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Oak Ridge, TN Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes

 
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The chance of earthquake damage in Oak Ridge is about the same as Tennessee average and is lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Oak Ridge is much lower than Tennessee average and is lower than the national average.

Topics:Earthquake IndexVolcano IndexTornado IndexOther Weather Extremes EventsVolcanos NearbyHistorical Earthquake EventsHistorical Tornado Events

Earthquake Index, #152

Oak Ridge, TN
0.48
Tennessee
0.56
U.S.
1.81

The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.

Volcano Index, #1

Oak Ridge, TN
0.0000
Tennessee
0.0000
U.S.
0.0023

The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.

Tornado Index, #515

Oak Ridge, TN
78.90
Tennessee
175.35
U.S.
136.45

The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.

Other Weather Extremes Events

A total of 3,970 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Oak Ridge, TN were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:

TypeCountTypeCountTypeCountTypeCountTypeCount
Avalanche:0Blizzard:0Cold:2Dense Fog:0Drought:9
Dust Storm:0Flood:285Hail:838Heat:10Heavy Snow:7
High Surf:0Hurricane:0Ice Storm:4Landslide:0Strong Wind:10
Thunderstorm Winds:2,627Tropical Storm:1Wildfire:0Winter Storm:23Winter Weather:2
Other:152 

Volcanos Nearby

No volcano is found in or near Oak Ridge, TN.

Historical Earthquake Events

A total of 5 historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Oak Ridge, TN.

Distance (miles)DateMagnitudeDepth (km)LatitudeLongitude
21.81973-11-304.7335.8-83.96
32.71984-02-143.61036.13-83.74
19.91982-09-243.5835.68-84.25
34.21969-07-133.5N/A36.1-83.7
38.41977-07-273.5735.42-84.42

Historical Tornado Events

A total of 37 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Oak Ridge, TN.

