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Use the "scroll bar" to view the current weather conditions for Portland.
Sumner County Tornadoes*
| Date | Time | Dead | Injured | Path Length (miles) | Rating | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 27, 1890 | 845 PM | 5 | 50 | 25 | F3 | 2 miles N of Gallatin to Rogana to NE of Eulia (Sumner and Macon) |
| May 12, 1923 | 215 PM | 0 | 6 | 10 | F2 | 10 miles N of Nashville moving NE for 10 miles (Davidson and Sumner) |
| Dec 7, 1924 | 915 AM | 0 | 8 | 10 | F2 | 2 miles W of Gallatin |
| Mar 18, 1925** | 500 PM | 39 | 95 | 60 | F4 | Buck Lodge, 8 miles N of Gallatin ENE for 60 miles, passing through Keytown, Angle, Oak Grove, and Liberty, crossing into Ky, striking Holland and Beaumont (Sumner TN, Allen, Barren, Monroe, and Metcalfe KY) |
| Mar 4, 1955 | 1054 PM | 0 | 4 | 5 | F2 | S side of Mitchelville and 5 miles E (Robertson and Sumner) |
| Apr 23, 1955 | 1230 AM | 0 | 0 | 10 | F2 | Near Gallatin |
| Apr 24, 1955 | 100 PM | 0 | 0 | 12 | F2 | 36o25'N/86o30'W (near Cottontown) |
| Feb 27, 1956 | 330 PM | 0 | 4 | 15 | F2 | Near White House to near Portland |
| Apr 3, 1956 | 745 PM | 0 | 0 | 0 | F1 | 36o32'N/86o27'W (Pleasant Hill, near Fountainhead) |
| Mar 19, 1963 | 1240 PM | 0 | 2 | 15 | F3 | E of Orlinda to Fountainhead (Robertson and Sumner) |
| Apr 27, 1970 | 200 PM | 3 | 85 | 42 | F4 | 8 miles S of Clarksville to 2 miles S of Springfield to near Bethpage (Montgomery, Robertson, and Sumner) |
| Jun 19, 1971 | 710 PM | 0 | 0 | 0 | F0 | 36o33'N/86o25'W (Sulphura) |
| May 19, 1973 | 140 PM | 0 | 0 | 0 | F1 | 36o19'N/86o34'W (Saundersville) |
| May 17, 1980 | 230 PM | 0 | 3 | 0 | F1 | 36o20'N/86o27'W (near Laguardo) |
| Jul 5, 1980 | 600 PM | 0 | 0 | 8 | F2 | Near Gallatin |
| Mar 20, 1982 | 800 AM | 0 | 0 | 0 | F1 | 36o37'N/86o27'W (Sengtown, near Fountainhead) |
| May 6, 1984 | 520 AM | 0 | 0 | 2 | F2 | Portland |
| May 7, 1984 | 230 PM | 0 | 0 | 1 | F1 | 36o24'N/86o20'W (Oakland) |
| Nov 10, 1984 | 230 PM | 0 | 3 | 1 | F1 | 36o24'N/86o27'W (Gallatin) |
| Mar 7, 1995 | 126 AM | 0 | 0 | 0 | F0 | Bethpage |
| May 18, 1995 | 1130 AM | 0 | 26 | 5 | F2 | Near Goodlettsville NE 5 miles, including the Rivergate Mall (Davidson and Sumner) |
| May 18, 1995 | 452 PM | 0 | 0 | 3 | F1 | Millersville to Whitehouse |
| Jan 24, 1997 | 536 PM | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | F0 | 2 miles W of Portland |
| Mar 28, 1997 | 606 PM | 0 | 0 | 0.5 | F0 | 1 mile N to 1.5 miles NE of Millersville (Robertson, Sumner) |
| Apr 3, 1998 | 248 PM | 0 | 0 | 15.8 | F2 | 2.6 miles E of Cottontown to Castalian Springs |
| May 5, 1999 | 936 PM | 0 | 17 | 0.7 | F2 | 1 mile SW to 0.3 mile SW of Gallatin |
| Nov 10, 2002 | 200 AM | 0 | 6 | 2.6 | F2 | 4 miles W to 1 mile WNW of Portland |
| May 11, 2003 | 240 AM | 0 | 0 | 5.5 | F1 | 3.8 miles SW to 3 miles SE of Gallatin |
* If a tornado covered more than one county, all counties are listed in parentheses at the end of the location.
