Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Georgia, September 29, 1998

Hurricane Georges moved slowly onshore near Biloxi, Mississippi the morning of the 28th. Although it had weakened to a tropical depression by the 29th, it still posed a threat to west central and southwest Georgia as spiral bands of convection triggered funnel clouds and heavy rain. Newspaper and numerous public reports relayed through the sheriff's office, as well as sight survey by an NWS employee indicated funnels were observed over the east part of Sumter county from southeast of DeSoto to Andersonville, and others were in central and west parts of the county near Americus and Plains. Little or no lightning and thunder were observed with the weather system.

Low topped convection caused an apparent tornado in the Railroad Street area of DeSoto. Newspaper reports and sight survey by an NWS employee indicated at least 1 permanent structure home and 7 mobile homes were destroyed. Other homes were damaged by some of the hundreds of trees that fell. Several businesses were also damaged.

Reports from the Macon county sheriff's office and newspaper accounts indicated trees were downed in the west part of Macon county. A car was reported damaged by a falling tree.

A newspaper reported trees were toppled and a porch was torn off a mobile home in the northern part of Schley county.

The public reported a funnel cloud.

Sight survey by an NWS employee and a newspaper report indicated a permanent structure home and several mobile or modular homes were destroyed in the Ferguson Road area. Debris was scattered several hundred feet.

A newspaper report indicated another brief touchdown by an apparent tornado took out a pecan grove on Georgia highway 49 near Andersonville. This would probably have been from the same storm that had hit near DeSoto about 35 minutes earlier.