Confirmed tornado closes numerous trails in Smokies

[Drale]

The Great Smoky Mountains website is confirming that the storms that ripped through the western end of the Park last Wednesday contained an EF-3 tornado (the National Weather Service, however, is stating that the tornado produced an EF-4, with maximum wind speeds ranging from 165 to 170 miles per hour. The path of the tornado began near Chilhowee Lake and moved northeast into the western portion of the National Park, and was on the ground for 20 miles. The maximum path width was one mile).

http://hikinginthesmokys.blogspot.com/2011/05/confirmed-tornado-closes-numerous.html

I had no idea this happened, it wasn't on the news or anything. Crazy stuff, that is a very mountainous area and the mountains generally stop strong tornado's from forming or touching down. Cades cove is a pretty open area though. Its really strange to hear when bad things happen to places you've been multiple times

[hlthe2b]

1. wow... I've always thought the mountains served as natural barrier

or at least diminished the impacts of a torado... In Colorado, the foothills are generally considered low risk while the front range and east to the plains becomes our own "tornado alley"...

Amazing and discomforting.

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Yeah, I always thought so too.

[DearAbby]

3. I remember a twister

going through the Wetmore area of the state, (southern Rockies, on the old Memorial Road in Custer Country Colorado). Many years ago, tore up the trees there, small nothing like the size they are saying in the article, I don't believe it even registered on the scale.

[maxsolomon]

4. THIS is what Climate Change looks like.

So much of my youth was spent in Cade's Cove - my mother loved it there.

Abram's Falls trail was a canopy of rhodedendrons. Very sad.