Is this weather normal for Nashville? (Knoxville: 2015, houses, buying)

[texanaggie]

We're about to sell our house (sign documents tomorrow) and move to Nashville in 3 months. I knew there were tornados but Nashville has been pounded on storm after storm over the last week or so. Is this normal or a rare occurrence?

[Shakeesha]

Yes

[JRR]

Welcome to Springtime in Middle Tennessee. However, we are doing better than Mississippi/Alabama/Georgia so far.

[Igor Blevin]

2nd huge storm in 10 years that are only supposed to occur around every 500 years.

A 500 year storm doesn't mean you can breathe easy for 499 years between them, just that they are so big that they tend to hit an average of 500 years. If you get 2 in 10 years, then you shouldn't get another one for 990 years, etc. It is just an average.

History says this is not normal, but our history is based on around 100 years of record keeping and a bunch of modeling before that. How do we know what is truly normal. Then, what if "normal" is changing and this is the "new normal"?

We won't know for decades to come when until look back with 20/20 hindsight.

I am concerned about 2 things that could be causing US rain and wind patterns to change from their historic norms.

1. Polar magnetic reversal

Every so often, magnetic north switches from the north pole to the south pole and back. We are talking hundreds of thousands to millions of years between these episodes. The last magnetic reversal was 800,000 years ago. We could be entering one now. This would cause the earth's protective radiation to weaken significantly. That weakening could play havoc with atmospheric and ocean currents and temperatures as they allow more solar radiation to hit the earth. It could be behind "climate change".

2. Shifting magnetic north

Magentic north is racing away from Canada and toward Siberia. Magnetic north has not been in Siberia for 2000 years. Magnetic north has been in Canada since at least the 1600s, and likely longer. And the race toward Siberia seems to be accelerating. Couldn't this also heavily impact winds and ocean currents?

https://waggonerguide.com/magneticnorthonthemove/

So the jury is out whether normal is "normal" or if there is a "new normal". We just don't know. We were fortunate to have a reasonably standard climate since the Pilgrims landed in Massachussets. We don't know if that is still the case or will be the case going forward. If these are causing big changes in wind and ocean currents, that could impact the location and character of rain, flooding, tornadoes, and hurricanes.

Nobody knows and any opinion is bound to be controversial because the issue of climate has been hijacked from being strictly scientific to one of politics.

I am moving from dry California to Knoxville next month, so it is not like I am just talking academically. I am going to be near the Tennessee River, so issues of drenching storms and flooding are of a concern to me as well.

[Antioch]

Pretty much for the last 10 or so years. As you know the weather we had last week, and spring is just starting, but we had flooding last year, we had a deracheo May 3rd that caused major damage and the largest power outage in city history, and March 3rd of 2020 was the devastating tornado. On June 21, 2019 we had a deracheo...there have been numerous severe storms and flood since the big flood on 2010 and the tornado in 1998...it’s spring in Tennessee, particular Middle Tennessee where we tend to get it worse.

[Transplant99]

And, unfortunately, when I was reading online several weeks ago about the then-upcoming tornado season, the article said that because of La Nina, this could be an extraordinary bad tornado season. Additionally the article predicted a slow start in March and said that once we got into mid-April or so, it could be absolutely terrible. Hope that article was wrong.

[CountryGirl2b=]

Yesterday was the 2nd wettest day on record. The first being in May 2010, the Big Flood. But thankfully, no tornadoes this time. Every place has its downside - frigid weather, snow, hurricanes, extreme heat, earthquakes, mudslides . . Pick your poison. People don’t move here for the weather. Well, maybe if you move from Chicago? When I first moved here, I was freaked out by “possible tornado” forecasts. But now I just have a healthy respect for them. Lots of ways to get information - TV, Twitter (@NashviileSevereWX is amazing), weather radio, etc. Be prepared. Chances are slim it will hit your house and have you bought a house here yet? Don’t buy one anywhere near the river or even a tiny looking stream.

[texanaggie]

Originally Posted by CountryGirl2b=

Yesterday was the 2nd wettest day on record. The first being in May 2010, the Big Flood. But thankfully, no tornadoes this time. Every place has its downside - frigid weather, snow, hurricanes, extreme heat, earthquakes, mudslides . . Pick your poison. People don’t move here for the weather. Well, maybe if you move from Chicago? When I first moved here, I was freaked out by “possible tornado” forecasts. But now I just have a healthy respect for them. Lots of ways to get information - TV, Twitter (@NashviileSevereWX is amazing), weather radio, etc. Be prepared. Chances are slim it will hit your house and have you bought a house here yet? Don’t buy one anywhere near the river or even a tiny looking stream.

We haven't bought one yet, have been looking. We just said the exact same thing. No where near Harpeth River or any river/stream. So sorry for those who were flooded or stranded.

And on a side note, I am actually moving there for the weather. Anything is better than nonstop rain and gray clouds.

[JJAF]

On a side note....and just keeping this in the back of your mind... (considering all the rain/weather we get especially in the spring time) When shopping for your house to buy, houses with chimneys, dormers, flat roofs, additions/enclosed porches, satellite dishes on roof, skylights, ect... can be more prone to leaks at some point. Also, when regions of the country have extensive storm damage, "fly by night roofers" show up out of nowhere to "come to the rescue" and are here to make a quick buck. Flashing a chimney, starting your shingles at your eves correctly, drip edges done correctly and done by competent experts, will go along way to avoiding headaches in the future. For me, I'll avoid all the above in the future when buying my next house here in Tennessee.

[N.Cal]

satellite dishes on roof,

Or, it could fly off during a tornado, never to be seen again...speaking from experience.