KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – An EF1 tornado touched down in Northeast Tennessee Tuesday evening, as a round of storms swept through the area bringing rain and gusty winds. The National Weather Service said the EF1 tornado touched down in Hancock County. An EF1 ranking denotes a tornado with gusts of between 86 mph and 110 mph, capable of damaging homes and injuring people. The weather service said it was the first September tornado in East Tennessee in decades.