Distance (miles)DateMagnitudeStart Lat/LogEnd Lat/LogLengthWidthFatalitiesInjuriesProperty DamageCrop DamageAffected County
10.01955-03-25236°01'N / 84°25'W36°12'N / 84°14'W16.30 Miles1760 Yards003K0Jefferson
12.01993-02-21336°01'N / 84°15'W36°06'N / 83°58'W10.00 Miles150 Yards035.0M0Knox
 Brief Description: The tornado started near Oak Ridge, moved through the Bull Run Steam Plant and went through the town of Claxton. Fifty homes were damaged and six mobile homes were destroyed. Two business were destroyed and another 10 were damaged including a weapons plant. Twelve electric transmission towers were knocked down.
13.31953-05-02236°02'N / 84°04'W0.80 Mile100 Yards003K0Anderson
14.12002-11-10336°02'N / 84°36'W36°03'N / 84°27'W8.30 Miles300 Yards728968K0Morgan
 Brief Description: A strong F3 tornado (with wind speeds estimated around 175 mph) touched down 4.4 miles south of Wartburg in the Mossy Grove community killing 5 people and injuring 28. This tornado then struck Joyner at 8:40 P.M. killing two more people for a total of 7 dead. The tornado damaged 63 homes while destroying 24 others. In addition, 18 mobile homes were damaged and 12 others were destroyed. M47PH, F36PH, F73PH, M55VE, F1VE, M45PH, F93PH
14.51965-04-15235°52'N / 84°05'W35°57'N / 84°00'W7.40 Miles200 Yards062.5M0Knox
16.41984-05-07235°44'N / 84°21'W1.00 Mile70 Yards00250K0Loudon
18.12002-11-10236°12'N / 84°12'W36°12'N / 84°05'W5.50 Miles75 Yards00213K0Anderson
 Brief Description: An F2 tornado produced a damage path 75 yards wide for a distance of 5.5 miles from near Briceville to Medford. The Medford community received the brunt of the damage, which was concentrated along Highway 25W, Leinart Road, Bryant Circle and Old and New Clear Branch roads. In all, 32 homes were damaged while 3 were totally destroyed. In addition, 9 mobile homes were damaged.
19.71993-02-21235°47'N / 84°34'W35°45'N / 84°31'W10.00 Miles100 Yards00500K0Blount And Loudon
 Brief Description: The tornado that went through Loudon County continued across Blount County through the town of Friendsville and ending just west of Maryville. One large home was destroyed and several other were damaged. Numerous trees were snapped.
22.01974-04-03235°40'N / 84°10'W35°40'N / 84°09'W02250K0Loudon
24.41974-04-03235°47'N / 83°55'W0.50 Mile50 Yards02250K0Blount
25.72010-04-25235°37'N / 84°08'W1.00 Mile100 Yards0020K0KBlount
 Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The NWS storm survey determined a tornado tracked from Loudon County for one-half of a mile along Thompson Bridge road. It was classified as an EF2 tornado with winds estimated at 110 mph with a path width of 100 yards. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong low pressure system along with an associated cold front tracked across the area triggering thunderstorms during the evening and overnight hours. A tornado touched down in eastern Monroe County, then tracked across southern Loudon County and finally dissipated in western Blount County. Another weak tornado touched down briefly in Polk County.
27.42009-05-08236°21'N / 84°25'W5.00 Miles200 Yards0090K0KScott
 Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: An EF2 tornado with a maximum wind speed of 135 miles an hour occurred around five miles southeast of Huntsville. The tornado initially touched down just west of the Fairview community with a maximum wind speed of 90 mph (EF-1) and a width of 100 yards. The tornado continued along an east path and increased in size and intensity to an EF-2 with a maximum wind speed at 135 mph and a width of 200 yards. Several large hardwood trees were snapped off near trunk level and a free standing cell phone tower was collapsed and twisted by the tornado winds. Extensive damage occurred in a concentrated path at least 80 yards in length at the 135 mph EF-2 level. The tornado continued east and finally weakened to an EF-1 with a maximum wind speed of 100 mph as it dissipated at the foothill of Gray Mountain. At least seven homes suffered minor to moderate wind damage along the 4.5 mile path of the tornado. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A highly organized mesoscale convective vorticity maximum with strong low to mid tropospheric flow coupled with moderate instability resulted in the development of discrete supercellular thunderstorms. These storms produced a long-lived tornado across Northeast Tennessee late in the afternoon and another long duration tornado across Southwest Virginia later in the evening.
28.51974-04-03336°15'N / 84°40'W36°17'N / 84°37'W3.60 Miles350 Yards0625K0Morgan
28.91974-04-03336°17'N / 84°37'W36°22'N / 84°30'W8.60 Miles350 Yards050K0Scott
31.21974-04-03235°31'N / 84°21'W1.00 Mile200 Yards00250K0Monroe
37.81957-11-18236°16'N / 84°52'W36°25'N / 84°42'W13.90 Miles220 Yards0225K0Fentress
39.31963-03-19235°27'N / 84°39'W35°29'N / 84°36'W3.60 Miles200 Yards0125K0Mcminn
39.31953-05-02435°31'N / 84°45'W35°32'N / 84°43'W1.90 Miles33 Yards000K0Mcminn
39.61972-05-14236°22'N / 84°48'W1.00 Mile50 Yards0325K0Fentress
39.92002-11-10335°54'N / 85°06'W35°54'N / 84°54'W12.20 Miles900 Yards418500K0Cumberland
