April 11, 2008 Tornado Outbreak

Damage:

STORM DATA (Lawrence County): Many homes had roof damage especially on Coffee McGee Rd. An outbuilding was damaged on Crawfish Rd. Trees and utility poles were down along U.S. Highway 64 or Waynesboro Highway. Trees were down in Mt. Ararat Cemetery. The worst damage was a downed TVA electrical transmission tower east of U.S. Highway 43 on Hagan Rd. Metal debris was flung up and got stuck about a hundred feet above the ground in an electrical transmission tower. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. A newspaper article stated 56 homes had damage, with 12 homes being complete losses, which were mainly mobile homes. There was one minor injury.

STORM DATA (Giles County): A low end EF3 tornado hit northwest Giles County near Liberty Hill. This was part of the same storm complex that hit Lawrence County. Numerous trees were snapped and uprooted. Many homes had roof damage. The hardest hit area was along Rhea Branch Rd. One residential home was completely leveled. Major damage occurred to the back of the Liberty Hill Baptist Church. A newspaper article stated that 8 homes were completely destroyed, and 30 other homes had serious damage.

SHAMBURGER (2024) - This major tornado, one of many that struck Lawrence and Giles Counties in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, was very poorly documented. Official Storm Data records erroneously list the Lawrence and Giles County portions of this long-track tornado as two separate tornadoes, when radar data and high resolution satellite imagery clearly indicate they were the same tornado. In addition, the tornado path was significantly longer and wider than indicated in Storm Data, with a total path length around 22 miles and a width up to 300 yards. The tornado began near Granddaddy Road west of Lawrenceburg, then moved northeast across Highway 64, the north side of David Crockett State Park, Buffalo Road, Mount Ararat Road, Highway 43, Hagan Road, Dry Weakley Road and Sugarland Road before moving into Giles County. There, the tornado moved directly through the Liberty Hill community on Rhea Branch Road, damaging many of the same homes and churches that were struck by the May 18, 1995 tornado. The tornado then passed just north of Campbellsville and across Smith Hollow Road, Ball Hollow Branch Road, and Black Ridge Road before lifting just southwest of Waco. Amazingly, only 1 person was injured along the path.

Damage:

STORM DATA (BEDFORD COUNTY) - A low end EF2 tornado leveled 2 barns, took part of a roof and the back walls of a residential home at 2309 Fairfield Pike. Trees were snapped and uprooted. Other homes had roof damage. Utility poles were bent along the path of the tornado.

STORM DATA (COFFEE COUNTY) - An EF0 tornado struck northwest Coffee County. A tractor trailer truck was blown on its side as it was heading westbound on Interstate 24 and at mile marker 99.

SHAMBURGER (2024) - No NWS storm survey was conducted for this tornado. Official Storm Data records list this tornado in Bedford County, along with the next one in Coffee County, as two separate tornadoes. However, radar data and high resolution satellite imagery clearly indicate these were the same tornado with a continuous damage path between them. The tornado initially touched down near Minkslide Road and moved east-northeast, heavily damaging a home on Fairfield Pike. The tornado continued northeast across Anthony Road and Bell Buckle Wartrace Road where it blew down numerous trees in all directions. The tornado crossed Fairfield Pike again and continued east-northeast across Highway 64 into Coffee County where it blew over a tractor trailer on Interstate 24 before lifting west of Highway 41. The majority of the path was EF0 or EF1 intensity.

Damage:

STORM DATA: The tornado damaged dozens of homes, including a few with major damage. The tornado demolished at least 2 barns. Trees were snapped and uprooted. A newspaper article stated that 3 homes were completely destroyed, 5 homes were severely damaged, and 50 to 60 homes had some damage.

SHAMBURGER (2024) - This long track tornado actually began in far southeast Cannon County near Bogard Road based on high resolution satellite imagery and radar data. The tornado then moved northeast across Ivy Bluff Trail, Neal Medley Road, and Crisp Springs Road, blowing down hundreds of trees in a forest west of Airport Lake Road. Crossing Highway 70 and passing just north of the Warren County Airport, the tornado caused severe damage to homes in the Beacon Road area along and west of Spring Valley Road. The tree damage west of Airport Lake Road along with damage photos in the Beacon Drive area clearly indicate the tornado reached low end EF2 intensity, and the rating was increased from the official EF1 rating in Storm Data. The tornado weakened and curved more east-northeast as it passed less than 3 miles north of McMinnville, crossing Yager Road, Highway 56, Bluff Springs Road, Faulkner Springs Road, McCullum Bend Road and Starlight Road. The tornado finally lifted just northeast of Lake Karen near Bird Lane, around 4.9 miles northeast of McMinnville. Another tornado was reported with this same supercell in southern White County near Quebeck a short time after this tornado. However, radar data clearly indicates that damage was from a downburst in the forward flank downdraft and hail core of the parent supercell, and not from a tornado.