May 1995 Tornado Outbreak Sequence
Encyclopedia
The May 1995 Tornado Outbreak Sequence is a series of tornado outbreak
s that occurred from May 6 through May 27, 1995. Eleven deaths occurred due to the outbreak. Nearly 300 tornado
es occurred during this period from the Central US through the Southeast and into the Mid-Atlantic. The main event days were May 6 - May 7, May 9, May 13, May 18, and May 27.
Storm Prediction Center
issued a high risk for Texas
due to the possibility of a violent tornado outbreak. The Amarillo, Texas
area was hit by an F2 tornado. An F3 tornado hit Sunset, Texas
. This portion of the outbreak resulted in 2 fatalities including one in the Amarillo area. A tornado also hit the heavily populated northern sections of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area causing damage to about 500 structures across Tarrant
including in Watauga
, Grapevine
and Colleyville
.
, Indiana
, and Kentucky
. The tornadoes that occurred on this day resulted in three deaths all from the same tornado that move through Montgomery
and Boone Counties
in Indiana just west of Indianapolis
. A tornado also hit the eastern sections of the Indianapolis area causing damage to dozens of structures but no injuries. Several destructive tornadoes also touched down south and west of the Peoria, Illinois
Metro Area including two F4s that resulted in 50 injuries.
which killed 1 person. Also in southern middle Tennessee a tornado in Lawrence County, TN and Giles County, TN killed 3 people. The National Weather Service weather forecast office in Nashville, TN said that May 18, 1995 was the 3rd worst tornado outbreak to hit middle Tennessee
. Nearly 80 tornadoes touched down during that day. In addition to the two killer tornadoes, three tornadoes touched down in and around the Bowling Green, Kentucky
area destroying numerous structures including inside the city limits. Other tornadoes struck the Knoxville
and northeastern Nashville
areas. Nearly 30 people were injured in Sumner County, TN
northeast of Nashville.
Tornado outbreak
While there is no single agreed upon definition, generally at least 6-10 tornadoes produced by the same synoptic scale weather system is considered a tornado outbreak. The tornadoes usually occur within the same day, or continue into the early morning hours of the succeeding day, and within the...
s that occurred from May 6 through May 27, 1995. Eleven deaths occurred due to the outbreak. Nearly 300 tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
es occurred during this period from the Central US through the Southeast and into the Mid-Atlantic. The main event days were May 6 - May 7, May 9, May 13, May 18, and May 27.
May 6 and May 7
The National Weather ServiceNational Weather Service
The National Weather Service , once known as the Weather Bureau, is one of the six scientific agencies that make up the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States government...
Storm Prediction Center
Storm Prediction Center
The Storm Prediction Center , located in Norman, Oklahoma, is tasked with forecasting the risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the contiguous United States. The agency issues convective outlooks, mesoscale discussions, and watches as a part of this process...
issued a high risk for Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
due to the possibility of a violent tornado outbreak. The Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
area was hit by an F2 tornado. An F3 tornado hit Sunset, Texas
Sunset, Texas
Sunset is an unincorporated community in Montague County, Texas, United States. Until 1900, a surveying error had placed the community in Wise County. The Fort Worth and Denver Railway runs through Sunset...
. This portion of the outbreak resulted in 2 fatalities including one in the Amarillo area. A tornado also hit the heavily populated northern sections of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area causing damage to about 500 structures across Tarrant
Tarrant County, Texas
Tarrant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, it had a population of 1,809,034. Its county seat is Fort Worth. Tarrant County is the sixteenth most populous county in the United States and the third most populous in Texas. The county is named in honor...
including in Watauga
Watauga, Texas
Watauga is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 23,497 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Watauga is located at...
, Grapevine
Grapevine, Texas
Grapevine is a city in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, United States located within the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census the city population was 46,334. The city's moniker is derived from the native grapes prevalent in the area. In recent years several wineries have...
and Colleyville
Colleyville, Texas
Colleyville is a city in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, United States. Located roughly from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the population was 22,807 at the 2010 census. Emerging from a number of small, rural settlements along the Cotton Belt Route, Colleyville was established in the...
.
May 13 tornadoes in the Midwest
Another tornado outbreak which the National Weather Service issued a high risk for occurred in IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. The tornadoes that occurred on this day resulted in three deaths all from the same tornado that move through Montgomery
Montgomery County, Indiana
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 38,124. The county seat is Crawfordsville-Early history and settlement:...
and Boone Counties
Boone County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 46,107 people, 17,081 households, and 12,810 families residing in the county. The population density was 109 people per square mile . There were 17,929 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile...
in Indiana just west of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. A tornado also hit the eastern sections of the Indianapolis area causing damage to dozens of structures but no injuries. Several destructive tornadoes also touched down south and west of the Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
Metro Area including two F4s that resulted in 50 injuries.
May 18 tornado outbreak
This is the tornado outbreak responsible for the Anderson Hills TornadoAnderson Hills Tornado
Note: The following is adapted from a National Weather Service report about the Anderson Hills tornado.The Anderson Hills Tornado struck Huntsville, Alabama on May 18, 1995, killing one person and causing extensive damage and devastation, including the destruction of the Anderson Hills subdivision....
which killed 1 person. Also in southern middle Tennessee a tornado in Lawrence County, TN and Giles County, TN killed 3 people. The National Weather Service weather forecast office in Nashville, TN said that May 18, 1995 was the 3rd worst tornado outbreak to hit middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee....
. Nearly 80 tornadoes touched down during that day. In addition to the two killer tornadoes, three tornadoes touched down in and around the Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
area destroying numerous structures including inside the city limits. Other tornadoes struck the Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
and northeastern Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
areas. Nearly 30 people were injured in Sumner County, TN
Sumner County, Tennessee
Sumner County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of 2000, the population was 130,449. Its county seat is Gallatin, but its largest town is Hendersonville...
northeast of Nashville.
Confirmed tornadoes
See also
- List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- 1998 Nashville tornado outbreak
- March 2006 Tornado Outbreak SequenceMarch 2006 Tornado Outbreak SequenceThe March 2006 Tornado Outbreak Sequence was an early season and long lasting tornado outbreak sequence in the central United States that started on the morning of March 9 and continued for over four days until the evening of March 13. The outbreak produced 105 confirmed tornadoes. At least 13...