Where did tornadoes hit in Tennessee? See the tornado paths in Clarksville and Nashville

Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean
Updated ·4 min read
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After tornadoes ripped through Middle Tennessee on Saturday, the National Weather Service Nashville confirmed that seven tornadoes touched down in Middle Tennessee Saturday, killing six people and sending 83 to hospitals.

NWS meteorologist Sam Herron had previously told The Tennessean it could take several days for the teams to determine storm paths due to less daylight and traffic issues in the region. The NWS said it had plans to have three crews working Monday to survey storm damage and determine the number of tornadoes.

The NWS released four completed maps on Tuesday detailing the paths the tornadoes took in Clarksville, Cumberland Furnace, White Bluff, and Springfield. Wednesday morning, two other tornadoes were confirmed by the NWS in Davidson and Sumner Counties and Indian Mound and on Thursday a seventh was confirmed in Harlan Crossroads, Kentucky.

Below is what we know about the tornado paths.

Tornado path in Clarksville

Clarksville's tornado was the strongest, rating EF-3, with 150-mph peak wind speeds. It traveled 43 miles from Tennessee into Logan County, Kentucky. The path width of the tornado reached 600 yards.

The tornado in Clarksville was also the deadliest. It killed three people and injured 62, the NWS reported.

The victims have been identified as Donna Allen, 59, from Florida, Stephen Kwaah Hayes, 34, from Clarksville and  10-year-old Arlan Coty. According to a statement released from his family Monday, Arlan had an infectious and special energy about him. Following his death many strangers reached out to share a story about Arlan and how he positively radiated happiness and love said his family.

Arlan was a 4th grade student at West Creek Elementary School.

Tornado path in Cumberland Furnace

The tornado in Cumberland Furnace had a rating of EF-2 and traveled at wind speeds of 125 mph for almost six miles. The max path width reached 300 yards.

One person was injured in the Cumberland Furnace tornado, the NWS reported.

Tornado path in Springfield

Springfield's tornado had a rating of EF-2 and and traveled at wind speeds of 120 mph for 3.5 six miles. The max path width reached 300 yards.

Four people were injured in the Springfield tornado, reported the NWS. According to Springfield city officials, injuries were minor.

Tornado path in White Bluff

Another EF-2 tornado was reported in White Bluff and traveled 14.29 miles between Dickson and Cheatham Counties. The tornado recorded a 125-mph peak wind speed and a path width of 500 yards.

The NWS reported no injuries or deaths.

Tornado path in Indian Mound

An EF-1 tornado touched down in Indian Mound at 1:20 p.m. and traveled at speeds of 110 mph for ten minutes.

The tornado traveled for 7.10 miles and with a max width of 75 yards. No injuries or deaths were reported.

Tornado path in Davidson and Sumner Counties

An EF-2 tornado touched down in Nashville at 4:39 p.m. traveling at speeds of 130 mph with a max width of 400 yards.

According to the NWS, the tornado strengthened in the Madison area causing EF-2 damage with the heaviest occurring on Nesbitt Lane where multiple mobile homes were destroyed and three people were killed.

The victims were identified as Joseph Dalton, 37, Floridalma Gabriel Perez, 31, and Perez's son Antony Elmer Mendez, 2. According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, Dalton was inside his mobile home on Nesbitt Lane when the storm rolled it on top of Perez' home.

The tornado continued into Hendersonville before moving on to Gallatin where it began to weaken. The NWS reported that around 600 homes/businesses were damaged in Sumner County.

Tornado path in Harlan Crossroads, Kentucky

At 6:07 p.m. an EF-1 tornado touched down south of the Kentucky border in Clay County and traveled at speeds of 90 mph for 2.51 miles.

The max width of the tornado was 50 yards. The NWS did not report any injuries or deaths.

Tennessee tornado outbreak map.

These are the tornadoes the National Weather Service has confirmed and mapped as of Dec. 13, 2023.

How tornadoes are categorized

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

  • EF-0 (weak) 60-85 mph

  • EF-1 (moderate) 86-110mph

  • EF-2 (significant) 111-135 mph

  • EF-3 (strong) 136-165 mph

  • EF-4 (extreme) 166-200 mph

  • EF-5 (catastrophic) 200+ mph

Why do storm surveys take so long?

The NWS announced that they will be issuing a statement with the details of each tornado, however, it will take time. In a post to X, they said the surveys are time-consuming due to teams having to:

  • Drive to the sites of damage

  • Repeatedly drive across damage paths

  • Plot GPS points, take photos, walk to investigate the damage, and speak to victims

  • Drive back to the office

  • Assess all information to determine tornado vs straight line winds and consulting experts for unusual situations

  • Write damage summaries and create maps

Diana Leyva covers trending news and service for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter at @_leyvadiana

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee tornadoes path: See where they hit in Clarksville, Nashville