Mount Zion, GA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Mount Zion is about the same as Georgia average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Mount Zion is much higher than Georgia average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #446
| Mount Zion, GA | 0.03 |
| Georgia | 0.08 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Mount Zion, GA | 0.0000 |
| Georgia | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #28
| Mount Zion, GA | 253.02 |
| Georgia | 179.92 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 4,373 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Mount Zion, GA were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 0 | Cold: | 16 | Dense Fog: | 3 | Drought: | 55 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 216 | Hail: | 1,601 | Heat: | 9 | Heavy Snow: | 20 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 4 | Ice Storm: | 10 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 16 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 1,902 | Tropical Storm: | 13 | Wildfire: | 0 | Winter Storm: | 6 | Winter Weather: | 12 |
| Other: | 490 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Mount Zion, GA.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Mount Zion, GA.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Mount Zion, GA.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 108 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Mount Zion, GA.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 2.3 | 1999-05-07 | 2 | 33°39'N / 85°13'W | 33°42'N / 85°10'W | 4.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 200K | 0 | Carroll |
| Brief Description: Sight survey by NWS personnel and newspaper accounts determined that the tornado touched down in Carroll county near Five Points Road and Mt Zion Road. The storm path was to the northeast across Interstate 20 and then into Haralson county. All along the path there was structural damage to several homes, businesses, barns and outbuildings. Many hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted, which caused much of the damage. Several of the trees were very large hardwoods and pines. There was also extensive damage to power and telephone lines. | |||||||||||
| 6.3 | 1999-05-07 | 2 | 33°42'N / 85°10'W | 33°45'N / 85°06'W | 5.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 3 | 400K | 0 | Haralson |
| Brief Description: The tornado continued northeast from Carroll county and crossed into Haralson county southwest of Bremen. There was heavy damage to a mobile home dealership in Bremen, where around 35 mobile homes were damaged or destroyed. Debris was tossed across the highway. The tornado continued northeast and did damage at the Maple Creek golf course before lifting. Newspaper accouints said three people in Haralson county were taken to the hospital with fractures. | |||||||||||
| 6.3 | 2008-02-26 | 3 | 33°33'N / 85°17'W | 33°34'N / 85°10'W | 7.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 8.0M | 0K | Carroll |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A ground and aerial damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia and the Carroll County Emergency Management Director concluded that an EF3 tornado touched down in extreme western Carroll county, just across the Alabama state line, about 13 miles west of Carrollton and continued to a point approximately five miles west of Carrollton. The tornado traveled a path length of seven to eight miles and had a maximum path width of 100 yards. Maximum wind speeds were estimated at 140 mph. Twelve structures, mostly single family homes, suffered extensive damage along the path of the tornado. Only four of the affected structures were manufactured or mobile homes. Two of the affected homes were destroyed, on Indian Creek Road. A woman was injured on Smithfield Road when she was blown from her home. Numerous trees and power lines were down throughout the area as well. Damages were estimated to be nearly $10 million. This plus the following tornado resulted in damage to 128 structures. Six single-family and one mobile home were destroyed, two mobile homes suffered major damage, 34 single-family homes sustained minor damage, and 84 single-family homes, along with one mobile home, suffered minor damage. Five businesses were damaged, two of which were destroyed, along with one suffering major and two others minor damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A deep upper trough was moving from the mid-south toward the southeast U.S. early on the 26th. A strong cold front accompanied the upper system. A squall line of thunderstorms developed after midnight on the 25th across Mississippi and Alabama and reached the Georgia/Alabama border around 5 am EST. The line of thunderstorms intensified and bowed out just as it was moving in Georgia during the early morning hours. Wind gusts in excess 60 mph affected many counties as these thunderstorms rolled through the area during the early morning hours, causing extensive wind damage to trees, power lines, and some structures from the west and northwest side of Atlanta toward the Alabama border. In addition, two tornadoes, one an EF3, developed along the stronger part of the line as it moved through Carroll county before daybreak causing extensive damage along their paths. | |||||||||||
| 6.7 | 2008-05-11 | 2 | 33°33'N / 85°13'W | 33°33'N / 85°13'W | 0 | 0 | 2.0M | 0K | Carroll | ||
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that two brief spinup tornadoes occurred within a larger and extensive area of straight-line wind damage across much of central Carroll county. The first brief tornado spinup was an EF2 in the Jonesville community, just northeast of Bowdon and west of Carrollton. The tornado touched down approximately two miles east of where the straight-line wind damage began. The tornado was only on the ground approximately 100 yards and had a path width of 100 yards as well. The roofs of two homes were completely blown off the structures, including nearly $1 million in damages to a Dalton Carpet Outlet. Hundreds of trees were also down in the area. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A stationary front was draped across north Georgia early on May 10th with an active northwest flow aloft. Meanwhile...a vigorous short wave aloft was approaching the area from the southern plains. The stationary front provided the focus for two rounds of showers and thunderstorms, one early in the morning on the 10th and another in the afternoon. The activity tracked east-southeast with the upper flow aloft, mainly across north Georgia during the early morning and across central Georgia during the afternoon. An isolated strong supercell also tracked across the southern part of central Georgia during the evening. After a lull of convective activity for about four hours, intense multicell thunderstorms tracked into the area from Alabama after midnight and before dawn on the 11th. As these thunderstorms tracked across west central and central Georgia, 15 tornadoes were identified by subsequent surveys making this the most significant tornado outbreak to affect the area since the Katrina-associated tornadoes on August 29, 2005. Millions of dollars of property damage were reported as many homes were destroyed from these tornadoes from the western and southern suburbs of Atlanta southeastward across Macon, Dublin, and other counties in east central and southeast Georgia. Many of these counties were eligible for disaster assistance from the federal government. In addition to the tornadoes and thunderstorm winds that caused extensive damage in dozens of counties across north and central Georgia during the early morning hours of May 11th, strong gradient winds developed on the back side of the strong cold front that moved through the area as low pressure intensified across the mid-Atlantic region. The strong winds combined with wet ground resulted in dozens of trees being blown down in some north Georgia counties. There were also two deaths as a result of downed trees in Barrow and Gwinnett county, all non-thunderstorm-related winds. | |||||||||||
| 7.2 | 1964-04-28 | 3 | 33°44'N / 85°20'W | 33°44'N / 85°09'W | 10.60 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Haralson |
| 7.4 | 1967-11-22 | 2 | 33°43'N / 85°09'W | 33°44'N / 85°03'W | 6.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Haralson |
| 8.8 | 1968-03-12 | 2 | 33°45'N / 85°16'W | 33°47'N / 85°10'W | 6.20 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Haralson |
| 10.1 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 33°40'N / 85°21'W | 33°54'N / 84°55'W | 29.60 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Haralson |
| 10.4 | 1990-02-16 | 2 | 33°35'N / 85°03'W | 33°41'N / 84°57'W | 7.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 11 | 250K | 0 | Carroll |
| 12.8 | 1964-04-28 | 3 | 33°44'N / 85°25'W | 33°44'N / 85°20'W | 5.10 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 8 | 25K | 0 | Cleburne |
| 13.0 | 1967-11-22 | 2 | 33°44'N / 85°03'W | 33°44'N / 84°55'W | 7.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Carroll |
