Alert archive / Georgia / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 52, NWS Atlanta, GA

May 20, 2025Gordon County, Georgia

NWS Atlanta, GA issued this tornado warning at May 20, 2025, 11:39 PM EDT for Gordon County, Georgia. It was in force for 36 min. 5 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
May 20, 2025, 11:39 PM EDT (03:39 UTC)
Expired
May 21, 2025, 12:15 AM EDT
In force
36 min
Issued by
NWS Atlanta, GA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
0.75 in

County Gordon County, GA

The radar

The Atlanta radar (KFFC), 122 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:42 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 20, 11:42 PM EDTTORNADO3 Sw Sonoraville, GAAn EF0 tornado touched down along Plainview Road SE and travelled northeast. Main damage occurred in the Windy Hill/Folsom Road area. Max winds were 85 mph.
May 20, 11:42 PM EDTTORNADO3 Sw Sonoraville, GACorrects previous tornado report from 3 SW Sonoraville. Corrects previous tornado report from 3 NW Folsom. An EF0 tornado touched down along Plainview Road SE and travelled northeast. Main damage occurred in the Windy Hill/Folsom Road area. Max winds were 85 m
May 20, 11:43 PM EDTTORNADO3 W Sonoraville, GAan EF0 tornado touched down north of Hwy 53 along Foster Lusk Road SE. Maximum winds were 75 mph with a track length of 2.1 miles.
May 20, 11:43 PM EDTTORNADO3 W Sonoraville, GAan EF0 with max winds of 75mph touched down north of hwy 53 and Foster Lusk Road travelling ESE. The tornado was on the ground for 2.1 miles.
May 20, 11:45 PM EDTTSTM WND DMG2 Ese Sonoraville, GAMultiple trees and powerlines down near the intersection of Windy Hill Road SE and Folsom Road. Possible tornado.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 20, 7:27 PM EDTTornado WatchSPC6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 3.7 hours before the alert went out and 122 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2025-05-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 735 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2025-05-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 82 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
735 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1407 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
82 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
124 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.3
Supercell composite
5.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

785 
WFUS52 KFFC 210339
TORFFC
GAC129-210415-
/O.NEW.KFFC.TO.W.0052.250521T0339Z-250521T0415Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
1139 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

The National Weather Service in Peachtree City has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Southeastern Gordon County in northwestern Georgia...

* Until 1215 AM EDT.

* At 1139 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a
  tornado was located over Calhoun, moving east at 35 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* Locations impacted include...
  Calhoun, Fairmount, Ranger, and Sonoraville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3448 8465 3446 8465 3444 8466 3441 8465
      3441 8473 3440 8473 3442 8498 3450 8499
      3451 8468
TIME...MOT...LOC 0339Z 272DEG 30KT 3446 8492 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$
2 follow-up statements
608 
WWUS52 KFFC 210358
SVSFFC

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
1158 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

GAC129-210415-
/O.CON.KFFC.TO.W.0052.000000T0000Z-250521T0415Z/
Gordon GA-
1158 PM EDT Tue May 20 2025

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1215 AM EDT FOR
SOUTHEASTERN GORDON COUNTY...

At 1158 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located near Sonoraville, or 10 miles east of Calhoun, moving
east at 30 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
         shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage 
         to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree damage is 
         likely.

Locations impacted include...
Fairmount, Ranger, and Sonoraville.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 3441 8486 3450 8487 3451 8468 3448 8465
      3446 8465 3444 8466 3441 8465 3441 8473
      3440 8473
TIME...MOT...LOC 0358Z 272DEG 26KT 3445 8477 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...<.75 IN

$$
310 
WWUS52 KFFC 210408
SVSFFC

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
1208 AM EDT Wed May 21 2025

GAC129-210417-
/O.EXP.KFFC.TO.W.0052.000000T0000Z-250521T0415Z/
Gordon GA-
1208 AM EDT Wed May 21 2025

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTHEASTERN GORDON COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT
1215 AM EDT...

