This deadly and very destructive high-end EF3 tornado touched down around 12:32 a.m. CST (06:32 UTC) in far western Davidson County along River Road, 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Pegram, causing EF0 to EF1 damage. The tornado then heavily damaged the John C. Tune Airport and an industrial area along Centennial Boulevard at high-end EF2 strength. The airport sustained significant damage to its terminal and other buildings, with 17 metal hangars on the property destroyed. More than 90 aircraft parked at the airport, including charter jets, smaller airplanes, and a newsgathering helicopter operated by CBS affiliate WTVF, were destroyed.[1] Maintaining high-end EF2 strength, it crossed Briley Parkway and struck the former Tennessee State Prison, which sustained considerable structural damage. It then struck the northern part of the Tennessee State University campus at EF2 intensity.[2] Agricultural buildings on the campus were heavily damaged, resulting in the deaths of two calves and injuries to several goats. East of this location, the tornado produced EF1 to EF2 damage in the North Nashville neighborhood, mainly to numerous homes and a few businesses.[3]
The tornado grew to nearly two-thirds of a mile wide as it crossed Interstate 65 and moved into Germantown, just north of the Tennessee State Capitol, where it produced a widespread swath of mid to high-end EF2 damage. Throughout Germantown, numerous homes, churches, and apartment buildings sustained significant structural damage, including several large, multi-story apartment buildings that had their roofs and upper-floor exterior walls ripped off. An O'Reilly Auto Parts store was damaged, and an AutoZone was almost completely destroyed and the Tennessee Department of Human Services building was largely destroyed. This section of the track was similar to the path of the F3 tornado that struck parts of Downtown Nashville on April 16, 1998. After crossing the Cumberland River for the fifth time along the Jefferson Street Bridge, the tornado weakened as it struck Topgolf and an industrial area, causing damage at EF1 to EF2 intensity.[2][3] It then crossed Interstate 24 at Spring Street and produced major EF3-strength damage in East Nashville, crossing the path of the April 16, 1998 F3 tornado in the Five Points neighborhood. Numerous businesses, restaurants, bars, homes, and apartment buildings were damaged or destroyed in Five Points, including Basement East, a popular music venue, which sustained major structural damage. A YMCA was badly damaged, and a Dollar General store was completely destroyed. Two fatalities occurred in Five Points when two pedestrians were struck by debris. As the tornado continued east of Five Points, it caused EF1 to EF2 damage to several buildings. The tornado then moved into Donelson, crossing the Stones River twice and destroying much of Donelson Christian Academy and the Stanford Estates subdivision as it rapidly re-intensified.[2][3] Numerous homes at Stanford Estates were destroyed and vehicles were thrown and mangled, and a few homes in this subdivision were leveled at high-end EF3 strength. The tornado crossed Lebanon Pike and then the Stones River a third time and continued into the southern part of Hermitage at high-end EF2 intensity, as numerous homes and industrial buildings were severly damaged.[3]
The tornado then moved through Mount Juliet, producing a large swath of high-end EF3 damage as it crossed North Mount Juliet Road and substantially damaged Mount Juliet Christian Academy, West Wilson Middle School, and Stoner Creek Elementary. Numerous homes throughout town were heavily damaged or destroyed, a few of which were completely leveled. Two fatalities occurred in western Mount Juliet along Catalpa Drive. Maintaining EF3 intensity along a six-mile (9.7 km) swath, the tornado continued east of Mount Juliet along the north side of Interstate 40 towards Lebanon, causing severe damage in residential, commercial, and industrial areas between the two cities.[2][3]
Numerous large warehouses, industrial buildings, and manufacturing facilities were destroyed in this area as well. A fifth fatality occurred in a CEVA Logistics warehouse near Beckwith Road and Volunteer Drive.[2][3] Further east, a sixth person was killed in a building along Eastgate Boulevard, although it was never confirmed if this death was directly related to the tornado.[4] The last area of EF3-strength damage was observed to warehouses along Eastgate Boulevard before the tornado weakened to EF2 intensity to several vehicles, electrical towers, and buildings. In Lebanon, many homes and businesses suffered considerable damage. Frame homes were damaged, and some mobile homes and outbuildings were destroyed in this area. As the tornado passed Linwood Road, a gas station and a heavy equipment auctioneer's property sustained low-end EF2 damage. The gas station had a canopy blown over and a couple exterior walls knocked down.[3] Continuing into Smith County, the tornado produced EF1-type damage in the Grant and New Middleton communities. A couple of mobile homes were damaged or destroyed in the Gordonsville area, including one that was flipped on top of a truck on Hickman Highway, and damage in this area was rated high-end EF1. The tornado lifted east-northeast of Hickman along Lancaster Highway at 1:35 a.m. CST (07:35 UTC).[2][3]
In total, the tornado caused 5 fatalities and 220 injuries along a path of 60.13-mile (96.77 km), which is one of the longest continuous damage paths in Tennessee history. Damage estimates from the tornado reached $1.504 billion, making it the 6th costliest tornado in United States history.[3]
- ^ Laken Bowles (March 4, 2020). "Tornado causes $93M worth of damage at John C. Tune Airport". WTVF. E. W. Scripps Company. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f "ArcGIS Web Application". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. National Weather Service.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i March 2-3, 2020 Tornadoes and Severe Weather (Report). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. March 5, 2020.
{{cite report}}: Unknown parameter|agency=ignored (help) - ^ Xavier Smith (March 4, 2020). "Fourth Wilson County tornado fatality found". Wilson Post. Retrieved March 7, 2020.