| 13.3 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 33°33'N / 85°28'W | 33°40'N / 85°21'W | 10.40 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Cleburne |
| 14.1 | 2005-08-29 | 2 | 33°25'N / 85°06'W | 33°29'N / 85°06'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 0 | 4.4M | 0 | Carroll |
| Brief Description: A National Weather Service Damage Survey Team, in conjunction with the Carroll County Emergency Manager and Chief of Fire and Rescue operations, concluded that the F2 tornado, which began just south of Glenloch in Heard county, continued north into Carroll county. The tornado entered Carroll county approximately three miles southeast of Roopville and continued north at 30-35 mph to a point about three miles northeast of Roopville. The overall path length within Carroll county was 4.0 miles with an approximate path width of 200 yards. Extensive damage occurred along the path of the tornado. A total of 17 large chicken houses were destroyed along with 1,000,000 chickens. This resulted in agricultural damages alone in Carroll county of $3,000,000. A 40-year old man was killed while stepping outside his house to check on the status of his poultry and one of his chicken houses. Other livestock, including cattle and horses were also killed along the tornado path. Several homes and vehicles were also damaged or destroyed. One Chevrolet pickup truck was flipped over by the tornado onto a pile of bricks and wooden panels. Damage to homes and residential property from the tornado was estimated at $1,435,800. Overall damage in Carroll county from the tornado and subsequent thunderstorm wind was estimated at $5,235,800. All together 30 homes in the county suffered moderate damage, with another 100 homes sustaining minor damage. M40OU | |||||||||||
| 14.1 | 1984-05-03 | 2 | 33°31'N / 85°24'W | 33°30'N / 85°20'W | 5.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cleburne |
| 14.3 | 2008-05-11 | 2 | 33°34'N / 84°57'W | 33°34'N / 84°57'W | 0 | 0 | 7.0M | 0K | Carroll | ||
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that yet a second brief spinup tornado, spawned by the same parent thunderstorm, touched down in Carroll county. This tornado affected eastern Carroll county, touching down near the Diamond Court Subdivision off Cross Plains-Hulett Road, about three miles south of Hulett. Again, this tornado was embedded within a much larger and extensive area of straight-line wind damage that tracked across much of central Carroll county from near Bowden to the Douglas county line, southeast of Hulett. One home was completely destroyed by this second tornado and another received significant damage. A number of other homes sustained minor to moderate roof damage. Again, the path length and path width of this tornado were also only 100 yards. The combined damage from the two tornadoes and straight-line wind damage within Carroll county caused damages in excess of $10 million. Damages consisted of the destruction of three mobile homes, 18 mobile homes with major damage, and 16 mobile homes with minor damage. Thirty-five single family dwellings were destroyed, 211 single-family dwellings sustained major damage, and another 346 suffered minor damage. In addition, a total of four businesses were destroyed, 133 more which had major damage, and 31 suffering minor damage. A public works building was also destoyed. Finally, at least $800,000 in damages was reported to electric utility poles in Carroll county. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A stationary front was draped across north Georgia early on May 10th with an active northwest flow aloft. Meanwhile...a vigorous short wave aloft was approaching the area from the southern plains. The stationary front provided the focus for two rounds of showers and thunderstorms, one early in the morning on the 10th and another in the afternoon. The activity tracked east-southeast with the upper flow aloft, mainly across north Georgia during the early morning and across central Georgia during the afternoon. An isolated strong supercell also tracked across the southern part of central Georgia during the evening. After a lull of convective activity for about four hours, intense multicell thunderstorms tracked into the area from Alabama after midnight and before dawn on the 11th. As these thunderstorms tracked across west central and central Georgia, 15 tornadoes were identified by subsequent surveys making this the most significant tornado outbreak to affect the area since the Katrina-associated tornadoes on August 29, 2005. Millions of dollars of property damage were reported as many homes were destroyed from these tornadoes from the western and southern suburbs of Atlanta southeastward across Macon, Dublin, and other counties in east central and southeast Georgia. Many of these counties were eligible for disaster assistance from the federal government. In addition to the tornadoes and thunderstorm winds that caused extensive damage in dozens of counties across north and central Georgia during the early morning hours of May 11th, strong gradient winds developed on the back side of the strong cold front that moved through the area as low pressure intensified across the mid-Atlantic region. The strong winds combined with wet ground resulted in dozens of trees being blown down in some north Georgia counties. There were also two deaths as a result of downed trees in Barrow and Gwinnett county, all non-thunderstorm-related winds. | |||||||||||
| 17.1 | 2005-08-29 | 2 | 33°24'N / 85°05'W | 33°25'N / 85°05'W | 1.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 3 | 750K | 0 | Heard |
| Brief Description: A National Weather Survey Team concluded that an F2 tornado touched down approximately 1/4 mile south of Glenloch in far northern Heard county, then continued north at 30-35 mph into Carroll county about three miles southeast of Roopville, finally terminating three miles northeast of Roopville. This was the first confirmed tornado in the Peachtree City forecast area associated with Hurricane Katrina. While the overall damage path with this tornado was 5.5 miles long, only 1.5 miles of this damage path occurred within Heard county. The path width of this tornado was approximately 200 yards wide. Several homes in the Glenloch area were severely damaged, along with a number of downed trees and power lines. Three residents at one of the damaged homes were injured by debris during the tornado. | |||||||||||
| 20.5 | 1978-04-18 | 2 | 33°56'N / 85°17'W | 33°56'N / 85°13'W | 4.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Polk |
| 22.5 | 1989-03-05 | 2 | 33°22'N / 84°58'W | 33°28'N / 84°50'W | 10.00 Miles | 167 Yards | 0 | 6 | 2.5M | 0 | Coweta |
| 24.9 | 1984-05-03 | 2 | 33°32'N / 85°41'W | 33°34'N / 85°31'W | 8.40 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cleburne |
| 24.9 | 2000-04-03 | 2 | 33°58'N / 85°23'W | 34°00'N / 85°16'W | 6.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 6 | 1.0M | 0 | Polk |
| Brief Description: Survey of damage by NWS personnel indicated that an F1 - F2 tornado, 50 - 100 yards wide, touched down in the Potash community at approximately 2:00 am EDT near Harmony Road. The tornado traveled approximately 6 miles with the terminating point just southwest of Cedartown. The tornado snapped off and uprooted several trees at its touchdown point on Harmony Road and caused a poultry house to lean as well as blowing off some of its tin roof. Next, a house on Blair Road was severely damaged and numerous trees were felled. Further downstream, several mobile homes and numerous trees were hit on Branch Road, Cornelius Road, and Highway 278 between Cornelius Road and Berry Road. The most severe damage was on Berry Road where two mobile homes were totally destroyed and 3 people seriously injured. The Polk county EMA director reported that a total a 6 people were injured, 2 seriously, and a total of 20 homes were destroyed or damaged. In addition, a roof was blown off a fruit/vegetable stand on Highway 27 south of Cedartown, but this did not appear to be related to the tornado. In excess of 1 million dollars damage was caused by the tornado. | |||||||||||
| 25.4 | 1984-05-03 | 2 | 33°29'N / 85°38'W | 33°30'N / 85°32'W | 6.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Randolph |
| 26.2 | 2000-04-02 | 2 | 33°54'N / 85°31'W | 33°54'N / 85°31'W | 0.20 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0K | Cleburne |
| Brief Description: The tornado began at 12:34 am just south of Vigo at the end of Helen Drive. Vigo is located east of Piedmont, AL. The tornado traveled on a northeast track crossing Bethel Church Road and continuing along Vigo Road (County Road 70). The tornado straddled the road moving up a hill and crossing a few hundred feet into Cleburne County. Damage in Cleburne County was confined to downed trees. The tornado path was 1.9 miles long and approximately 100 yards wide. Most of the property that was damaged or destroyed was located in the area of Helen Drive and Bethel Church Road. Six mobile homes were destroyed along with two houses, one of which was under construction. One elderly woman was killed and six people were injured in that area. The woman was one of three people in a mobile home whose frame was thrown approximately 130 feet by the force of the tornado. Beginning: 33 54.855/85 33.720 End: 33 55.293/85 31.752 | |||||||||||
