January 1997 tornado outbreak
| Type | Tornado outbreak |
|---|---|
| Duration | January 23–25, 1997 |
| Tornadoes confirmed | 58 confirmed |
| Max rating1 | F4 tornado |
| Duration of tornado outbreak2 | 3 days |
| Casualties | 12 fatalities + 3 indirect; many injured |
|
1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale 2Time from first tornado to last tornado | |
The supercell tornado outbreak of January 23–25, 1997 resulted in 58 tornadoes across the deep south. Damage in excess of 9 million dollars occurred across Rutherford, Cannon, Wilson, and Smith counties. Over 300 buildings, including homes, businesses, and public facilities were either damaged or completely destroyed. Thirty-one persons were injured as the tornadoes, ranging from F2 to F4 intensity, moved across this area. Incredibly, there were zero fatalities.
The threat of severe weather across middle Tennessee was first identified by the early afternoon of January 23. A special weather statement was issued to highlight the severe weather threat for middle Tennessee for the afternoon of January 24. Another special weather statement was issued early on January 24 to continue to alert the public of the possibility of severe weather.
The tornado outbreak unfolded quickly across middle Tennessee during the early afternoon of January 24. Shortly after 330 PM, Doppler radar indicated a tornado as severe weather spotters reported a funnel cloud just east of Centerville, Tennessee. A tornado warning was issued at 333 PM for northern Maury and Williamson Counties as the tornado moved toward the more heavily populated area of Franklin. By 344 PM, another tornado warning was issued for Maury County as another tornado was indicated by Doppler radar in western Maury County, about 15 miles west of Columbia.
By 422 PM, a tornado warning was issued for Rutherford and extended for Williamson County until 515 PM. Three tornadoes were indicated by Doppler radar from about 10 miles northeast and 5 miles west of Franklin, Tennessee and also along the Maury-Williamson County line. Several weather spotters, amateur radio operators, and sheriffs' deputies were maintaining contact with NWSO Nashville and provided excellent updates of the tornadoes, which coincided with Doppler radar indications.
A very important severe weather statement was issued shortly after 430 PM highlighting the multiple tornadoes in Williamson County. This statement provided crucial information regarding areas within the Nashville metropolitan area which were in the paths of the tornadoes (including heavily populated areas such as Murfreesboro in Rutherford County).
At 440 PM, the northernmost tornado about 5 miles northeast of Franklin continued to maintain itself, prompting a tornado warning for Wilson county valid until 545 PM.
Another crucial severe weather statement was issued at 454 PM to indicate tornado locations and to pinpoint towns along the tornado paths. This particular statement mentioned that tornadoes would move to near Murfreesboro between 500 and 515 and to just southeast of Lebanon by 515 PM.
At around 500 PM, an F2 tornado touched down near Smyrna in Rutherford County and produced damage as it moved southeast of Lebanon in Wilson County to near Watertown in southeast Wilson County at the predicted 515 PM time. Rutherford County residents had a 48-minute tornado warning lead time and Wilson county a 20-minute lead time.