[BNAWX] Public Information Statement

[EMWIN Server]

NOUS44 KOHX 062353
PNSOHX
TNZ005>011-022>034-056>066-075-077>080-093>095-071200-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NASHVILLE TN
553 PM CST WED FEB 6 2008

...UPDATED PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...

PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM THE STORM SURVEY TEAM.

STORM SURVEY FOR SUMNER COUNTY...THE TORNADO SET DOWN SOUTHEAST
OF GALLATIN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF HARSH LANE AND HILTON LANE.
AS IT TOUCH DOWNED THE DAMAGE PATH WAS 300 YARDS WIDE AND
INCREASED TO A 1/2 MILE WIDE DAMAGE PATH AS IT MOVED THROUGH THE
COMMUNITY OF CASTALIAN SPRINGS IN EASTERN SUMNER COUNTY. THIS
TORNADO THEN MOVED THROUGH NORTHWEST TROUSDALE COUNTY AND CROSSED
HIGHWAY 141 NEAR THE GAS PLANT BEFORE MOVING INTO MACON COUNTY.
STORM STRENGTH WAS AT LEAST AN EF 2.

STORM SURVEY INDICATED THE TORNADO THEN ENTERED MACON COUNTY FROM
THE SOUTHWEST AND TRAVELED NORTHEAST. THE NORTHWEST TO NORTH SIDE
OF THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE RECEIVED DAMAGED WITH MULTIPLE
FATALITIES. DAMAGE PATH OF THE TORNADO THROUGH THE CITY WAS NEAR
3/4 MILE WIDE AND INCREASED TO WIDER THAN 3/4 OF A MILE AS IT
MOVED NORTHEAST OF THE CITY. STORM STRENGTH WAS AT LEAST AN EF 2.

PREVIOUS PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT ISSUED AT 10 AM.

...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TO SURVEY TORNADO DAMAGE...

BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR IMAGES AND DAMAGE REPORTS FROM AROUND
MIDDLE TENNESSEE LAST NIGHT, IT APPEARS THAT AT LEAST TWO
SIGNIFICANT LONG LIVED SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS MOVED ACROSS THE
AREA. BOTH OF THEM ENTERED MIDDLE TENNESSEE FROM THE WEST AT
ABOUT 800 PM AND THEN MOVED RAPIDLY NORTHEASTWARD. ONE PRODUCED
DAMAGE IN NORTHWESTERN MIDDLE TENNESSEE, BETWEEN THE TOWNS OF BIG
SANDY AND OAKWOOD. ANOTHER TRAVELED FROM NEAR THE TOWN OF CLIFTON,
IN NORTHWESTERN WAYNE COUNTY, ALL THE WAY TO THE KENTUCKY BORDER
NORTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT THIS
TORNADO WAS NOT ON THE GROUND ALONG ITS ENTIRE PATH, THERE ARE
INTERMITTENT DAMAGE REPORTS EXTENDING ALONG THE ENTIRE 140 MILE
PATH OF THE SUPERCELL.

FOLLOWING ARE THE PRELIMINARY DAMAGE REPORTS FOR EACH SUPERCELL
TRACK.

SUPERCELL 1 ENTERED EXTREME NORTHWESTERN WAYNE COUNTY AT
APPROXIMATELY 800 PM AND DAMAGED SEVERAL HOUSES 4 MILES EAST OF
CLIFTON. THE STORM THEN TRAVELED ACROSS SOUTHERN PERRY COUNTY,
BLOWING TREES DOWN AND DAMAGING A HOME ALONG HURRICANE CREEK ROAD,
6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LINDEN. THE TORNADO MOVED ACROSS EXTREME
NORTHWESTERN LEWIS COUNTY, DAMAGING HOMES AND TRAILERS, BLOWING
DOWN TREES, BARNS, AND OUTBUILDINGS, AND CAUSING SOME OF THE FIRST
INJURIES OF THE NIGHT. THE STORM RACED ACROSS SOUTHERN AND EASTERN
HICKMAN COUNTY, PRODUCING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE 7 MILES SOUTH OF
CENTERVILLE IN THE BRUSHY COMMUNITY.

