One year ago today, an extremely well forecast severe weather event produced a deadly series of tornadoes across the Deep South. A total of twelve people were killed in Tennessee. For the first time ever, the Storm Prediction Center issued a Day Two High Risk on the 6th for the following day. On the 7th, the High Risk outlook was maintained and tornado watches and warnings were issued well in advance.
On the morning of the 7th, a large upper low was over Nebraska. Strong jet stream winds were wound around the low and spreading eastward. These upper levels winds would allow thunderstorms to quickly become severe. A strong surface low was moving across northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. This low was pulling copious amounts of Gulf moisture northward. The atmosphere was capped and instability levels skyrocketed during the afternoon. Tornadoes began to pop up around the noon hour in Tennessee.
The deadliest tornado of the day struck Gallatin, Tennessee, northeast of Nashville around 2:30 p.m., killing nine people. A second killer tornado struck McMinnville a short time later, killing three people. Both tornadoes produced F3 damage. The twisters occurred less than a week after another series of storms killed twenty four people in counties in the northwestern part of the state.
Tornadoes touched down in Alabama during the evening hours. A tornado touched down north of Hamilton just before 9 p.m., injuring one person. An hour later, an F1 tornado struck Haleyville in Winston County. The Windwood Motel and a gas station were damaged.
