As showers and storms moved through East Tennessee Friday afternoon, photos and videos of swirling clouds were posted on social media.
Viewers reported minor damage near Louisville and off of Wilkinson Pike near the Pleasant Hill Vineyards in Maryville.
Meteorologists from the National Weather Service in Morristown surveyed the damage Saturday morning and determined that there were two tornadoes in Blount County on Friday afternoon.
The first area was located about 7 miles northwest of Maryville. The survey team found a couple of small trees and limbs broken and based on video evidence, determined that the damage was caused by a weak landspout that was only on the ground for around 100 yards at around 3:40 p.m. Friday afternoon.
A landspout is a tornado with a narrow, rope-like condensation funnel that forms while the thunderstorm cloud is still growing and there is no rotating updraft - the spinning motion originates near the ground.
The team also surveyed damage 3 miles southeast of Maryville near Wilkinson Pike and found a trampoline that had been thrown about 50 yards from its original location, several shingles blown off of a nearby house and tree damage.
Based on the damage and radar analysis, the team determined that a 30 to 50 yard wide tornado briefly touched down and traveled about 200 yards. Winds are estimated to have been around 80 mph, giving the tornado an EF0 rating.