| 26.4 | 1989-03-05 | 2 | 33°10'N / 85°14'W | 33°22'N / 84°58'W | 20.00 Miles | 167 Yards | 1 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Heard |
| 26.5 | 1991-03-29 | 2 | 33°45'N / 84°46'W | 33°46'N / 84°43'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25.0M | 0 | Douglas |
| 27.0 | 2006-04-08 | 2 | 34°01'N / 85°04'W | 34°01'N / 85°01'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 450K | 0 | Polk |
| Brief Description: A survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, GA concluded that a second tornado, this one an F2, touched down one mile northwest of Rockmart and traveled to the east approximately three miles, terminating at a point around two miles east-northeast of Rockmart. Over two dozen homes along the path of the tornado were destroyed. A young child was injured at one of the damaged homes when sheet rock and rafters fell on the couch where he was sleeping. Over three dozen outbuildings were also heavily damaged or destroyed. A carport was blown off one home northwest of Rockmart and five coal cars were completely blown off a railroad track in the Rockmart area and left lying on their side, while an 18-wheel truck trailer was also blown over in the same general area. Finally, minor damage was reported to the roof of the Rockmart Highschool and especially to the athletic fields. Hundreds of trees and dozens of power lines were blown down along the path of the tornado. A total of 700 residents were left without power for many hours following the storm. The tornado was determined to have a path length of approximately 3.0 miles with a path width of 50 to 100 yards. Overall tornado damage from the two tornadoes in Polk county netted: 30 homes with minor damage. 2 homes destroyed. 60 outbuildings heavily damaged or destroyed. Minor damage to the Rockmart Highschool and athletic facility. 700 customers without power. Extensive loss to timber in the area | |||||||||||
| 27.3 | 2000-04-02 | 2 | 33°54'N / 85°33'W | 33°55'N / 85°31'W | 1.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 1 | 6 | 300K | 0K | Calhoun |
| Brief Description: F90MH The tornado began at 12:34 am just south of Vigo at the end of Helen Drive. Vigo is located east of Piedmont, AL. The tornado traveled on a northeast track crossing Bethel Church Road and continuing along Vigo Road (County Road 70). The tornado straddled the road moving up a hill and crossing a few hundred feet into Cleburne County. Damage in Cleburne County was confined to downed trees. The tornado path was 1.9 miles long and approximately 100 yards wide. Most of the property that was damaged or destroyed was located in the area of Helen Drive and Bethel Church Road. Six mobile homes were destroyed along with two houses, one of which was under construction. One elderly woman was killed and six people were injured in that area. The woman was one of three people in a mobile home whose frame was thrown approximately 130 feet by the force of the tornado. Beginning: 33 54.855/85 33.720 End: 33 55.293/85 31.752 | |||||||||||
| 27.7 | 1973-05-27 | 2 | 33°15'N / 85°05'W | 0.80 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Heard | |
| 28.3 | 1974-01-26 | 3 | 33°08'N / 85°28'W | 33°24'N / 85°17'W | 21.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 7 | 250K | 0 | Randolph |
| 28.3 | 2008-08-25 | 2 | 33°34'N / 85°40'W | 33°35'N / 85°40'W | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0K | Cleburne | ||
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down on US-431, about a half mile south of the intersection with AL-281. It then moved northwestward, along and just east of US-431, and lifted just before reaching AL-281. One gas station/convenience store and one auto body shop were significantly damaged. Approximately 100 to 200 trees were snapped off or were uprooted along the damage path. This tornado was associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Tropical Storm Fay, and its remnants after landfall, brought high winds, heavy rain, and numerous tornadoes to Central Alabama. | |||||||||||
| 30.5 | 2007-01-07 | 2 | 33°17'N / 84°54'W | 33°18'N / 84°49'W | 4.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 350K | 0K | Coweta |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City, GA confirmed that an F2 tornado had touched down approximately 8 miles southwest of Newnan near the intersection of Bohannon Road and New Corinth Road near Blalock Lake. The tornado then traveled northeast between Old Corinth Road and New Corinth Road traveling approximately 4 miles to the northeast along Earl North Road before lifting. As the tornado crossed Walker Brooks Road and Joe Brown Road just northeast of its touchdown point, a home was destroyed. The winds in the tornado at this point were estimated to range between 125 and 135 mph. As the tornado continued northeast along Earl North Road, several homes sustained minor to moderate damage. A number of trees and at least two power lines were also downed along the path of the tornado. Damage was also reported to a convenience store awning and several storage sheds were destroyed. Portions of Earl North Road were blocked from downed trees and telephone poles. While several residents, including a 14-year old boy were trapped in homes from debris and downed trees, no injuries were reported and all were rescued safely. The tornado path length was approximately four miles long with a maximum path width of 200 yards. EPISODE NARRATIVE: Another strong storm system and deep upper trough, similar to the one of January 5th, swept through the area during the afternoon hours of January 7th. A weak warm front was located across middle Georgia. A narrow, yet intense squall line spread into the area during the mid-afternoon bringing severe weather and yet another tornado to Coweta county in West Central Georgia. This was the third tornado in Coweta county since January 1st. Overall, however, the total amount of severe weather was less also less widespread than that observed on January 5th. | |||||||||||
| 30.6 | 1970-04-02 | 3 | 33°20'N / 84°48'W | 0.30 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Coweta | |
| 31.6 | 1984-05-03 | 2 | 33°26'N / 85°44'W | 33°29'N / 85°38'W | 7.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Clay |
| 31.6 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 33°54'N / 84°55'W | 34°05'N / 84°44'W | 16.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 8 | 0K | 0 | Paulding |
| 31.6 | 2008-03-15 | 3 | 34°05'N / 85°06'W | 34°06'N / 85°03'W | 3.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 1 | 3.5M | 0K | Polk |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A ground and aerial survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, GA in cooperation with the Georgia State Patrol and local emergency managers confirmed that an EF3 tornado had touched down in extreme north central Polk county, just east of the town of Seney near the intersection of Georgia Highway 101 and the Floyd county line. The tornado then tracked approximately 16 miles across extreme northeast Polk, extreme southeast Floyd, and into southern Bartow county before lifting southwest of Cartersville. The tornado had a maximum path width of 1/2 mile with maximum wind speeds estimated at 150 mph. EF3 damage was noted at three locations along the path of the tornado as it tracked across the three counties. The tornado made an approximate 3-mile track across far northern Polk county. Within Polk county, four homes were destroyed, two sustained major damage, five had minor damage, and 5 others were minimally impacted. All of these were in the far north central and northeast part of the county between Georgia Highway 101 and the Floyd county line where Bon Loop Road intersects the Floyd county line. One fatality and one injury occurred on Bon Loop Road where a home was destroyed. In addition, several county outbuildings, barns, shops, vehicles, one motor home, one travel trailer, one dog kennel business, several fences were heavily damaged. Several livestock were either injured or killed. Hundreds of trees and power lines were down in the area, including several high tension power lines support structures, which were heavily damaged. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The pattern that began to evolve on March 14th continued and intensified on March 15th. A stationary front remained draped across north Georgia from near Atlanta to Athens. South of this front, the air mass was becoming increasingly warm, moist and unstable. Meanwhile, aloft, a low amplitude, yet vigorous short wave embedded within a fast zonal flow, was tracking rapidly eastward from the mid south into the southeast. Strong shear and high helicity combined with the unstable air mass and the frontal boundary to allow repeated severe thunderstorms to develop and track eastward along the boundary across north Georgia. The activity began early in the day as a complex of thunderstorms moved into the area from Alabama and continued until nearly midnight. As the day progressed, especially during the afternoon, the development of the activity gradually progressed further south and by midnight had reached the south and southeast parts of the state. Numerous severe thunderstorms and tornadic supercells were observed throughout the day. Historical records indicate that this was one of the most significant severe weather days for the Peachtree City Weather Forecast Office with more events and warnings than had been observed since May 2003. | |||||||||||
