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A severe storm brought heavy winds, lightning and rains to the Lakeway Area Thursday afternoon and it also may have brought an extremely rare weather event: A January tornado.

Friday morning officials with the National Weather Service in Morristown were in the Dandridge area to confirm whether or not a tornado touched down but warnings were issued for Jefferson, Cocke, Greene and Hamblen counties.

“This afternoon many of our schools were under either a Tornado Warning or Tornado Alert,” said Arnold Bunch, superintendent of Hamblen County Schools. “With a focus on safety, I directed all schools to execute a Tornado Drill. I left the timing of the schools terminating the Tornado Drill to the Principals based on the weather conditions in their area.”

Similar action took place with Jefferson County Schools.

The system with the possibility of a tornado started in Dandridge and followed a path across the lake toward Baneberry and White Pine.

According to the National Weather Service, there was some damage reported near the golf course at Baneberry.

There was also damage to the Newport Grammar School roof but it is unclear if it was related to a tornado or simply severe weather.

About the time of the Tornado Warning, a tractor trailer overturned, blocking I-40 West at mile marker 442. It was later confirmed the truck overturned due to the storm.

The National Weather Service says having a tornado in January this far north in East Tennessee has happened only a handful of times in recent history. General severe weather in January is uncommon, but occurs more frequently than a tornado.

The Winter Storm Warning continues through 7 a.m. Saturday for the higher elevations of the Smoky Mountains where snowfall could reach one to two feet.