Tornadoes and Hail in Georgia, February 17, 2008

The Haralson County 911 Center reported that a number of trees were blown down across the county.

The Polk County Emergency Management Director reported that a tree fell on a house on Maple Street. The house sustained moderate damage as a result.

The Paulding County 911 Center reported that a number of trees were blown down across the county.

A survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia and the Carroll County Emergency Management Director confirmed that an EF1 tornado touched down in the southern Carroll county, four miles southwest of Lowell and tracked northeast, lifting approximately one mile northeast of Lowell. A single family home and a mobile home sustained major damage and another single family home sustained minor damage. Several barns and outbuildings were also damaged. Numerous trees and several power lines were blown down along the path of the tornado. The heaviest damage occurred on Ringer Road, Clem-Lowell Road, Miligan Creek Road, and Hamp Chappell Road. A total of three roads were blocked from downed trees. Much of this area of the county was left without power for several hours following the tornado.

An amateur radio operator reported that three trees were blown down near Lake Carroll, about one mile northeast of Carrollton. The public reported that two trees were down on a road in Villa Rica near the Douglas/Carroll county line.

The Douglas County 911 Center reported that many trees were down, scattered about the county. The public measured wind gusts of 55 mph in the Winston area at Interstate-20 and Post Road.

The Cobb County Emergency Manager and the public reported that many trees and a number of power lines were blown down across the county from Acworth, to Marietta, to Smyrna. Several fences were blown over and shingles were blown off some homes.

The Cherokee County Emergency Management Director reported that straight-line winds of 60 to 70 mph accompanied a line of thunderstorms that moved across the county. While damage was scattered across many areas of the central and southern parts of the county, there were two more concentrated areas of damage in the southern part of the county. In southwest Cherokee near the intersection of Georgia Highway 92 and Woodstock Roads. Many trees were blown down in this general area with a number of large trees down on the parking lot of the Oak Grove Elementary School. One house was hit by a falling tree and windows were blown out of a business office at the Rolling Hills Cemetery. About two miles further to the northeast at the Shadowood Mobile Home Park, four mobile homes were destroyed and 12 were heavily damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were reported down across the southern portion of the county and power outages were widespread.

The Fulton County 911 Center reported that five to six trees were blown down in the Palmetto area. The Fulton County Emergency Management Director reported that two more trees were down two to three miles west to northwest of Fairburn and another tree was down two miles west of College Park.

The public reported penny-sized hail.

The Forsyth County 911 Center reported that two trees and one power line were blown down in the Cumming area.

An aerial survey conducted by the National Weather Service and the Georgia State Patrol determined that a tornado, which moved out of Russell county Alabama, continued into far northwestern Stewart county. While the tornado was rated an EF2 in Russell county Alabama, it weakened to an EF0 tornado as it crossed into far northwest Stewart county just northwest of Omaha. It then paralleled the Chattahoochee River and the Alabama border for over nine miles before finally crossing into Chattahoochee county. The path width was estimated to be 50 yards wide. Damage was minimal and confined mainly to downed trees and a few power lines. One county vehicle was damaged near Omaha when a tree fell on it. Much of the track of the tornado remained within swamp land along the Chattahoochee River.

An aerial and ground survey conducted by the National Weather Service, the Georgia State Patrol, and the Chattahoochee County Emergency Management Director concluded that the EF0 tornado, which originated in Alabama and then crossed into Stewart county, continued into Chattahoochee county just south of Jamestown. The tornado continued on an east-northeastward track across U.S. Highway 27 near Cusseta, and then to the Marion county border at Georgia Highway 137. The tornado path length was over 12 miles long with a maximum path width of 100 yards. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down along the spotty damage path of the tornado. A single-wide mobile home was rolled at a mobile home park community south of Jamestown, but no injuries were reported. Widespread power outages were observed in the Cusseta area.

The Columbus Ledger-Inquirer reported that lightning struck a home at 506 Avis Court setting fire to the chimney and living room area.

An aerial and ground survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia concluded that the EF0 tornado that originated in Stewart county and then tracked through Chattahoochee county, continued into Marion county. The tornado entered Marion county about three miles northwest of Union, where Georgia Highway 137 touches the Chattahoochee county line. The tornado then continued on an east-northeastward track across the county exiting into Taylor county across Georgia Highway 127/240C, about one mile south of Mauk. The tornado passed about fives miles north of the county seat, Buena Vista, crossing Georgia Highway 41 at that point. The tornado had a estimated tornado path length was approximately 18 miles with a maximum path width of 100 yards. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down along the spotty damage path of the tornado, including several large trees which were uprooted at the Johnson Cemetery. The most significant damage occurred to a manufactured home, which was heavily damaged, in the northeast part of the county near Five Points on Johnson Cemetery Road, just off Georgia Highway 240, or about two miles south of Mauk. The home was destroyed and a large barn behind the home suffered significant damage as well. The adjacent mobile home also sustained some damage. No injuries were reported within the county.

