Top:A view of the tornado and it's wall cloud from an apartment complex in Cookeville.
Bottom: The track of the tornado. Red indicates the most severe damage. | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | March 3, 2020, 1:48 a.m. CST (UTC−06:00) |
| Dissipated | March 3, 2020, 1:56 a.m. CST (UTC−06:00) |
| Duration | 8 minutes |
| EF4 tornado | |
| on the Enhanced Fujita scale | |
| Highest winds | 175 mph (282 km/h) |
| Overall effects | |
| Casualties | 19 fatalities, 87 injuries |
| Damage | $100 million (2020 USD)[1] |
Part of the Tornadoes of 2020 and 2020 Nashville tornado outbreak | |
The 2020 Cookeville tornado was an extremely destructive and fast-moving tornado tracked across Putnam County, Tennessee, directly impacting the cities of Baxter and Cookeville in the early morning hours of March 3, 2020. The National Weather Service forecast office in Nashville, Tennessee, rated the worst of the damage from the tornado EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale with winds estimated at 175 miles per hour (282 km/h).
The tornado extensively damaged Cookeville, carving an 0.8-mile-long damage path of up to EF4. 19 people were killed, 87 were injured, and the tornado inflicted an estimated $100,000,000 (2020 USD) in damage. In the aftermath of the tornado, several notable figures, including then-president Donald Trump and Bill Lee visited Cookeville and other areas affected by the tornado, and federal funds were dedicated to rebuilding efforts after the tornado.
- ^ "Putnam County mayor: March tornado caused $100M in damages". News Channel 5 Nashville (WTVF). 2020-09-03. Retrieved 2024-08-21.