 Brief Description: An F3 tornado struck the Lake Tansi area and the southern sections of Crossville Sunday night, killing 4 people and injuring 18. 33 homes and mobile were destroyed and 128 homes and mobile homes were damaged. There was damage to one public building. The heaviest damage was along Lantana Drive, Dunbar Road, and Pigeon Ridge Road. 5 homes were damaged on U.S. Highway 127 and just south of Three Creek Road. One well built home lost an entire roof and several walls. The couple, their 3 children, and a guest, huddled under a mattress in the hallway. 50 acres of hardwoods were twisted and tangled. 100-year-old oak trees were snapped like wheat straws. Mobile homes on the Ballyhoo Campground and modular homes in Lake Tansi were destroyed. The four fatalities occurred in mobile homes. A couple was killed at 298 Lantana Drive when their mobile home was lifted off its foundation and placed on another trailer. Edward, 80 and Mary Laffer 75 were killed. Another couple died at 4040 Lone Wolf Circle. Robert, 55 and Sandy Scarbrough , 52, were killed and their bodies were found across Lake Mohawk. F75MH, M80MH, M55MH, F52MH 11 tornadoes were reported in Middle Tennessee in one of the worst tornadic outbreaks ever in November. 8 people...and possibly a ninth victim...were killed in Middle Tennessee alone. Damage estimate for the tornadoes in Tennessee was placed at $160 million. Primary losses were due to houses and cars. The toll on government owned infrastructure is about $6 million. The federal government is expected to reimburse the state and affected counties for 75% of the costs of responding to the disaster. The FEMA Public Assistance Program has obligated more than $3.6 million to assist local governments. These funds will be used to reimburse local governments for debris removal, the repair of public buildings and utilities, and overtime paid to police officers, firefighters and other emergency personnel. More than 900 families across the state applied for storm aid. This was the worst tornado disaster since the April3-4 outbreak in 1974. The United States Small Business Administration has approved more than 9.7 million dollars in disaster loans to assist disaster victims with repairing their property or replacing lost personal items. The 20 counties that are eligible for disaster assistance to individuals, households, and businesses were: Anderson, Bedford, Bledsoe, Carroll, Coffee, Crockett, Cumberland, Fentress, Gibson, Henderson, Madison, Marshall, Montgomery, Morgan, Roane, Rutherford, Scott, Sumner and Tipton and Van Buren.
40.81974-04-03336°29'N / 84°36'W36°35'N / 84°24'W13.00 Miles400 Yards021250K0Scott
40.91953-05-02435°31'N / 84°47'W35°31'N / 84°45'W2.30 Miles33 Yards48250K0Meigs
41.11974-04-08335°26'N / 84°37'W2.00 Miles440 Yards01250K0Mcminn
41.61972-06-28236°00'N / 85°02'W0.10 Mile40 Yards0025K0Cumberland
41.61965-04-15335°52'N / 85°05'W35°52'N / 84°58'W6.50 Miles200 Yards10250K0Cumberland
43.71952-02-29235°18'N / 84°40'W35°27'N / 84°28'W15.30 Miles587 Yards00250K0Mcminn
43.81965-04-15236°21'N / 84°55'W36°25'N / 84°51'W5.90 Miles327 Yards0025K0Fentress
44.81957-04-08236°06'N / 85°06'W36°06'N / 85°03'W2.70 Miles10 Yards003K0Cumberland
45.41974-04-03436°15'N / 85°05'W36°26'N / 84°50'W18.80 Miles200 Yards71502.5M0Fentress
46.61995-05-18335°48'N / 85°12'W35°57'N / 85°02'W9.00 Miles100 Yards0202.0M0Cumberland
 Brief Description: The tornado first touched down in the southwest part of Cumberland County and moved northeast. Two business were destroyed. Eleven homes and 14 mobiles homes were destroyed. Many other homes were damaged. One house had a gas leak in it prompting emergency management officials to evacuate a handful of nearby residents. Other homes had roof damage. Numerous trees and power lines were knocked down.
48.01994-04-15335°19'N / 85°00'W35°26'N / 84°29'W15.00 Miles880 Yards175.0M0Hamilton, Meigs, Bradley And Mcminn
 Brief Description: The tornado first touched in northern Hamilton County near the town of Grasshopper and moved northeast crossing into Meigs County just south of Birchwood. One man was killed in Birchwood when his mobile home collapsed on top of him. Two others were injured in the same area. In Hamilton County, eight homes, three mobile homes, one church, and 17 barns were damaged or destroyed. The tornado continued across southern Meigs County passing near the towns of East View and Brittsville. Three persons were injured in the county. About 25 mobile homes and six barns were damaged or destroyed. The tornado then clipped the northern part of Bradley County. Two persons were injured in the county. Ten mobile homes and 17 homes were damaged. Numerous trees were knocked down as well. The tornado then crossed into McMinn County where it moved through the towns of Lamontville, Riceville, Georgetown, and Englewood. The tornado was not on the ground during the entire trip in McMinn County, but was on the ground for much of its lifetime. When the tornado went through the town of Riceville, the local elementary school lost the roof off its concession stand and the bleachers were damaged. Numerous trees were knocked down in the county as well. One person was injured in McMinn County. M57H
48.21980-04-08236°43'N / 84°28'W36°34'N / 84°33'W11.20 Miles200 Yards29250K0Mccreary
48.81973-05-10236°40'N / 84°26'W36°40'N / 84°23'W2.70 Miles33 Yards0525K0Mccreary
48.91980-04-28235°15'N / 84°20'W35°16'N / 84°17'W3.30 Miles50 Yards01250K0Monroe
49.31967-03-12336°40'N / 84°07'W2.00 Miles100 Yards000K0Whitley
49.41974-04-03235°57'N / 85°17'W36°01'N / 85°04'W12.90 Miles300 Yards020250K0Cumberland
49.61974-04-03335°16'N / 84°38'W35°19'N / 84°33'W6.10 Miles500 Yards050250K0Mcminn


* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.


 
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