An aerial and ground survey conducted by the National Weather Service, the Georgia State Patrol, and the Taylor County Emergency Management Director confirmed that the EF0 tornado, that originated in Alabama, crossed into Stewart county at 455 pm EST, Chattahoochee county at 505 pm EST, and then Marion county at 526 pm EST, continued into Taylor county, entering the county just south of Mauk at the intersection of the county line and Georgia Highway 127/240C. The tornado then continued on an east-northeastward track across the county, exiting into Crawford county where the county line and Georgia Highway 137 intersect, east of Flickling Mill. The tornado passed about three miles northeast of the county seat of Butler where two mobile homes off Georgia Highway 137 on Wainwright Road were destroyed and three others were heavily damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were downed along the spotty damage path produced by the tornado. Several reports of funnel clouds and rotating wall clouds were received from storm spotters and the public in the Howard area.

An amateur radio operator relayed a report of nickel-sized hail.

An aerial and ground survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office of Peachtree City, Georgia and the Georgia State Patrol concluded that the same supercell thunderstorm that spawned a tornado in Alabama, tracked across Stewart, Chattahoochee, Marion, and Taylor counties, continued into Crawford county. The tornado entered the county five to six miles southwest of Roberta, tracked just north of downtown Roberta, crossed U.S. Highway 341 and continued to a point approximately four miles northeast of Roberta, where it finally lifted. The tornado reached its strongest intensity while passing through Crawford county as an EF1. The damage path was about 10 miles long and at various points along the path was 250 yards wide. Significant damage was reported across the county as a result of the tornado. The tornado destroyed nine structures and damaged three others, most of which were manufactured homes. The most significant damage occurred along Walker Chapel Road and Felton Road, southwest of Roberta, and northeast of Roberta along Salem Church Road. Six injuries, two of which were critical, were reported from the damaged mobile homes in the area of Felton Road. Numerous trees and power lines were downed along the path of the tornado as well, particularly along Georgia Highway 137/128 southwest of Roberta. While the supercell continued into Bibb county, the survey concluded that there was no conclusive evidence that the tornado remained on the ground into Bibb county.

The Americus Times Recorder reported that thunderstorm winds caused significant damage within Webster county. A total of 12 mobile homes, one brick home, a pole barn, and a sanitation shop sustained minor to moderate damage. The majority of the damage was from Lynn Lane at Georgia Highway 520 northeastward through the county. Numerous trees and power lines were down within this same area.

The Sumter County Emergency Management Director reported that numerous trees and power lines were blown down from near Plains to five miles east of Friendship in the western part of the county.

An aerial and ground survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City in cooperation with the Georgia State Patrol and the Bibb county Emergency Management Director concluded that the supercell that had spawned an almost continuous tornado from southern Alabama across Stewart, Chattahoochee, Marion, Taylor, and Crawford counties, continued into Bibb county, but only as thunderstorm with straight-line wind gusts of 80 to 90 mph across far northern Bibb county. The survey was unable to confirm a tornado touchdown within Bibb county. The path of wind damage began just northwest of Lizella in northwest Bibb county near the Crawford county line and continued on an east to east-northeastward track across far northern Bibb county, across the northern portion of Macon, and into the Arkwright area. Numerous large pine and oak trees were blown down, uprooted, or split off along the wind damage path. Several homes and office buildings sustained damage from downed trees or roof damage from the wind. At least four homes had significant damage. At least 50 large trees were uprooted in the area. The majority of the damage occurred along Arkwright Road in the northeast part of the county.

The public observed penny-sized hail.

The Schley County 911 Center reported that a number of trees were blown down in the east and southeast part of the county, especially along Georgia Highway 26 east of Ellaville.

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 same supercell thunderstorm that spawned tornadoes across southern Alabama and into Stewart, Chattahoochee, Marion, Taylor, and Crawford counties, spawned yet another EF0 tornado in extreme western Jones county near the Bibb county line, just east of Arkwright. The tornado path length was determined to be approximately three miles long with a maximum damage path width of 100 yards. Maximum winds were estimated at 90 mph. A home in the River North Subdivision near the Bibb county line suffered substantial roof and window damage. Numerous trees were blown down along the path of the tornado.

The Macon County Sheriff reported that up to six trees were down along Georgia Highway 49 just north of Marshallville.

The public observed penny-sized hail on the south side of Macon at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Lee Roads.

The Baldwin County Emergency Management Director reported that many trees were blown down across mainly the northern half of the county. The same supercell that had spawned tornadoes and damaging wind all across west central and central Georgia from Stewart to Bibb county tracked western and northern Baldwin county before moving into Hancock county.

A wind gust of 53 knots or 61 mph was measured at the Warner Robins Air Force Base. A television meteorologist from Macon reported that a large tree was down on a home in Centerville and a fence was also blown over.