NASHVILLE, TENN – On Friday, Mar. 2, the National Weather Service, along with the local news stations, warned the mid-state of the potential for severe weather. The meteorologists’ predictions were nearly spot on as the storms produced several tornado warnings as well as numerous severe thunderstorm warnings.
Many students and faculty were advised to seek shelter on on campus, waiting out the storms in basements, closets, interior hallways and the backs of parking garages. Once the threatening storms had passed and the university had given the all-clear, those same students and faculty documented what the storm left behind.
The following is a slideshow compromised of TwitPics, Instagrams and Facebook photos that those folks posted throughout the afternoon and evening.
The following video is from Lumination correspondents Caitlin Selle and Kelly Dean.
Check back with Lumination throughout the weekend for more on the storm such as videos, more pictures and other content. Until then, feel free to work backwards through the storm by following what our updates looked like today.
Lumination would like to thank those that contributed to this story.
[From 12:30] National and local weather experts are predicting severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes for Nashville and much of the Southeastern United States today.
[UPDATE: 4:36]
Severe Thunderstorm Warning still in effect for Northern Davidson County until 5:15 p.m.
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NashSevereWx
Downtown: it’s not over. More intense thunderstorms coming, hopefully not as bad. Williamson Co continues to elude the worst of it. |
[UPDATE: 4:25]
All clear for now in the Nashville area. Loving the tweets, everyone. Keep them coming. Find the link at the bottom of the page. Be safe and aware for the rest of the evening as there could be more. For now, looks like a lot of rain. Watch for flash flooding. Flash flooding occurs very quickly. What may not look flooded could wash your vehicle off the road. Be careful on bridges, or in low spots.
If you’re caught in a flash flood, don’t drive through or over a flooded road or bridge. Back up and try a higher route; don’t stay in a flooded car.
If your vehicle is surrounded by water, get out and seek higher ground.
If you are stranded in a tree or building, don’t leave it to enter the flood water. Stay and await rescuers.
[UPADTE 4:13]
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NashSevereWx
Hail Storm now E of I-65 in Davidson Co. It is tornado warned. Take Cover. |
NEW TORNADO WARNING. SOUTHERN DAVIDSON, BRENTWOOD AREA, TAKE COVER. STORM MOVING AT 60 mph, golf ball sized hail near the Crieve Hall Area.
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WSMV
TORNADO WARNING: SW Franklin & SE Lincoln in TN, and NE Madison & NW Jackson in AL until 4:30 p.m. http://t.co/iXnakKQI #4WARN #tnwx |
[UPDATE 4:03]
LIPSCOMB AREA, TAKE COVER. There was a report of a funnel cloud on I-40 moving toward downtown Nashville. Take cover along I-40! Ping-pong ball sized hail and nickel sized hail reportedly falling within the area of storm.
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NashSevereWx
Currently no confirmed tornado approaching downtown Nashville. It is dropping up to ping pong ball sized hail. A tornado could re-form. |
[UPDATE 3:55]
This is serious. STORM RIGHT ON I-40 HEADED TOWARDS CAMPUS. PLEASE TAKE COVER.
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Pierce_G
Belle Meade police scanner: I-40 and McCory Lane… Tornado spotted. Officer: “I see it, I’m in the middle of it…” Just terrifying. |
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Pierce_G
Metro PD advising officers to move off roadways (incl. I-40) in Belle Meade to a “safer location.” Tornado spotted in Pasquo, per scanner. |
[UPDATE 3:50]
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NashSevereWx
A spotter has confirmed a funnel cloud with the Davidson Co Tornado-Warned storm. |
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NashSevereWx
Newsom, Bellevue, Belle Meade, DOWNTOWN you’re just about out of time to take cover. You are in the path of a tornado. Trying to confirm it. |
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NashSevereWx
346 pm Radar. The hook is where we think the tornado is. Looks like the letter C http://t.co/J73VNrrF |
[UPDATE 3:45]
JUST BECAUSE THERE IS NOT A TORNADO DOES NOT MEAN DAMAGE WILL NOT BE DONE.
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NashSevereWx
Terrifying hook has formed along I-40 as it enters Williamson Co’s NW tip and moves into Davidson Co. |
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NashSevereWx
Even if this Tornado lifts, it could drop again. Even w/o a tornado rear flank downdraft winds approaching 90-100 mph can be destructive. |
[UPDATE 3:34]
TORNADO WARNING ISSUED FOR PARTS OF DAVIDSON Co. Confirmed tornado on the ground in Dickson Co., just west of Davidson Co. This warning will be in effect until 4:15. Expect an extension to that. ETAs for Belle Meade, 3:55. For Nashville, 4:00 p.m.
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NashSevereWx
**TORNADO WARNING** BEING EXTENDED INTO W DAVIDSON CO as we speak (per NWS). This is of a confirmed tornado. |
[UPDATE 3:27]
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NashSevereWx
Hailing, rotating severe thunderstorm ETA 4 pm to Nashville metro and Brentwood. |
911 reported possible touchdown on this storm as it came through Dickson.
[UPDATE 3:10 p.m.]
A tornado warning has been issued for Humphreys, Benton and northern Hickman county. The storm is heading down I-40 and moving towards downtown. Arrival time is an estimated 4:00 p.m. To prepare, be sure to put water, shoes and flashlights nearby and in your safe place. Stay tuned to the local weather channels for the remainder of the afternoon. More updates coming.
[UPDATE: 2:50 p.m.]
Tornado-warned super cells are developing to our southwest. Weather Service says they are headed our way over the next 90 minutes or so. We’ll update as necessary from here on out.
[UPDATE: 2:26 p.m.]
Numerous reports of 50+ mph wind gusts all over middle Tenn., far away from any storm. Storms firing to our Southwest, moving this way, ETA 3:45 p.m. The Nashville Weather Service says that large hail is “a major threat” and to “garage/shelter your cars where possible , charge your phone and to put shoes in your safe place.”
Weather.com reported that the time for the highest amount of dangerous storms is expected between 2-7 p.m. today.
We recommend the following websites and Twitter feeds to keep you updated and safe in case of severe weather.
Davidson & Williamson County Severe Weather updater @NashSeverewx
The Weather Channel @weatherchannel
WTVF Channel 5 @NC5
As of 12:15 p.m., Nashville was in a flash flood watch.
Around 7:45 a.m. today, the National Weather Service issued a special weather statement for Middle Tennessee. The statement said a “significant severe weather outbreak” was possible for Middle Tennessee today and this evening. It reported “a high risk of severe thunderstorms” for northern parts of Middle Tennessee, including the Nashville area. The report said the main threats would be “damaging winds, large hail and possibly long tracked strong tornadoes.”
weather.com
The statement reported that period breaks in cloud cover could increase instability of weather conditions this afternoon, heightening the severe risk. It said, “the best overall time for severe weather potential across the Mid State will be from noon in western location to mid evening in eastern locations.”
Stay tuned to Lumination for more details and updates. Follow us on Twitter @luminationnet for weather news, campus headlines and contests.