| 31.6 | 1989-03-05 | 3 | 33°17'N / 84°50'W | 33°25'N / 84°41'W | 14.00 Miles | 120 Yards | 0 | 23 | 25.0M | 0 | Coweta |
| 32.4 | 2008-03-15 | 3 | 34°06'N / 85°05'W | 34°06'N / 85°02'W | 3.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 1 | 1.0M | 0K | Floyd |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A ground and aerial storm survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City Georgia in cooperation with the Georgia State Patrol confirmed that the EF3 tornado, that first touched down in extreme north central Polk county just east of Seney, continued on an east-northeastward track across extreme southeast Floyd county. Approximately three miles of the 16-mile long path of this tornado was within Floyd county. The maximum path was once again estimated to be approximately 1/2 mile. Despite the relatively short time frame and small area of the county affected, considerable damage was inflicted to the far southeast part of the county. A home was destroyed on Old Wax Road, resulting in additional fatality and injury. Dozens of trees and several power lines were also down in this part of the county. Overall damage consisted of 20 homes, 10 of which were destroyed, and 10 with minor damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The pattern that began to evolve on March 14th continued and intensified on March 15th. A stationary front remained draped across north Georgia from near Atlanta to Athens. South of this front, the air mass was becoming increasingly warm, moist and unstable. Meanwhile, aloft, a low amplitude, yet vigorous short wave embedded within a fast zonal flow, was tracking rapidly eastward from the mid south into the southeast. Strong shear and high helicity combined with the unstable air mass and the frontal boundary to allow repeated severe thunderstorms to develop and track eastward along the boundary across north Georgia. The activity began early in the day as a complex of thunderstorms moved into the area from Alabama and continued until nearly midnight. As the day progressed, especially during the afternoon, the development of the activity gradually progressed further south and by midnight had reached the south and southeast parts of the state. Numerous severe thunderstorms and tornadic supercells were observed throughout the day. Historical records indicate that this was one of the most significant severe weather days for the Peachtree City Weather Forecast Office with more events and warnings than had been observed since May 2003. | |||||||||||
| 32.9 | 2008-03-15 | 2 | 33°58'N / 85°37'W | 33°59'N / 85°34'W | 4.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 75K | 0K | Cherokee |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: The tornado touched down near the intersection of CR-6 and CR-31, just west of AL-9, about 5 miles north of Piedmont. From there, it moved just north of due east, across AL-9, and then roughly parallel to CR-10 for about 3 miles, before lifting near Hurricane Creek. Some metal roof paneling was torn off a barn and one-half of a roof was torn off a brick home. Two other homes and another barn also sustained damage. Numerous trees in the area were also snapped or uprooted. EPISODE NARRATIVE: An upper level disturbance, and a developing surface low and associated cold front, caused several rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms across central Alabama. | |||||||||||
| 33.1 | 2006-01-02 | 2 | 33°31'N / 84°40'W | 33°31'N / 84°35'W | 4.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Fulton |
| Brief Description: A damage survey team from the National Weather Service in Peachtree City concluded that an F2 tornado had touched down just east of Palmetto in the far southern portion of Fulton county near the Coweta and Fayette county borders. The tornado touched down near Interstate-85 and U.S. Highway 29 east of Palmetto and then traveled east into extreme northwest Fayette county. The tornado was rated an F2 and traveled a path of seven miles, of which approximately four miles occurred within Fulton county. The maximum path width was 1/4 mile wide. Roof damage was observed to a number of homes along the path of the tornado. At least six homes east of Palmetto had sustained major damage with large trees down on the structures. Additionally, a number of trees were down along the path along with several power lines. Specifically, the tornado began around 8225 Tatum Road. Numerous trees were down in this area and several homes had sustained roof damage. The chimney was destroyed on one home. The tornado then continued across the intersection of Johnson and Tatum Road to Gullatt Road. Several homes in this area had sustained roof damage and in fact, one home had completely lost its roof. Numerous trees were either uprooted or snapped off along the path and several power lines were down as well. From this point, the tornado traveled toward the intersection of Bohannon and Kirkley Roads. Damage in this section was less extensive with just minor roof damage and only a few trees uprooted or down in the area. The tornado then crossed into Fayette county. | |||||||||||
| 33.3 | 1970-04-26 | 2 | 33°15'N / 85°31'W | 1.00 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Randolph | |
| 33.3 | 1971-04-28 | 2 | 33°52'N / 84°40'W | 0.30 Mile | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cobb | |
| 33.4 | 1989-11-15 | 2 | 33°27'N / 84°40'W | 33°31'N / 84°36'W | 3.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Coweta |
| 33.5 | 1989-11-15 | 2 | 33°29'N / 84°39'W | 33°31'N / 84°36'W | 3.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 7 | 2.5M | 0 | Coweta |
| 33.9 | 1989-11-15 | 2 | 33°31'N / 84°36'W | 33°32'N / 84°37'W | 1.00 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Fulton |
| 34.4 | 1954-12-05 | 2 | 34°05'N / 85°00'W | 34°07'N / 84°53'W | 7.10 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Bartow |
| 34.7 | 1989-11-15 | 2 | 33°31'N / 84°36'W | 33°33'N / 84°35'W | 4.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 7 | 2.5M | 0 | Fulton |
| 34.9 | 1964-12-24 | 3 | 33°30'N / 84°55'W | 33°15'N / 84°25'W | 33.60 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Troup |
| 35.0 | 2008-03-15 | 3 | 34°06'N / 85°02'W | 34°07'N / 84°51'W | 11.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3.0M | 0K | Bartow |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A storm survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia in cooperation with the Georgia State Patrol confirmed that the EF3 tornado, that originated in Polk county just east of Seney, and continued across extreme southeast Floyd county, continued into southern Bartow county. The tornado entered the county about 3 1/4 miles west-northwest of Taylorsville and finally lifted about four miles southwest of Cartersville. The tornado tracked approximately 11 miles across southern Bartow county. While no deaths or injuries were reported from the tornado in Bartow county, several mobile homes were heavily damaged and hundreds of trees and several high voltage power transmission lines were knocked down and there was damage to the Georgia Power Plant on Georgia Highway 113. In addition, the Taylorsville Elementary School sustained significant damage. Several homes sustained roof damage along Popum Road just north of Taylorsville, a number of trees were down along Euharlee Road, and several bulidings, a number of trees, and several street signs were down in the area of Woodland High School about three miles southwest of Cartersville. All together, there were approximately 55 homes damaged, six of which were destroyed, and 30 homes with minor damage. Two schools, as noted above Taylorsville Elementary and Woodland High School suffered heavy damage. Some Georgia Power high transmission towers were also down. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The pattern that began to evolve on March 14th continued and intensified on March 15th. A stationary front remained draped across north Georgia from near Atlanta to Athens. South of this front, the air mass was becoming increasingly warm, moist and unstable. Meanwhile, aloft, a low amplitude, yet vigorous short wave embedded within a fast zonal flow, was tracking rapidly eastward from the mid south into the southeast. Strong shear and high helicity combined with the unstable air mass and the frontal boundary to allow repeated severe thunderstorms to develop and track eastward along the boundary across north Georgia. The activity began early in the day as a complex of thunderstorms moved into the area from Alabama and continued until nearly midnight. As the day progressed, especially during the afternoon, the development of the activity gradually progressed further south and by midnight had reached the south and southeast parts of the state. Numerous severe thunderstorms and tornadic supercells were observed throughout the day. Historical records indicate that this was one of the most significant severe weather days for the Peachtree City Weather Forecast Office with more events and warnings than had been observed since May 2003. | |||||||||||
