Tornadoes in Tennessee

Good Friday Tornado, Murfreesboro, Tennessee,
April 10, 2009
At 12:19 p.m. on Friday, April 10, 2009, a large EF4 tornado touched down 15 miles southwest of Murfreesboro, TN. With wind speeds reaching 165 mph, the half-mile-wide tornado was on the ground for 36 minutes as it traveled NE for 23 miles, tearing through Murfreesboro and causing extensive damage. The tornado leveled houses, lifting some off of their foundations, and even ripped off the entire second floor of a two-story office building. According to the Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency, 845 buildings were damaged by the tornado, with 298 of them suffering major damage and 117 completely destroyed. All told, the tornado caused nearly $42 million in damage to homes and businesses. It also caused 58 injuries and 2 deaths. Evidence of its passing can still be seen more than a year later.

Although it was by far the strongest, the EF4 tornado that hit Murfreesboro was actually only one of 14 tornadoes to touch down in Tennessee that day.

Liberty Tornado, Sumner County, Tennessee, March 18, 1925
On March 18, 1925, Sumner County was struck by the deadliest tornado in Tennessee history. An F4 tornado touched down at 5:00 p.m. in Buck Lodge, 8 miles north of Gallatin. It traveled ENE for 60 miles, passing through Keytown, Angle, Oak Grove, and Liberty before crossing into Kentucky. The Liberty Tornado, as it was later named, killed 39 and wounded 90 Tennesseans.

However, it was not the only tornado to strike on that fateful day. Middle Tennessee was also hit by two F3 tornadoes. One of them traveled 20 miles through Williamson and Rutherford Counties, killing 1 and injuring 9. The second F3 tornado traveled 12 miles through Bedford and Rutherford Counties, killing 2 and injuring 15.

March 18, 1925, was also the date of the deadliest tornado in U.S. history. An F5 tornado touched down NNW of Ellington, Missouri, and proceeded to travel through southern Illinois and into southwestern Indiana. The infamous Tri-State Tornado left a 234-mile path of destruction and 695 dead in its wake.

Section researched and written by Will Thomas, Archival Assistant