THE TORNADO CLIPPED NORTHWESTERN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, HITTING THE
TOWN OF FAIRVIEW, WHERE DAMAGE OCCURRED, ALONG WITH 13 ADDITIONAL
INJURIES.

THE TORNADO APPEARS TO HAVE LIFTED AS IT CROSSED INTO DAVIDSON
COUNTY, AND THERE WERE NO FURTHER REPORTS OF WIND DAMAGE UNTIL IT
TOUCHED BACK DOWN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF OLD HICKORY LAKE IN
SOUTHERN SUMNER COUNTY. THE TORNADO APPEARS TO HAVE INCREASED
MARKEDLY IN INTENSITY. WIDESPREAD DAMAGE WAS REPORTED IN THE TOWN
OF CASTALIAN SPRINGS, WHERE THE FIRST DEATHS FROM THE TORNADO
OCCURRED. IT THEN MOVED ACROSS EXTREME NORTHERN TROUSDALE COUNTY,
KILLING AN ELDERLY COUPLE, AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO A NATURAL GAS
PLANT THAT RESULTED IN A LARGE FIRE, BEFORE PRODUCING ITS MOST
WIDESPREAD DEVASTATION IN MACON COUNTY. AS OF EARLY THIS MORNING,
THE TENNESSEE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY REPORTED THAT THERE WERE
5 DEATHS IN SUMNER COUNTY, 2 IN TROUSDALE COUNTY, AND 10 IN MACON
COUNTY.

THE 17 FATALITIES WOULD MAKE LAST NIGHT'S TORNADO THE DEADLIEST
SINGLE STORM TO STRIKE MIDDLE TENNESSEE IN NEARLY 75 YEARS, SINCE
AN F4 TORNADO HIT OVERTON AND PICKETT COUNTIES ON MAY 10, 1933,
CLAIMING 35 LIVES.

THE SECOND SUPERCELL PRODUCED A TORNADO IN NORTHERN BENTON COUNTY
THAT CAUSED WIDESPREAD DAMAGE BETWEEN BIG SANDY, FAXON, AND
GRANNY'S BRANCH. ONE HOME WAS COMPLETELY BLOWN AWAY, WITH OTHER
HOUSES DAMAGED AND NUMEROUS POWER LINES TORN DOWN. FIRE AND RESCUE
COMMUNICATIONS WERE DEALT A HARSH BLOW WHEN THE TORNADO LIFTED THE
COMMUNICATIONS BUILDING AND SLAMMED IT AGAINST A WATER TOWER,
TEMPORARILY HALTING EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS INTO THE NORTHERN
RURAL PARTS OF BENTON COUNTY. OTHER DAMAGE OCCURRED BETWEEN
STEWART AND MCKINNON, IN WESTERN HOUSTON COUNTY, WITH ADDITIONAL
DAMAGE REPORTED IN WESTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY AT THE TOWN OF
OAKWOOD. AS OF EARLY THIS MORNING, NO DEATHS OR INJURIES HAD BEEN
REPORTED AS A RESULT OF THIS SUPERCELL.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS SENT THREE SURVEY TEAMS TO ASSESS
THE DAMAGE ALONG THE FIRST SUPERCELL TRACK. ONE TEAM HAS BEEN SENT
TO MACON COUNTY. A SECOND TEAM WILL SURVEY THE DAMAGE IN SUMNER
AND TROUSDALE COUNTIES. AND THE THIRD TEAM WILL BEGIN IN BELLEVUE
AND WORK SOUTHWARD ALONG THE REMAINDER OF THE STORM TRACK.

FINALLY, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE EXPRESSES ITS SINCERE
CONDOLENCES TO THOSE WHO LOST FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS IN LAST
EVENING'S STORMS.

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