| 35.4 | 1989-03-05 | 2 | 33°06'N / 85°17'W | 33°10'N / 85°14'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Randolph |
| 35.7 | 1961-12-11 | 3 | 33°48'N / 85°47'W | 33°50'N / 85°45'W | 3.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 35.9 | 1991-03-29 | 3 | 33°50'N / 84°39'W | 33°54'N / 84°35'W | 5.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 25 | 25.0M | 0 | Cobb |
| 36.1 | 2006-01-02 | 2 | 33°31'N / 84°36'W | 33°30'N / 84°33'W | 3.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.0M | 0 | Fayette |
| Brief Description: A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City Georgia and the Fayette County Emergency Management Director concluded that the F2 tornado, which originally developed in far south Fulton county just east of Palmetto continued into extreme northwest Fayette county. The overall tornado path length was seven miles, of which approximately three miles occurred within Fayette county. The maximum path width was 1/4 mile. The most significant damage associated with the tornado occurred in Fayette county. The tornado entered the county just south of Fairburn and just west of Georgia Highway 74 (Senoia Road) near Milam Road. In this area the tornado destroyed a small apartment home and rolled a hay baler approximately 15 yards from its origin. A number of trees were uprooted or snapped off in this area as well. The storm then skipped across Georgia Highway 74 just south of the Wendell Coffee Golf Center into the River Oaks Subdivision. A home on Westbourne Drive next to the Golf Center was damaged with trees down on the structure. A metal awning was also torn off the home. Further down the street, also in the River Oaks Subdivision, a large home was damaged beyond repair and about six others sustained minor to moderate damage, mainly to the roofs of the structures. While one family was trapped in their home during the event, they were rescued without injury. The tornado ended in the 600 block of Westbourne Drive in the River Oaks Subdivision. | |||||||||||
| 36.3 | 1962-03-21 | 3 | 33°45'N / 85°49'W | 33°45'N / 85°47'W | 2.30 Miles | 250 Yards | 0 | 10 | 250K | 0 | Etowah |
| 36.6 | 1983-12-03 | 3 | 33°35'N / 85°50'W | 33°38'N / 85°48'W | 4.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 2 | 51 | 2.5M | 0 | Calhoun |
| 36.8 | 1990-02-10 | 2 | 33°52'N / 84°36'W | 1.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Cobb | |
| 37.9 | 1994-03-27 | 4 | 33°43'N / 86°09'W | 34°01'N / 85°25'W | 50.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 22 | 150 | 500K | 50.0M | St. Clair, Calhoun And Cherokee |
| Brief Description: A tornado began about one mile south-southwest of Ragland in St. Clair County at 1055 CST and traveled northeast at between 45 and 55 miles an hour crossing the Alabama/Georgia border about five miles northeast of Rock Run in Cherokee County. The tornado moved across County Highway 144 just south-southwest of Ragland where it first began then destroyed a number of structures along 144 to the east of Ragland. The tornado crossed primarily wooded land before moving through a camping area on the west side of Neely Henry Lake. A woman was killed outside on the west side of the lake as she tried to secure a boat. The tornado crossed Neely Henry Lake just north of the dam as it moved into Calhoun County. Twenty-six homes were damaged, 18 homes were destroyed, and 20 mobile homes were destroyed in St. Clair County. Moving into Calhoun County at 1104 CST, the storm continued on a steady northeast track (60 degree heading) crossing the north side of Ohatchee. The storm crossed U.S. Highway 431 at 1120 CST where one man was killed when the van he was in was thrown into a ditch. Three other people in the van were injured. The storm continued northeast across mostly woodlands with only scattered structures, mostly homes, in its path. It crossed U.S. Highway 278 between four and five miles west-northwest of Piedmont. The storm entered Cherokee County at 1135 CST. At 1139 CST the tornado destroyed the Goshen United Methodist Church located one mile north of the Cherokee/Calhoun County line on County Highway 9 killing 20 people and injuring 92. The tornado continued northeast across Cherokee County reaching the Alabama/Georgia state line at approximately 1152 CST. Deaths: St. Clair County - (F540); Calhoun County - (M49V); Cherokee County - (F02O) (M03O) (F04O) (M05O) (F10O) (M12O) (F24O) (M25O) (F34O) (M34O) (M37O) (M38O) (M39O) (M44O) (F50O) (M54O) (F54O) (M64O) (F72O) (M79O) | |||||||||||
| 38.1 | 1985-04-05 | 2 | 33°35'N / 85°51'W | 33°36'N / 85°50'W | 1.00 Mile | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 38.3 | 1954-12-05 | 3 | 33°47'N / 86°00'W | 33°55'N / 85°36'W | 24.70 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 26 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 38.3 | 1993-02-21 | 3 | 33°56'N / 84°42'W | 33°54'N / 84°30'W | 8.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 3 | 50.0M | 0 | Cobb |
| Brief Description: The tornado touched down near Lost Mountain in Western Cobb County and proceded on an east southeat path across rural portions of the county, initially uprooting mainly trees and downing power lines. As the tornado moved over Marietta it touched down and caused severe damage to two condominium complexes, a large strip shopping center, and several apartment complexes. Over 400 condominiums, apartments, businesses, and mobile homes sustained damage from the tornado. Of the 400 structures damaged, 113 were mobile homes. In Marietta, several mobile home parks were severely damaged near Dobbins Air Force Base. Several businesses and industrial parks in Marietta sustained major damage. Box cars were pushed off railroad tracks. Numerous trees, poles, and power lines were downed which caused extensive power outages. Many of the trees were twisted or snapped in half. Over 9,100 Marietta Georgia Power customers lost their power as a result of the tornado. | |||||||||||
| 38.5 | 1967-03-06 | 2 | 33°38'N / 85°51'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Calhoun | |||
| 38.5 | 1973-05-27 | 4 | 33°27'N / 85°54'W | 33°32'N / 85°45'W | 10.40 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | Clay |
| 39.1 | 1977-04-04 | 3 | 34°10'N / 85°12'W | 34°15'N / 85°05'W | 8.80 Miles | 400 Yards | 1 | 15 | 2.5M | 0 | Floyd |
| 39.2 | 1980-06-17 | 2 | 33°20'N / 85°48'W | 33°21'N / 85°43'W | 5.20 Miles | 23 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Clay |
| 39.4 | 1983-12-03 | 2 | 33°47'N / 84°31'W | 0.50 Mile | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Fulton | |
| 39.5 | 1973-05-27 | 3 | 33°43'N / 84°30'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Fulton | |
| 39.7 | 1985-04-05 | 2 | 33°34'N / 85°53'W | 33°35'N / 85°51'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Talladega |
| 39.9 | 2002-11-10 | 2 | 34°07'N / 85°38'W | 34°09'N / 85°28'W | 10.50 Miles | 440 Yards | 1 | 4 | 1.2M | 0K | Cherokee |
| Brief Description: The Centre Tornado touched down near Highway 411, just to the east of the Cherokee Country Club. It then traveled northeast, crossed over Cowan Creek, and damaged houses along County Road 40 at approximately 1122 pm CST. The tornado continued its northeastward movement and crossed over County Road 16 at approximately 1125 pm CST. One death was reported in a mobile home at the point where the tornado crossed over County Road 16. From this point, the tornado crossed County Road 31, damaging more homes before moving over Spring Creek. The tornado turned more to the east-northeast, damaging even more homes, before finally lifting near the eastern end of Weiss Lake near Mud Creek. The Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency estimates that 88 homes were either damaged or destroyed as this tornado moved across the county. In addition to the one fatality, there were also 4 injuries reported. The tornado was on the ground from 1120 pm CST to approximately 1132 pm CST. It had a path 10.5 miles long, and at its widest point was 440 yards wide. Beg: 34 07.176/85 38.020 End: 34 10.010/85 27.928 F72MH | |||||||||||
| 40.0 | 1982-04-26 | 2 | 34°08'N / 84°51'W | 34°09'N / 84°48'W | 5.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Bartow |
| 40.2 | 1967-12-18 | 2 | 34°13'N / 85°12'W | 34°14'N / 85°09'W | 3.30 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Floyd |
| 40.6 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 34°05'N / 84°44'W | 34°06'N / 84°43'W | 2.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 7 | 0K | 0 | Cobb |