** Most damage and/or deaths and injuries
Description of Worst Tornado in Sumner County, Mar 18, 1925:
The tornado moved NE for 60 miles starting near Buck Lodge, 8 miles N of Gallatin. Homes were swept away in many communities, including Keytown, Angle, Oak Grove, and Liberty. As many as eight people died in one home. Trees were blown down in the steep valleys as well as on the hilltops. At least 27 people died in Sumner County. Crossing into KY, the tornado struck Holland, killing four. The funnel may have either lifted or weakened over southern Barren County, before striking Beaumont, where it killed eight more people. Over 150 homes were damaged or destroyed.
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Fastest tornado winds: 286 miles per hour (Wichita Falls, Texas; April 2, 1958)
Worst tornado outbreaks: Some have not been in the midwestern "tornado alley." On March 28, 1984, 22 tornadoes ripped across the Carolinas, killing 57, injuring 1,248 and causing $200 million in damages. On May 31, 1985, 41 tornadoes in Ohio, Pennsylvania and ontario killed 75, injured 1,025 and left almost $500 million in damages.
Tornado frequency in U.S. : 3 out of 4 of all world tornadoes hit the U.S.
Long distance traveler: 293 miles on the ground, 1917, traveled from Missouri to Indiana.
A tornado destroyed a motel near Broken Bow, OK. The motel's sign was found later in Arkansas.
Only 2% of U.S. tornadoes reach "violent" intensity, yet those few result in 70% of all tornado deaths. Winds in these tornadoes exceed 200 mph and can stay on the ground for an hour or more.
The Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity (also Fujita-Pearson Scale; based on storm damage)
F-Scale Number
Intensity Phrase
Wind Speed(mph)
Type of Damage DoneW
E
A
KF0 Gale tornado 40-72 Some damage to chimneys; breaks branches off trees; pushes over shallow-rooted trees; damages sign boards. F1 Moderate tornado 73-112 The lower limit is the beginning of hurricane wind speed; peels surface off roofs; mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned; moving autos pushed off the roads; attached garages may be destroyed. S
T
R
O
N
GF2 Significant tornado 113-157 Considerable damage. Roofs torn off frame houses; mobile homes demolished; boxcars pushed over; large trees snapped or uprooted; light object missiles generated. F3 Severe tornado 158-206 Roof and some walls torn off well constructed houses; trains overturned; most trees in fores uprooted V
I
O
L
E
N
TF4 Devastating tornado 207-260 Well-constructed houses leveled; structures with weak foundations blown off some distance; cars thrown and large missiles generated. F5 Incredible tornado 261-318 Strong frame houses lifted off foundations and carried considerable distances to disintegrate; automobile sized missiles fly through the air in excess of 100 meters; trees debarked; steel re-inforced concrete structures badly damaged. F6 Inconceivable tornado 319-379 These winds are very unlikely. The small area of damage they might produce would probably not be recognizable along with the mess produced by F4 and F5 wind that would surround the F6 winds. Missiles, such as cars and refrigerators would do serious secondary damage that could not be directly identified as F6 damage. If this level is ever acheived, evidence for it migh only be found in some manner of ground swirl pattern, for it may never be identifiable through engineering studies F-0 and F-1 tornadoes are considered "weak," F-2 and F-3 are "strong" and F-4 and F-5 are "violent." The Fujita-Pearson Scale adds categories to include path length and path width. The scale had been originally calculated through F-12, which is Mach 1 - the speed of sound (750 mph) - but tornado wind speeds are not expected to reach these speeds.
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Longest-lasting Atlantic tropical storm: "Ginger", 1971, which spun around the open ocean for 28 days.
Longest-lasting Pacific tropical storm: a storm named John hung on for 31 days. Since it crossed the dateline twice, it changed status from a hurricane to a typhoon and back to a hurricane.
Lowest hurricane barometric pressure recorded in the western hemisphere: 888 millibars (26.17 inches) during Hurricane Gilbert (1988).
Deadliest Atlantic Hurricane: 1780; hit Martinique, St. Eustatius and Barbados; killed 22,000 people.
