News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Four EF-1 tornadoes touched down in the Upper Cumberland Thursday night, on the ground for some 37 miles.
National Weather Service survey teams found the tornado brought down hundreds of trees around Cummins Falls State Park in Jackson County. Winds of up to 110 mph noted in the storm. The 500-yard wide storm first touched down near Highway 56 in Center Grove. Roof damage reported on JC Johnson Lane, and Lynn Hill Road. A barn destroyed along Zion Road. The storm then dissipated after covering some four miles.
At around 6:20pm Thursday night, the storm reformed about five miles east northeast of Cummins Falls, near Cyphers Drive in Putnam County. The storm moved east along Cindy Drive, Malone Lane and Duncans Chapel Road. The tornado caused damage at several stores and a gas station as it crossed Highway 111. It finally dissipated along Okolona Road east of Rickman. The storm spent some seven miles on the ground with winds around 95mph.
The third touchdown came in the Hanging Limb area, near Coy Phillips Road. It caused several uprooted trees and roof damage along East Fork Lane and Steel Tram Ridge Lane. It stayed on the ground for about 5.4 miles with winds of 95 mph.
The final touchdown saw the storm stay on the ground some 22 miles from around Clarkrange, into Morgan County. The storm first touched near Baldwin Gulf Road, followed Lowe Point Road, Old Bean Shed Road and York Highway. The storm intensified as it crossed into Morgan County.
An EF-1 tornado produces winds of 86 to 110 miles per hour, based on the Fujita Scale. An EF5 tornado is strongest.
Survey teams began work Friday morning in the Upper Cumberland, spending all day looking at damage.
