Remembering the 2020 Easter Tornado Outbreak

Jenkins Road house destroyed by 2020 Easter tornado

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF)- Roughly a month after the coronavirus pandemic shut down vast parts of everyday life, a different kind of disaster caused more suffering to many in the Tennessee Valley.

Today marks the two year anniversary of the Easter Tornado Outbreak that occurred on the evening of April 12, 2020.

This outbreak was caused by a powerful storm system that materialized to the west across Eastern Texas, Northern Louisiana, and Southern Arkansas. A tornadic cell that began around the Monroe, LA area trekked across the southeast and eventually reached the Tennessee Valley by that Sunday evening. It had been raining in the area for the majority of the day but as a warm front lifted north it set the stage for the worst tornado outbreak in the News 12 viewing area since the night of November 29, 2016.

There were 9 tornadoes confirmed across our viewing area. Here they are listed in the order of occurrence. (All times EST)

• An EF2 in Marshall and DeKalb Counties with 130 mph winds, no fatalities/2 injuries, 7:22-7:33 PM
• An EF2 in Chattooga and Walker Counties with 125 mph winds, no causalities, 8:15-8:32 PM
• An EF2 in Murray County with 135 mph winds, 8 fatalities/numerous injuries, 9:45-9:55 PM
• An EF1 in DeKalb and Dade Counties with 100 mph winds, no causalities, 10:54-11:05 PM
• An EF3 in Catoosa, Hamilton, and Bradley Counties with 145 mph winds, 3 fatalities/19 injuries, 11:15-11:33 PM
• An EF0 in DeKalb County with 80 mph winds, no causalities, 11:22-11:28 PM
• An EF2 in Bradley County with 115 mph winds, no fatalities/6 injuries, 11:45-11:50 PM
• An EF1 in Bradley County with 105 mph winds, no casualties, 11:50-11:55 PM
• An EF1 in Bradley and Polk Counties with 105 mph winds, no casualties, 11:55 PM-12:00 AM

The deadliest tornado of the evening occurred in Murray County just outside of Chatsworth. This EF2 went through numerous neighborhoods where multiple manufactured homes were destroyed in the areas of Deer Park Drive, Ridgeview Lane, and Fieldview Court, causing many of the 8 fatalities in this tornado. This tornado was on the ground for 8 minutes before a warning was issued by the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City, GA.

About an hour and a half after the Murray County tornado, the strongest tornado of the night came through the Chattanooga metropolitan area. This EF3 tornado touched down in Fort Oglethorpe and caused damage to several structures on Battlefield Parkway. As the tornado crossed into Tennessee, it only grew stronger as it peaked at its 145 mph estimated wind speed when it completely destroyed an Autozone shop on East Brainerd Road. A tornado debris signature on radar prompted the National Weather Service to issue a rare Tornado Emergency, reserved for the most dire of situations when large and damaging tornado is going through a populated area.

The tornado caused widespread damage and destruction to many areas of East Brainerd and Ooltewah. Neighborhoods heavily impacted included Holly Hills and Drake Forest where many homes had to be either heavily repaired or completely rebuilt. Grace Baptist Academy at the corner of Shallowford and Jenkins Road was completely destroyed and had to be rebuilt.  The tornado would eventually weaken and lift as it crossed into Bradley County, but the parent thunderstorm dropped three tornadoes in succession across the Cleveland area including an EF2 that caused significant damage of its own.

The response to the tornadoes was swift, with many neighbors, churches, and other community organizations coming out to help the tornado victims in their time of crisis. The cleanup in the most affected areas took months, and the scars across East Brainerd can still be seen to this day.

The 2020 Easter Tornado Outbreak went down as one of the worst in recent history, as across the entire southeast 141 tornadoes touched down that caused 32 fatalities. Remember to have a plan in place for when the Tennessee Valley once again has to deal with the worst case weather scenario.