| 40.9 | 1967-11-22 | 2 | 33°39'N / 85°55'W | 33°41'N / 85°52'W | 3.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 40.9 | 2008-05-11 | 2 | 33°06'N / 84°53'W | 33°07'N / 84°52'W | 2.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 50K | 0K | Troup |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that a second tornado touched down in Troup county. This was spawned by the same thunderstorm that earlier spawned the first tornado south of Louise. This second tornado was also rated an EF2, touching down initially 4.5 south-southeast of Hogansville along the 1100 block of Perkins Road. The tornado tracked about one mile east-northeast across Troup county before crossing into Meriwether county. At the point of the initial touchdown on Perkins Road, a house was damaged and two trucks were destroyed as they were lifted up and tossed approximately 50 feet. Just before the tornado crossed into Meriwether county, near the intersection of Perkins Road and Duchesne Lane along the Troup/Meriwether county line, it completly lifted the roof off a brick home and partially destroyed a cinder block outbuilding. The path length within Troup county was approximately one mile with a maximum path width of 300 yards. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A stationary front was draped across north Georgia early on May 10th with an active northwest flow aloft. Meanwhile...a vigorous short wave aloft was approaching the area from the southern plains. The stationary front provided the focus for two rounds of showers and thunderstorms, one early in the morning on the 10th and another in the afternoon. The activity tracked east-southeast with the upper flow aloft, mainly across north Georgia during the early morning and across central Georgia during the afternoon. An isolated strong supercell also tracked across the southern part of central Georgia during the evening. After a lull of convective activity for about four hours, intense multicell thunderstorms tracked into the area from Alabama after midnight and before dawn on the 11th. As these thunderstorms tracked across west central and central Georgia, 15 tornadoes were identified by subsequent surveys making this the most significant tornado outbreak to affect the area since the Katrina-associated tornadoes on August 29, 2005. Millions of dollars of property damage were reported as many homes were destroyed from these tornadoes from the western and southern suburbs of Atlanta southeastward across Macon, Dublin, and other counties in east central and southeast Georgia. Many of these counties were eligible for disaster assistance from the federal government. In addition to the tornadoes and thunderstorm winds that caused extensive damage in dozens of counties across north and central Georgia during the early morning hours of May 11th, strong gradient winds developed on the back side of the strong cold front that moved through the area as low pressure intensified across the mid-Atlantic region. The strong winds combined with wet ground resulted in dozens of trees being blown down in some north Georgia counties. There were also two deaths as a result of downed trees in Barrow and Gwinnett county, all non-thunderstorm-related winds. | |||||||||||
| 41.4 | 1964-04-28 | 2 | 33°46'N / 85°55'W | 33°47'N / 85°51'W | 4.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Calhoun |
| 41.4 | 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°13'N / 85°11'W | 34°16'N / 85°08'W | 4.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Floyd |
| 41.7 | 1970-07-19 | 2 | 34°12'N / 84°54'W | 0.50 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Bartow | |
| 41.9 | 1992-11-22 | 4 | 33°55'N / 84°40'W | 34°05'N / 84°31'W | 13.00 Miles | 867 Yards | 0 | 34 | 25.0M | 0 | Cobb |
| 42.0 | 2008-05-11 | 2 | 33°06'N / 84°51'W | 33°07'N / 84°49'W | 2.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 30K | 0K | Meriwether |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that the tornado, that originally touched down in northeastern Troup county, continued into Meriwether county. The EF2 tornado entered Meriwether county a little over two miles west-southwest of Saint Marks and tracked to a point approximately 9.25 miles northwest of Greenville along Saint Marks Road, approximately 3.67 miles northeast of Saint Marks. The tornado tracked a little over two miles within Meriwether county with a maximum path width of 300 yards. Many trees were snapped or uprooted along the path of the tornado. Structural damage was confined to one shed, which was destroyed, and minor roof damage to several homes in the Saint Marks area and east-northeastward toward U.S. Highway 27. Some of this later damage may have been caused by straight-line winds. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A stationary front was draped across north Georgia early on May 10th with an active northwest flow aloft. Meanwhile...a vigorous short wave aloft was approaching the area from the southern plains. The stationary front provided the focus for two rounds of showers and thunderstorms, one early in the morning on the 10th and another in the afternoon. The activity tracked east-southeast with the upper flow aloft, mainly across north Georgia during the early morning and across central Georgia during the afternoon. An isolated strong supercell also tracked across the southern part of central Georgia during the evening. After a lull of convective activity for about four hours, intense multicell thunderstorms tracked into the area from Alabama after midnight and before dawn on the 11th. As these thunderstorms tracked across west central and central Georgia, 15 tornadoes were identified by subsequent surveys making this the most significant tornado outbreak to affect the area since the Katrina-associated tornadoes on August 29, 2005. Millions of dollars of property damage were reported as many homes were destroyed from these tornadoes from the western and southern suburbs of Atlanta southeastward across Macon, Dublin, and other counties in east central and southeast Georgia. Many of these counties were eligible for disaster assistance from the federal government. In addition to the tornadoes and thunderstorm winds that caused extensive damage in dozens of counties across north and central Georgia during the early morning hours of May 11th, strong gradient winds developed on the back side of the strong cold front that moved through the area as low pressure intensified across the mid-Atlantic region. The strong winds combined with wet ground resulted in dozens of trees being blown down in some north Georgia counties. There were also two deaths as a result of downed trees in Barrow and Gwinnett county, all non-thunderstorm-related winds. | |||||||||||
| 42.1 | 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°06'N / 84°42'W | 34°05'N / 84°40'W | 2.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Bartow |
| 42.3 | 2004-11-24 | 2 | 33°35'N / 86°00'W | 33°39'N / 85°50'W | 10.70 Miles | 500 Yards | 1 | 0 | 85K | 0 | Calhoun |
| Brief Description: F75MH The tornado touched down in the vicinity of the Talladega Superspeedway. Two concession stands within the infield area of the race track had their roofs blown off. The Bush Garage area received building damage and the garage doors were bowed out. Debris was scattered between the garage area and Victory Lane. One digital leader board was completely destroyed and another one sustained major damage. The tornado continued on a northeast path across northern Talladega County. Numerous trees were blown down or snapped off along the path. Several out-building were destroyed and sheet metal was lofted into trees. The tornado moved into the Eastaboga area where it caused severe damage. Two homes suffered major roof damage, two porches were destroyed and many trees were blown down. The tornado continued northeastward into southwest Calhoun County. In Bynum, two mobile homes were heavily damaged by fallen trees. One of the trees smashed a mobile home killing a 75 year old woman around 712 am. In the Coldwater area, one home was significantly damaged and a shed was destroyed. Numerous trees were still being knocked down along the path. The tornado then moved into the southwestern part of Anniston. A cinder block building sustained major structural damage and an animal shelter received major roof damage. Several other businesses sustained damage near Anniston. The total tornado damage path length was 15.2 miles and was 500 yards wide at its widest point. Begin: 33 34.19/86 04.42 End: 33 38.94/85 49.68 | |||||||||||
| 42.4 | 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°05'N / 84°40'W | 34°05'N / 84°40'W | 1.00 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cobb |
