Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, April 8 to 9, 1998

Numerous public reports were received of dime to golfball size hail.

Numerous public reports of hail ranging from dime to golfball size were also received from across Floyd county.

Numerous public reports were received of hail ranging from dime to quarter size.

Larger than nickel size hail was reported at Buford Dam.

The public reported dime to nickel size hail.

The public reported hail ranging from dime to golfball size.

Dime size hail fell in western Clayton county. Up to golfball size hail occurred in northern parts of the county, where a vehicle was reportedly damaged in Ellenwood.

Thunderstorm winds knocked trees down.

Several reports of dime to nickel size hail were received.

Lots of dime to nickel size hail was reported.

A few public reports of hail from dime to half-dollar size were received.

Several reports were received from the public of hail ranging from dime to golfball size.

Golfball size hail damaged a vehicle.

Several public reports of dime to quarter size hail were received. Damage to vehicles was also reported.

Dime to golfball size hail was reported. A vehicle was damaged.

Dime to quarter size hail was reported between 950 pm and 1005 pm. Golfball to as large as baseball size was reported around 1020 pm.

Thunderstorm winds knocked trees down on power lines.

Sight survey by a NWS employee confirmed an F0-F1 tornado. One mobile home was destroyed and 36 other homes, 7 businesses and 2 churches were damaged. Several vehicles were damaged and many trees were downed. There were no reported injuries but 3 families had to move into temporary shelters.The damage path began just inside the Georgia border from Alabama and ended just west of Tallapoosa.

Thunderstorm winds damaged roofs and knocked several trees down in the community of New Georgia.

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.

The tornado continued into Fulton county before lifting temporarily. Large trees were snapped, power lines were downed and damage occurred to buildings. Four minor injuries were reported.

The damage path began just northeast of Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody and extended well into Gwinnett county. There was significant widespread damage to trees and homes. One person was killed when a tree fell on his home. DeKalb College's north campus was closed after several buildings sustained major damage.

Significant widespread damage continued into Gwinnett county in a path from Norcross through Duluth and Suwanee to north of Lawrenceville. Large trees were knocked down or snapped. Many of them fell on homes and apartments causing damage. Roofs were torn off of houses. At least 5000 homes were affected. Ten people at an apartment complex were treated for minor injuries.

A HAM operator reported trees and power lines were downed near highway 120.

The Fulton county EMA reported numerous trees were downed in northern Fulton county. Four minor injuries resulted.

The DeKalb county EMA reported thunderstorm winds damaged houses.

Lots of trees were knocked down, one large one fell on an apartment building. A porch was blown off a house. Larger than dime size hail was also reported.

Barrow 911 reported trees were knocked down and blocking a road.