March 2 2012 Tornadoes & Severe Weather

March 2, 2012 map

March 2, 2012 Tornadoes
#	Counties	Rating	Time (CST)	Length (miles)	Width (yards)	Fatalities	Injuries
1	Cheatham	EF1	1548	0.63	100	0	0
2	Jackson/Putnam/Overton	EF2	1726	12.30	880	0	20
3	Fentress	EF0	1756	6.42	300	0	0

Reports & Outlooks
SPC Outlooks	SPC Storm Reports	SPC Event Archive
Public Information Statements	Local Storm Reports	SPC 2012 Killer Tornadoes

Overview

A strong upper level trough of low pressure moving across the Ohio and Tennessee valleys spawned the largest tornado outbreak across the region during the spring of 2012. Dozens of people were killed or injured in many states stretching from Indiana and Ohio in the north, to Alabama and Georgia in the south. Across Middle Tennessee, numerous supercell thunderstorms that developed during the morning, and then again in the afternoon and evening hours, produced numerous reports of large hail up to baseball size, damaging straight line winds, and 3 confirmed tornadoes. These severe weather occurred only 2 days after another round of severe weather and tornadoes killed 3 people and injured several others across Middle Tennessee on February 29th.

EF1 Cheatham County Tornado
Counties:	Cheatham
Time:	3:48 PM CST
EF Scale:	EF1
Wind Speed Estimate:	95 MPH
Damage Path Length:	0.63 Miles
Damage Path Width:	100 Yards
Start Point:	36.1/-87.12
End Point:	36.1/-87.11
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Storm Data: An EF1 tornado with a maximum wind speed of around 90 mph touched down along Mt. Pleasant Road just south of Kingston Springs. The nearly 1 mile damage path of the tornado contained dozens of snapped or uprooted trees, a destroyed barn, and several homes with minor roof damage.
NWS Storm Survey Photos:

EF2 Jackson/Putnam/Overton County Tornado
Counties:	Jackson/Putnam/Overton
Time:	5:26 PM CST
EF Scale:	EF2
Wind Speed Estimate:	125 MPH
Damage Path Length:	12.3 Miles
Damage Path Width:	880 Yards
Start Point:	36.29/-85.49
End Point:	36.33/-85.35
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	20
Storm Data: An EF2 tornado with maximum wind speeds around 125 mph began south of Sims Lane in southeast Jackson County and moved northeast across the Dodson Branch community. A home and outbuilding were damaged and several trees and power lines were blown down on Mabry School Road. Increasing to one half mile wide, the tornado moved across the Dodson Branch community along Highway 135 between Zion Road and Maynard Hollow Road. Numerous homes and outbuildings were damaged or destroyed in this area with 20 minor injuries reported. Hundreds of trees and several power lines were also blown down. The tornado continued northeast across Allen Drive, Plum Hollow Lane, and Smith Chapel Road, damaging several more homes, before entering northern Putnam County. The tornado continued northeastward and produced EF1 damage across extreme northern Putnam County. Hundreds of trees were blown down and a few homes and outbuildings were damaged as the tornado crossed Fairview Road and Thomas Allen Road. The tornado continued northeastward, producing EF2 damage across southern Overton County. Several homes were damaged as the tornado crossed Highway 136 just south of Hardys Chapel Road. Curving more eastward, the tornado continued down Hardys Chapel Road where several mobile homes were destroyed and other frame homes were heavily damaging. Hundreds of trees were blown down in this area. More homes were damaged on Windle Community Road and Highway 111 before the tornado lifted north of the intersection of River Trace Road and East Howard Road, about 4 miles south-southwest of Livingston. The total path length of the tornado was 12.3 miles.
Jackson County Photos (courtesy of Dodson Branch Fire Department):
NWS Storm Survey Photos:
Overton County Photos (courtesy of Overton County News):

EF0 Fentress County Tornado
Counties:	Fentress
Time:	5:56 PM CST
EF Scale:	EF0
Damage Path Length:	6.42 Miles
Damage Path Width:	300 Yards
Start Point:	36.38/-85.1
End Point:	36.41/-85.01
Fatalities:	0
Injuries	0
Storm Data: The same supercell thunderstorm that produced an earlier tornado in Jackson, Putnam, and Overton counties spawned an EF0 tornado that touched down in western Fentress County northwest of the intersection of Manson Road and Lost Creek Road. Aerial satellite imagery from Google Earth indicated the tornado then moved northeast through inaccessible forested areas and very hilly terrain before ending southwest of Gouldstown Road. Dozens of trees were snapped or uprooted along the intermittent damage path.