| 42.6 | 2008-05-11 | 2 | 33°04'N / 84°55'W | 33°04'N / 84°55'W | 1.00 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 80K | 0K | Troup |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A storm survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that an EF2 tornado touched down approximately one mile south of Louise or 5.5 miles northeast of LaGrange in northeast Troup county. This was just one of 15 tornadoes that affected the central portion of Georgia early on Mother's Day 2008 and the first of two tornadoes, within the same parent thunderstorm, to touch down in Troup county. The tornado touched down near the intersection of U.S. Highway 29 and Willowwood Road. The tornado tracked approximately 1 mile to the east-northeast to a point less than one mile east-southeast of Louise. The path width was approximately 150 yards wide. Three homes were damaged, a well house was destroyed, and numerous large trees were snapped in half along the path of the tornado. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A stationary front was draped across north Georgia early on May 10th with an active northwest flow aloft. Meanwhile...a vigorous short wave aloft was approaching the area from the southern plains. The stationary front provided the focus for two rounds of showers and thunderstorms, one early in the morning on the 10th and another in the afternoon. The activity tracked east-southeast with the upper flow aloft, mainly across north Georgia during the early morning and across central Georgia during the afternoon. An isolated strong supercell also tracked across the southern part of central Georgia during the evening. After a lull of convective activity for about four hours, intense multicell thunderstorms tracked into the area from Alabama after midnight and before dawn on the 11th. As these thunderstorms tracked across west central and central Georgia, 15 tornadoes were identified by subsequent surveys making this the most significant tornado outbreak to affect the area since the Katrina-associated tornadoes on August 29, 2005. Millions of dollars of property damage were reported as many homes were destroyed from these tornadoes from the western and southern suburbs of Atlanta southeastward across Macon, Dublin, and other counties in east central and southeast Georgia. Many of these counties were eligible for disaster assistance from the federal government. In addition to the tornadoes and thunderstorm winds that caused extensive damage in dozens of counties across north and central Georgia during the early morning hours of May 11th, strong gradient winds developed on the back side of the strong cold front that moved through the area as low pressure intensified across the mid-Atlantic region. The strong winds combined with wet ground resulted in dozens of trees being blown down in some north Georgia counties. There were also two deaths as a result of downed trees in Barrow and Gwinnett county, all non-thunderstorm-related winds. | |||||||||||
| 42.7 | 2009-02-18 | 2 | 33°13'N / 84°46'W | 33°14'N / 84°30'W | 16.00 Miles | 1760 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0K | Coweta |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that the EF2 tornado that touched down at 923 Bradberry Road, just inside the Meriwether county line, quickly crossed into Coweta county and continued on an east-northeastward track across far southern Coweta county, crossing into Spalding county approximately four miles east-northeast of Haralson. Within Coweta county the tornado caused minor to moderate damage to several homes. One home completely lost its roof. A horse was killed from flying debris near U.S. Highway 27A. Hundreds of trees were also blown down along the path of the tornado. The tornado tracked almost 16 miles within Coweta county. The maximum path width was estimated to be one mile with maximum winds of 120 mph. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A strong cold front accompanied and deep negatively tilted upper trough through the eastern U.S. from the 18th into the 19th. An unseasonably warm and unstable air mass developed in advance of the cold front during the late afternoon and early evening across north and central Georgia as warm, moist air rode northward into Georgia on a strong low-level jet. Afternoon temperatures in the 70s and dewpoints in the 60s, combined with strong shear and moderate instability, resulted in the development of numerous supercell thunderstorms from mid-afternoon until a few hours after midnight on the 19th. Ten tornadoes, ranging in scale from EF0 to EF3 tracked across several north and central Georgia counties. The worst tornadoes affected the east central Georgia counties of Jasper, Putnam, Hancock, and Jasper. A death was observed in Hancock county with an EF3 tornado and several injuries were reported from Putnam and Hancock counties. In addition to the tornadoes, very large hail occurred with several of the thunderstorms, including four-inch diameter hail in Coweta and Fayette counties just south of Atlanta. Numerous reports of golf ball and larger-sized hail were received. The event resulted in millions of dollars of damage and the destruction of several homes in north and central Georgia counties. | |||||||||||
| 42.9 | 1998-04-08 | 2 | 33°53'N / 84°31'W | 33°53'N / 84°28'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 15.0M | 0 | Cobb |
| Brief Description: The same supercell that had tracked from Alabama across Haralson and Paulding counties spawned another tornado in Smyrna. The touchdown was along Windy Hill Road just west of Cobb Parkway where a commercial building sustained heavy damage. A filling station and car dealership less than a block east also sustained heavy damage. There was $500,000 to $750,000 in damage to new cars. Trees over a foot in diameter were snapped or uprooted. In total, 59 buildings were damaged, but no injuries were reported. Aerial and ground surveys by NWS employees showed the path varied from 100 to 200 yards wide with a length of about 3 miles. The tornado crossed just into Fulton county near I-285 and the Chattahoochee River. Dime to quarter size hail and other wind damage were also reported in north and central Cobb county. | |||||||||||
| 43.1 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 34°03'N / 85°49'W | 34°12'N / 85°30'W | 20.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Cherokee |
| 43.1 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 34°06'N / 84°43'W | 34°08'N / 84°40'W | 3.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Bartow |
| 43.1 | 1954-12-05 | 2 | 33°42'N / 84°26'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 1 | 40 | 25K | 0 | Fulton | |
| 44.9 | 1975-03-24 | 3 | 33°46'N / 84°32'W | 33°54'N / 84°20'W | 14.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 3 | 152 | 250.0M | 0 | Fulton |
| 45.2 | 1976-03-29 | 2 | 33°37'N / 85°58'W | 1.00 Mile | 40 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Calhoun | |
| 45.4 | 2000-12-16 | 3 | 34°04'N / 85°47'W | 34°07'N / 85°44'W | 4.70 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 40K | 0K | Cherokee |
| Brief Description: Damage in Etowah and Cherokee counties was the result of an F3 tornado. The tornado track was 12.8 miles long and just over one quarter of a mile or about 500 yards wide at its widest point. The tornado touched down near Tidmore Bend, 5.3 miles east north east of the city of Gadsden, at 246 PM and lifted at 305 PM near Pollard Bend in Cherokee County. The tornado track was 8.1 miles in Etowah County and 4.7 miles in Cherokee County for a total of 12.8 miles. The most significant damage with the tornado was in the Coats Bend Community of Etowah County where 14 injuries occurred and approximately 250 homes were either totally destroyed or had major damage. Damage in Cherokee County was limited to downed trees and damage to a couple of structures. Beginning: 34 02.864/85 55.347 Ending: 34 06.877/85 42.900 | |||||||||||
| 45.5 | 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°06'N / 84°37'W | 34°04'N / 84°34'W | 3.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cherokee |
| 45.5 | 1986-03-19 | 2 | 33°58'N / 84°32'W | 34°01'N / 84°29'W | 5.70 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 15 | 25.0M | 0 | Cobb |
| 45.6 | 1968-05-29 | 2 | 34°18'N / 85°06'W | 0.80 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Floyd | |
| 46.1 | 1989-03-05 | 2 | 32°54'N / 85°31'W | 33°06'N / 85°17'W | 15.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Chambers |
| 46.2 | 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°04'N / 84°34'W | 34°02'N / 84°31'W | 3.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cobb |
| 46.4 | 1972-01-10 | 3 | 33°40'N / 84°24'W | 33°41'N / 84°21'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Fulton |
| 46.4 | 1953-05-01 | 4 | 33°13'N / 85°56'W | 33°18'N / 85°45'W | 12.10 Miles | 440 Yards | 7 | 12 | 250K | 0 | Clay |
| 46.4 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 34°08'N / 84°40'W | 34°10'N / 84°38'W | 3.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Cherokee |
