATA: Spotter reported trailer overturned and a vehicle flipped over from strong thunderstorm winds. 7 people were injured. About 200 trees were blown down on a nearby 100 acre farm located on Patton Hollow Rd. It was a quarter mile of destruction with several century old cedar trees ripped up out of the ground. SHAMBURGER (2016): No NWS Storm Survey was conducted for this damage. The Tennessean newspaper reported that the overturned trailer was actually located on Salem Road in the Norene community, nearly 10 miles west of the damaged farm on Patton Hollow Road, and resulted in 8 injuries, not 7. This information, along with radar data, clearly indicates that 2 brief tornadoes were the cause of the damage on both Salem Road and on Patton Hollow Road, and both tornadoes have been added to the NWS Nashville database. The time, location, path length, path width, and EF-scale rating are estimated from radar data, the narrative in Storm Data, and the reports in the Tennessean newspaper, and the number of injuries for this tornado were also increased from 7 to 8.

F0 Trousdale County Tornado
Counties:	Trousdale
Time:	1:31 AM CST
EF Scale:	F0
Damage Path Length:	1.20 miles
Damage Path Width:	50 yards
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Damage: STORM DATA: News article about a barn destroyed on Rankin Road off U.S. Highway 231 south. A mobile home had a damaged room and another mobile home had its roof torn off. A 4X4 stud was thrust into a bedroom wall of a mobile home. A metal outbuilding was damaged. Trees were blown down in a 100-foot wide swath. SHAMBURGER (2015): No NWS Storm Survey was conducted for this damage. However, radar data clearly indicates this wind damage was caused by a brief tornado, and not thunderstorm wind damage as listed by NCDC and Storm Data. This tornado has been added to the NWS Nashville database, with the time, location, path length, path width, and F-scale rating estimated from radar data, the narrative in Storm Data, and aerial imagery from Google Earth.

F1 Wilson County Tornado
Counties:	Wilson
Time:	1:42 AM CST
EF Scale:	F1
Damage Path Length:	0.25 miles
Damage Path Width:	50 yards
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Damage: STORM DATA: Spotter reported trailer overturned and a vehicle flipped over from strong thunderstorm winds. 7 people were injured. About 200 trees were blown down on a nearby 100 acre farm located on Patton Hollow Rd. It was a quarter mile of destruction with several century old cedar trees ripped up out of the ground. SHAMBURGER (2016): No NWS Storm Survey was conducted for this damage. The Tennessean newspaper reported that the overturned trailer was actually located on Salem Road in the Norene community, nearly 10 miles west of the damaged farm on Patton Hollow Road, and resulted in 8 injuries, not 7. This information, along with radar data, clearly indicates that 2 brief tornadoes were the cause of the damage on both Salem Road and on Patton Hollow Road, and both tornadoes have been added to the NWS Nashville database. The time, location, path length, path width, and EF-scale rating are estimated from radar data, the narrative in Storm Data, and the reports in the Tennessean newspaper, and the number of injuries for this tornado were also increased from 7 to 8.

F1 Cannon County Tornado
Counties:	Cannon
Time:	1:45 AM CST
EF Scale:	F1
Damage Path Length:	9.20 miles
Damage Path Width:	100 yards
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Damage: STORM DATA: EMA reported hundreds of trees were down from Highway 53 North and Big Hill Road and Pea Ridge. Many trees were twisted. Many utility poles were blown down around the county. Homes were damaged at Wilson Hollow and Pleasant Ridge. EMA estimated 60 homes had sustained wind damage. Schools were closed Monday and Tuesday because of many downed trees and flooding problems. SHAMBURGER (2015): No NWS storm survey was conducted for this damage. However, radar data indicates the damage attributed to this tornado was almost certainly from a large downburst caused by a severe bow echo, and not a tornado. NCDC and Storm Data incorrectly list the path length and location of this unlikely tornado, which was corrected based on radar data and the narrative in Storm Data.

F0 Lawrence County Tornado
Counties:	Lawrence
Time:	9:45 AM CST
EF Scale:	F0
Damage Path Length:	0.10 miles
Damage Path Width:	30 yards
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Damage: STORM DATA: Barn was completely destroyed. Several trees were uprooted and split. The barn was located at Campbellsville Road near Mount Horeb Baptist Church. A small house was slightly damaged. SHAMBURGER (2015): No NWS storm survey was conducted for this tornado. NCDC and Storm Data erroneously list the time and location of this tornado, which were corrected based on radar data and the narrative in Storm Data.

F0 Cheatham County Tornado
Counties:	Cheatham
Time:	1:55 PM CST
EF Scale:	F0
Damage Path Length:	0.10 miles
Damage Path Width:	10 yards
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Damage: STORM DATA: Tornado spotted near Kingston Springs Elementary School, which is located at 166 W. Kingston Springs Rd. SHAMBURGER (2015): No NWS storm survey was conducted for this tornado. The location of this tornado was corrected based on the narrative in Storm Data.

F1 Cannon County Tornado
Counties:	Cannon
Time:	3:50 PM CST
EF Scale:	F1
Damage Path Length:	4.10 miles
Damage Path Width:	150 yards
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Damage: STORM DATA: Damage to homes on Rogers Road and State Highway 53, continuing onto Whipperville Road which is about a half mile south of the community of Red Hill and ending around the Capp Almond Road and Pleasantview Road area. SHAMBURGER (2015): No NWS storm survey was conducted for this tornado. NCDC and Storm Data incorrectly list the time, path location and path length for this tornado, which was corrected based on radar data and the narrative in Storm Data.