County escapes most of storms' wrath

A funnel cloud ­-- possibly a tornado briefly touching the ground -- bears down on Wartrace early Friday afternoon. No major damage was reported in the Wartrace area. (Photo by Ben Eads)

Volunteer firefighter Cain Owens shows some of the hail that bombarded Bell Buckle during Friday's storms. (T-G Photo by Mary Reeves) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Several residents called Shelbyville police with reports of funnel clouds. Three calls were received of funnel clouds over or near H.V. Griffin Park between 12:50 and 1:05 p.m. from the Edgemont area and by a Canova Drive resident.

Another caller said a tornado was "forming" over White Street in southeast Shelbyville. At that moment, from the Times-Gazette parking lot, approximately a half-mile north, clouds could be seen swirling in opposite north-south directions but no funnel was visible.

A tornado was reported on the ground near Temple Ford Road, west of Shelbyville, and the T-G received a photo of a possible tornado or funnel cloud near Wartrace, but no damage or further sightings were reported to the Bedford County Sheriff's Department.

Bedford County Emergency Management Agency director Scott Johnson said he had several reports of funnel clouds but no confirmed touchdowns as of 4:15 p.m. Friday, although he left open the possibility that touchdowns would be confirmed later.

Hail ranging to the size of golf balls fell Friday in the Bell Buckle area. (Photo by Vincent Smith) [Click to enlarge]

Only minor roof and shingle damage was reported by callers to the EMA operations center, Johnson said.

Although it appeared from Shelbyville that a massive funnel cloud settled over Bell Buckle, there was no evidence of a tornado.

"It kind of looked like that from here, too," said Cain Owens, a volunteer firefighter in Bell Buckle. "But we were out here and we didn't see anything, really."

Bell Buckle did get hail, however, a sudden showering of ping pong ball-sized ice chunks.

"They've shrunk since then," Owens said, holding several of the ice balls in his palm. "I got some dings in my truck."

More than 60 people took advantage of the storm shelter at First Baptist Church on Depot Street (T-G Photo by John I. Carney) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Johnson said hail ranged from 1/4 inch to golf-ball sized across the county.

Bell Buckle Fire Chief Ronnie Lokey was out looking for storm damage but, according to Owens, none had been reported as of 2:30 p.m.

Minor roof damage -- including the roof at Sand Creek Farms, Johnson said -- and quarter-size hail occurred on U.S. 231 North near the Shelbyville airport and Heritage Medical Center moments before that storm reached Bell Buckle, according to Shelbyville police and BCSD deputies patrolling the area.

A small number of trees were downed across the county, according to the BCSD. Johnson said countywide, the damage seemed to be minor.

Johnson said more than 300 people took advantage of the county's storm shelters.

Five tornado warnings were issued between noon and 1:45 p.m. by the National Weather Service's Nashville office. The northwestern portion of Bedford County was placed under a warning at 12:14 a.m. for a storm moving east from Marshall County; at 1 p.m. the entire county was warned for a storm near Lewisburg; the southwestern area was under the gun at 1:10 for a cell moving northeast from Giles County; the countywide warning was extended for northeastern Bedford County as the storm moved out at 1:40; and southeastern Bedford County was warned at 1:56 for a storm which caused wind damage in Tullahoma.

-- T-G staff writer Mary Reeves and city editor John I. Carney contributed to this report.