An EF2 tornado inflicted damage to Knox County apartments, National Weather Service confirms

The destructive storm that hit Knox County on Aug. 7 was confirmed as a "brief" F2 tornado by the National Weather Service.

The tornado was centered at Lovell Crossings Apartments in the western part of the county, which sustained major damage. The tornado cut a path 3.8 miles long and 200 yards wide with winds hitting 130 mph.

The National Weather Service said the tornado started in the Hardin Valley area and moved east-northeast.

The tornado "reached peak intensity and width as it passed Paideia Academy, Lovell Cove subdivision and the Lovell Crossing apartment complex," the NWS statement said. The tornado passed east of Pellissippi Parkway and along Bob Gray Road. It appears to have dissipated near Bob Gray Road and Middlebrook Pike.

The storms caused damage across the region with downed trees and damage to buildings. The National Weather Service said there was extensive tree damage across the area, especially on Bob Kirby Road.

Rural Metro Fire spokesperson Jeffrey Bagwell said only minor injuries were reported.

Tornadoes are rated on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, which is used to assign a tornado a rating based on estimated wind speeds and related damage. An EF2 tornado has a three-second wind gust between 111 and 135 miles per hour, with damage typically limited to single-family residences.

Some power outages could take days to resolve

The storm left tens of thousands without power, but KUB said its crews made substantial progress restoring power to customers, reducing the number of outages from nearly 61,000 to about 4,100 by the next evening. Repair work was expected to take multiple days.

Many of the remaining outages require pole replacements, among other infrastructure repairs, the utility company said. With more than two dozen broken poles and more damage remaining to assess, more than 80 crews were working, including two dozen from neighboring utilities.

The storm aftermath led the YMCA of East Tennessee to offer showers, hot coffee, device charging and WiFi for anyone still without power at the Lindsay Young Downtown YMCA at 605 Clinch Ave.; Cansler Family YMCA at 616 Jessamine St.; Pilot Family YMCA at 400 N. Winston Road; Tennova Family YMCA at 7540 Dannaher Drive; and Davis Family YMCA at Jefferson Park at 12133 S. Northshore Drive.

Apartment tenants displaced, shelter opened

Residents were forced to evacuate more than 300 apartments at Lovell Crossing, the apartment complex where the tornado touched down.

Brandon Hinkle, who lives on the bottom floor of one of the complex's apartment buildings, was "shook up" but uninjured, said his father, Keith Hinkle. While his apartment did not sustain any damage, everyone was evacuated immediately.

"He didn't hear the storm, but his neighbor directly across the breezeway, her door was blown in and had to be boarded up," Hinkle said. "They are strong metal doors."

A message from the management team stated they were waiting for a building inspector to advise them on the structural integrity of the buildings, and they were not permitting anyone on the property.

"I am very happy to report there were no serious or life-threatening injuries," the message said.

Another management email directed anyone seeking temporary housing to go to the Red Cross shelter.

"We still have no ETA on when we can return to our apartments to retrieve any belongings," resident Tony Pierce said.

First Baptist Knoxville Church was asked by the Red Cross to serve as an emergency shelter that first night for those displaced, and seven people stayed there, the church said in a Facebook post.

"We are setting up a new shelter that is closer to the apartments," Red Cross Executive Director Sharon Hudson said the afternoon of Aug. 8, explaining that its contracted shelter spaces were without power after the storm.

Beaver Ridge United Methodist Church, at 7753 Oak Ridge Highway, will open for those needing shelter at 5 p.m., Hudson said. Volunteers will be on hand to provide snacks and offer resources, she said.

City and county workers fan out to assess damage

Knoxville Fire Department spokesman Mark Wilbanks said crews dealt with downed power lines and damaged trees throughout the city after the storm. The department received 41 calls for service between 2:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Aug. 7, compared to its typical 75 calls a day.

Knox County Engineering and Public Works crews worked through the night to clear more than 200 downed trees, with Karns, Cedar Bluff and Lovell Road neighborhoods with the most damage, a county spokesperson said said in a press release. Some roads were still closed Aug. 8, including Bob Kirby, Pleasant Ridge and Bob Grey roads, Essex and Norfolk drives, and Whitlock Lane.

Clearing roads for emergency access was the top priority, the release said. Roadside debris will be picked up in the coming weeks.

Homeowners insurance will be the best avenue for reporting any losses or damages, the release said. Knox County, along with other municipalities, has formed a team to begin assessing damage, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency could take weeks to approve financial aid.

Tornado danger has passed for now

The National Weather Service office in Morristown issued a tornado watch for more than 50 counties before storms moved into the region.

A strong upper level disturbance will move across the Tennessee valley and southern Appalachians the night Aug. 9 and on Aug. 10, bringing with it another round of widespread showers and thunderstorms, the weather service said. Heavy rainfall and localized flash flooding are possible area-wide.

Fifteen tornadoes touched down in Knox County from 1950 to 2022, according to the National Weather Service. According to its records, a Category 1 tornado in 1974 killed two people and injured 21. There were 252 tornadoes across East Tennessee during that time.

There have been at least seven tornadoes in East Tennessee in 2023.

Know Your Knox: Do the Great Smoky Mountains really protect Knoxville from tornadoes?

Liz Kellar is a public safety reporter. Email lkellar@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: F2 Tornado inflicted damage to Knox County apartments