Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, February 21, 1993

Six homes sustained structural damage due to very strong wind.

A tornado touched down near Esom Hill in extreme southwest Polk County near the Alabama/Georgia border. The tornado traveled 9 miles and destroyed 500 homes, 40 businesses, and 14 churches, mobile homes, and downed trees. Damage path was approximately 0.5 mile wide. Nearly the entire town of Cedartown was without power due to downed power lines which included 15,000 homes and businesses. Most industries in the Cedartown Industrial Park were damaged by the tornado including HON Industries which had the back half of its office furniture manufacturing plant blown off by the storm. The tornado also damaged the Star Manufacturing building, Zartic Inc. frozen food processing plant, Rome Plow County plant, Coca Cola distribution warehouse, Arrow Shirt Factory, and Cedar Valley Container Corp. A fatality occurred when the tornado lifted and destroyed a mobile home, killing its occupant. (M31M)

A small tornado briefly touched down about 6 miles east of Calhoun in central Gordon County eight A-frame homes suffered minor to moderate damage. Parts of roofs, facings and blockwork were blown off houses and electric power meters were stripped from their structures. Several large trees and powerlines were downed. Two witnesses observed the tornado.

Several county buildings sustained damage in Cartersville. A brick retaining wall around the jail was blown down and an edifice on a municipal building was damaged in Cartersville. Several large trees and power lines downed. In Cartersville, 600 electric customers lost power.

A weak and short lived tornado touched down 5 miles east of Cartersville along Georgia Highway 20 in southeast Bartow County. Four to five homes sustained major damage with roofs removed, porches blown off and windows blown out. One double wide mobile home was moved 30 feet off its foundation.

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.

Several large trees and power lines were downed.

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.

Windows were blown out of a mobile home in Habersham.

The tornado touched down in Federal Park about 4 miles west of Oakwood and downed several large trees. The tornado then moved east northeast and caused severe damage to five homes about 2 miles west of Oakwood. The tornado moved east and caused minor damage to a high school and several homes about 1 mile southwest of Oakwood. The tornado moved over Oakwood and damaged 24 duplexes and severely damaged five homes about 0.5 mile southwest of the town center. Residents of the subdivision compared the sound of the tornado to that of a jumbo jet taking off or a loud train. The tornado moved across Interstate 985, about 1 mile south of the center of Oakwood, in which several trees were downed on homes and cars in three divisions. Minor structural damage occurred to several businesses in Oakwood before the tornado dissipated. A total of nearly 100 structures were damaged, of which 45 homes were moderately to severely damaged. One large building destroyed. Over 2,500 electric customers lost power from downed power lines.

Several large trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm winds destroyed six homes and 18 businesses with major damage to 154 homes and 21 businesses and several municipal buildings in Monroe. The Monroe city fire station had its roof lifted away while the county jail lost every asphalt tile on its roof. A total of 253 structures in the city of Monroe sustained some degree of damage. Numerous large trees and power lines were downed along Georgia Highway 138, 1 mile west of Monroe.

The tornado touched down near Georgia Highway 100 near Ephesus and moved east- southeast and destroyed five chicken houses and killed 100,000 chickens. A dozen homes, both mobile and frame houses, were destroyed while 12 to 15 others sustained moderate to light damage. One church suffered major structural damage. Eight to nine vehicles were damaged from falling and wind driven debris. Over $40,000 worth of timber was destroyed. Two sawmills, a gristmill, a barn, and an antique warehouse were leveled by tornado winds east of Ephesus. Several large trees were twisted or snapped along the tornado path.

Several large trees and power lines were downed along Georgia Highway 153.