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Intensity Scale: used by the US for the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific basins to give an estimate of the potential flooding and damage to property given a hurricane's estimated intensity:
Category
exampleMaximum sustained wind speed
mph (m/s) [kt]Minimum
surface pressure
mb (inches Hg)Storm surge
m [ft]Damage
Description1 Hurricane Jerry (1989) 74-96
(33-42)
[64-83]> 980
(28.94)1.0-1.7
[3-5]MINIMAL: Damage primarily to shrubbery, trees, foliage, and unanchored homes. No real damage to other structures. Some damage to poorly constructed signs. Low-lying coastal roads inundated, minor pier damage, some small craft in exposed anchorage torn from moorings. 2 Hurricane Bob (1991)
97-111 (43-49) [84-96] 979-965
(28.91-28.5)1.8-2.6
[6-8]MODERATE: Considerable damage to shrubbery and tree foliage; some trees blown down. Major damage to exposed mobile homes. Extensive damage to poorly constructed signs. Some damage to roofing materials of buildings; some window and door damage. No major damage to buildings. Coast roads and low-lying escape routes inland cut by rising water 2 to 4 hours before arrival of hurricane center. Considerable damage to piers. Marinas flooded. Small craft in unprotected anchorages torn from moorings. Evacuation of some shoreline residences and low-lying areas required. 3 Hurricane Gloria (1985)
112-131 (50-58) [97-113] 964-945
(28.5-27.91)2.7-3.8 [9-12] EXTENSIVE: Foliage torn from trees; large trees blown down. Practically all poorly constructed signs blown down. Some damage to roofing materials of buildings; some wind and door damage. Some structural damage to small buildings. Mobile homes destroyed. Serious flooding at coast and many smaller structures near coast destroyed; larger structures near coast damaged by battering waves and floating debris. Low-lying escape routes inland cut by rising water 3 to 5 hours before hurricane center arrives. Flat terrain 5 feet of less above sea level flooded inland 8 miles or more. Evacuation of low- lying residences within several blocks of shoreline possibly required. 4 Hurricane Andrew (1992)
132-155 (59-69) [114-135] 944-920
(27.88-27.38)3.9-5.6 [13-18] EXTREME: Shrubs and trees blown down; all signs down. Extensive damage to roofing materials, windows and doors. Complete failures of roofs on many small residences. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Flat terrain 10 feet of less above sea level flooded inland as far as 6 miles. Major damage to lower floors of structures near shore due to flooding and battering by waves and floating debris. Low-lying escape routes inland cut by rising water 3 to 5 hours before hurricane center arrives. Major erosion of beaches. Massive evacuation of all residences within 500 yards of shore possibly required, and of single- story residences within 2 miles of shore. 5 Hurricane Camille (1969)
156+ (70+) [136+] < 920
(<27.38)5.7+ [19+] CATASTROPHIC: Shrubs and trees blown down; considerable damage to roofs of buildings; all signs down. Very severe and extensive damage to windows and doors. Complete failure of roofs on many residences and industrial buildings. Extensive shattering of glass in windows and doors. Some complete building failures. Small buildings overturned or blown away. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Major damage to lower floors of all structures less than 15 feet above sea level within 500 yards of shore. Low-lying escape routes inland cut by rising water 3 to 5 hours before hurricane center arrives. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5 to 10 miles of shore possibly required. Note that tropical storms are not on this scale, but can produce extensive damage with rainfall-produced flooding. Note also that category 3, 4, and 5 hurricanes are collectively referred to as intense (or major) hurricanes. These intense hurricanes cause over 70% of the damage in the USA even though they account for only 20% of tropical cyclone landfalls.
All-time Records for Various Middle Tennessee Locations
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Station Period of Record Record
HighDate Record
LowDate Maximum
PrecipitationDate Maximum
SnowfallDate Allardt 1928- 104 6/29/1936 -27 1/21/1985 6.75" 6/29/1928 14.1" 3/13/1993 Ashwood 1890-1977 110 7/22/1901 -17 1/26/1940 6.02" 9/29/1944 14.0" 1/1/1964 Bethpage 1953- n/a n/a n/a n/a 5.42" 9/22/2003 7.0" 1/1/1964 Byrdstown 1893-1920, 1935-1951, 1998- 101 7/12/1914 -19 2/13/1899 8.05" 7/4/1941 14.0" 2/25/1894 Carthage 1890- 111 8/8/1930 -17 1/21/1985 8.35" 8/3/1893 15.0" 2/25/1894 Cedar Hill 1897-1947 110 8/12/1944 -22 2/13/1899 6.00" 7/13/1916 14.0" 2/11/1910 Celina 1903-1950, 1970-1987, 1995- 105 7/17/1980 -20 1/21/1985 6.45" 3/13/1975 12.0" 1/17/1916