| 46.4 | 2008-03-14 | 2 | 33°46'N / 84°25'W | 33°44'N / 84°21'W | 5.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 30 | 25.0M | 0K | Fulton |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A ground and aerial survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia in cooperation with the Atlanta Police Department, confirmed that an EF2 tornado tracked through the heart of the city of Atlanta causing millions of dollars of damage to buildings, including several high rise business and/or hotel buildings, within the downtown Atlanta area. The tornado also resulted in one death and 30 non-life threatening injuries. The death occurred on Decatur Street across from the Martin Luther King MARTA station. The tornado first touched down near the intersection of Simpson and Burbank Streets in the Vine City neighborhood just west of downtown Atlanta. The tornado then tracked near due east over the center of the Georgia World Congress Center, about 100 yards north of the Georgia Dome, which was concurrently hosting an SEC basketball conference, across the CNN Omni Hotel Complex and the Phillips Arena, where an NBA basketball game was underway, across the Equitable Bank tower, across the Interstate 75/85 Downtown Connector at the Edgewood Exit, and then into the Cotton Mill Lofts across the Oakland Cemetery located near the Fulton/DeKalb county line. The tornado then weakened, but continued into extreme western DeKalb county before finally lifting for good. The tornado had a total path length of six miles, five of which fell within Fulton county, and a maximum path width of 200 yards. Maximum wind speeds were estimated at 130 mph, which is a high end EF2. The tornado had a path width of 100 yards as it moved across the Georgia World Congress Center and CNN Omni Hotel complex and was ranked an EF1 at that point. At least 50 homes were damaged by the tornado, as were several multi-story towers and commercial buildings near and east of Centennial Olympic Park. Windows were blown out of several of these high rise tower buildings at multiple heights. Damage in residential and industrial areas ranged from roofing materials blown from homes and businesses to trees falling on structures and vehicles. The Cotton Mill Lofts experienced some of the most significant damage with the roof blown off and exterior walls on the top or fourth floors blown inward. Two sections of the fourth flour collapsed all the way into the basement of the building, trapping several people. Most of the injuries observed were associated with this damage. Damaged buildings and structures in the downtown Atlanta area included two Hermes 65-foot tall light towers at Centennial Olympic Park, the CNN Center/Omni Hotel, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Equitable Bank Building, Georgia-Pacific Building, Georgia World Congress Center, Grady Hospital, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Martin Luther King Center, Oakland Cemetery, SunTrust Building, Tabernacle, Ted's Montana Grill, Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, and Walton Building Barbershop. In addition to the damage reports, a wind gust of 83 mph was measured at Atlanta Fire Station No. 13 at 447 Flat Shoals Road Southeast in Atlanta, and a wind gust of 65 mph was measured at Atlanta Fire Station No. 4 at 309 Edgewood Drive in Atlanta. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A series of vigorous upper-level disturbances were racing through a fast zonal flow across the southern states. A supercell thunderstorm developed across north central Alabama and tracked southeast into northwest Georgia and eventually across downtown Atlanta, spawning an EF2 tornado that tracked right through the heart of downtown Atlanta. This was the first recorded incident of a tornado touchdown in downtown Atlanta. The tornado wreaked havoc on the downtown streets as it tracked from the Vine City neighborhood on the west, across the I-75/85 corridor, through the Cotton Mill Lofts, and into extreme western DeKalb county before weakening. One death was reported and dozens were injured as they were trapped in downtown buildings amidst debris. Damage was in the millions. | |||||||||||
| 46.5 | 1957-11-18 | 2 | 33°16'N / 85°51'W | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Clay | |||
| 47.5 | 1989-11-15 | 2 | 34°15'N / 85°27'W | 34°22'N / 85°20'W | 8.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Floyd |
| 47.6 | 1970-04-02 | 2 | 33°57'N / 85°57'W | 34°00'N / 85°52'W | 6.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Etowah |
| 47.8 | 1978-05-08 | 2 | 33°37'N / 84°23'W | 33°39'N / 84°19'W | 4.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Clayton |
| 48.1 | 1956-04-15 | 2 | 33°54'N / 84°52'W | 34°12'N / 84°08'W | 46.80 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Paulding |
| 48.5 | 2002-11-11 | 2 | 34°18'N / 84°59'W | 34°19'N / 84°50'W | 12.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.5M | 0 | Bartow |
| Brief Description: A National Weather Service disaster survey team and the Bartow county Emergency Management Director confirmed a 12 mile long west-east path of damage beginning on Barnsley Garden Road near Barnsley Gardens in northwest Bartow county continuing east to just south of Halls Station crossing U.S. Highway 41, then east across Pleasant Valley Road, to just east of Interstate 75 on Crowe Spring Road. The path of damage, up to 500 yards wide in some area, consisted mostly of damage caused by straight line winds with speeds of 80 to 100 mph, but there was definite evidence of tornadic damage of F2 intensity in an isolated area on Clear Creek Road. This portion of the tornado had a path length of 500 yards with a path width of 100 yards. Tornadic damage of F1 intensity was evident along a secondary segment of the damage path at the intersection of Cedar Creek Road and Hazel Road about 3 miles north of Cassville. This portion of the torando had a path length of 500 yards with a path width of 100 yards. Twelve to 15 residental homes suffered major structural damage, seven chicken houses were destroyed, including 7500 chickens, and a barn was completely destroyed. There were also numerous downed trees and power lines along and near the the damage path. Bartow county was one of five counties declared in a state of emergency by the governor. | |||||||||||
| 49.0 | 1961-05-09 | 2 | 32°56'N / 85°09'W | 0.80 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Troup | |
| 49.1 | 2004-11-24 | 2 | 33°35'N / 86°04'W | 33°37'N / 86°00'W | 4.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 125K | 0 | Talladega |
| Brief Description: The tornado touched down in the vicinity of the Talladega Superspeedway. Two concession stands within the infield area of the race track had their roofs blown off. The Bush Garage area received building damage and the garage doors were bowed out. Debris was scattered between the garage area and Victory Lane. One digital leader board was completely destroyed and another one sustained major damage. The tornado continued on a northeast path across northern Talladega County. Numerous trees were blown down or snapped off along the path. Several out-building were destroyed and sheet metal was lofted into trees. The tornado moved into the Eastaboga area where it caused severe damage. Two homes suffered major roof damage, two porches were destroyed and many trees were blown down. The tornado continued northeastward into southwest Calhoun County. In Bynum, two mobile homes were heavily damaged by fallen trees. One of the trees smashed a mobile home killing a 75 year old woman around 712 am. In the Coldwater area, one home was significantly damaged and a shed was destroyed. Numerous trees were still being knocked down along the path. The tornado then moved into the southwestern part of Anniston. A cinder block building sustained major structural damage and an animal shelter received major roof damage. Several other businesses sustained damage near Anniston. The total tornado damage path length was 15.2 miles and was 500 yards wide at its widest point. Begin: 33 34.19/86 04.42 End: 33 38.94/85 49.68 | |||||||||||
| 49.2 | 1953-12-04 | 2 | 33°58'N / 84°25'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cobb | |
| 49.3 | 1972-01-10 | 3 | 33°41'N / 84°21'W | 33°42'N / 84°18'W | 3.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | De Kalb |
| 49.4 | 2000-12-16 | 3 | 34°03'N / 85°56'W | 34°05'N / 85°49'W | 8.10 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 14 | 10.0M | 0K | Etowah |
| Brief Description: Damage in Etowah and Cherokee counties was the result of an F3 tornado. The tornado track was 12.8 miles long and just over one quarter of a mile or about 500 yards wide at its widest point. The tornado touched down near Tidmore Bend, 5.3 miles east north east of the city of Gadsden, at 246 PM and lifted at 305 PM near Pollard Bend in Cherokee County. The tornado track was 8.1 miles in Etowah County and 4.7 miles in Cherokee County for a total of 12.8 miles. The most significant damage with the tornado was in the Coats Bend Community of Etowah County where 14 injuries occurred and approximately 250 homes were either totally destroyed or had major damage. Damage in Cherokee County was limited to downed trees and damage to a couple of structures. Beginning: 34 02.864/85 55.347 Ending: 34 06.877/85 42.900 | |||||||||||
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.