The storm which prompted the warning has moved out of the area.
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 200 AM EDT for north central
and northwestern Georgia.

&&

LAT...LON 3441 8486 3450 8487 3451 8468 3448 8465
      3446 8465 3444 8466 3441 8465 3441 8473
      3440 8473
TIME...MOT...LOC 0407Z 272DEG 30KT 3445 8468 

$$

The office that day

Everything else NWS Atlanta, GA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 20, 8:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCatoosa, Dade, Walker43 min
May 20, 9:13 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCDade, Walker36 min
May 20, 9:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCatoosa, Dade, Walker, Whitfield45 min
May 20, 9:57 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCCatoosa, Murray, Walker, Whitfield48 min
May 20, 10:06 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCChattooga, Dade, Walker39 min
May 20, 10:31 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCGilmer, Murray, Whitfield20 min
May 20, 10:37 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCChattooga, Floyd, Gordon, Walker, Whitfield26 min
May 20, 10:37 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCChattooga, Floyd, Gordon, Walker, Whitfield42 min
May 20, 10:40 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCChattooga, Walker50 min
May 20, 10:50 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGilmer, Murray24 min
May 20, 10:57 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCFannin48 min
May 20, 11:04 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCChattooga, Floyd41 min
May 20, 11:13 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBartow, Chattooga, Floyd, Gordon, Murray47 min
May 20, 11:15 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCChattooga, Floyd, Gordon45 min
May 20, 11:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Floyd, Gordon, Paulding and 2 more41 min
May 20, 11:54 PM EDTTornado WarningFFCBartow, Cherokee, Gordon, Pickens21 min
May 21, 12:12 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCTowns33 min
May 21, 12:19 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCherokee, Cobb, Dawson, DeKalb, Forsyth, Fulton and 4 more41 min
May 21, 12:25 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningFFCFloyd2 hr
May 21, 12:34 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCHaralson41 min
May 21, 12:50 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCBanks, Barrow, Cobb, DeKalb, Forsyth, Fulton and 3 more19 min
May 21, 1:00 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCarroll, Douglas, Haralson, Paulding26 min
May 21, 1:05 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCFulton25 min
May 21, 1:08 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCBarrow, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Jackson37 min
May 21, 1:10 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCarroll, Haralson27 min
May 21, 1:19 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCBarrow, Clayton, DeKalb, Douglas, Gwinnett, Oconee and 2 more26 min
May 21, 1:26 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCDouglas, Fulton34 min
May 21, 1:36 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCCarroll39 min
May 21, 1:48 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningFFCCobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, Paulding4 hr
May 21, 2:07 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCCoweta23 min
May 21, 2:16 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCOconee, Oglethorpe29 min
May 21, 2:36 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCFayette24 min
May 21, 2:49 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCFayette26 min
May 21, 2:58 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCClayton, Fayette, Fulton, Henry32 min
May 21, 3:15 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCFayette, Henry, Spalding30 min
May 21, 3:26 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCButts, Clayton, Henry, Newton34 min
May 21, 3:36 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCButts, Spalding24 min
May 21, 3:42 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCButts, Henry, Jasper, Jones, Monroe, Spalding33 min
May 21, 3:45 AM EDTTornado WarningFFCButts, Henry, Jasper, Monroe, Spalding30 min
May 21, 3:57 AM EDTTornado Warning Tornado observedFFCButts, Jasper18 min
May 21, 4:09 AM EDTTornado WarningFFCButts, Jasper15 min
May 21, 4:20 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFCGlascock, Hancock, Taliaferro, Warren40 min
May 21, 4:43 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCJefferson32 min
May 21, 7:09 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCSumter36 min
May 21, 7:38 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCWebster37 min
May 21, 7:52 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementFFCBleckley, Houston23 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Georgia, 2025Every tornado warning in 2025Tornadoes in 2025

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.