Yet another deep upper trough was translating across the south central and southeast United States accompanied by a strong Pacific cold front. Although instability was marginal for the time of year, the upper atmosphere was highly sheared with a strong low-level jet.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS FFC wrote it up.
Yet another deep upper trough was translating across the south central and southeast United States accompanied by a strong Pacific cold front. Although instability was marginal for the time of year, the upper atmosphere was highly sheared with a strong low-level jet. Showers and a few thunderstorms moved across the area during the day, but it was during the late evening hours when the front moved into the area from the west that strong to severe thunderstorms developed across eastern Alabama and moved into western Georgia. The activity took on the form of a squall line with distinct bowing segments. Two EF1 tornadoes were spawned within this line of thunderstorms causing considerable damage to homes and businesses in the Columbus and Woodstock areas. The activity quickly dissipated shortly after midnight as it moved further east into central and northeast Georgia.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Atlanta, GA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 19, 4:15 AM EST, 5 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 515 AM EDT SUN APR 19 2009 .SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW SURFACE LOW LIFTING NORTHEAST INTO THE TN/OH VALLEY REGION TODAY/TONIGHT...PULLING A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI REGION...AS A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES. AREA OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS AHEAD OF THE FRONT CURRENTLY PUSHING ACROSS MISSISSIPPI INTO ALABAMA... EXPECTED TO SPREAD INTO PORTIONS OF NORTH AND WEST GEORGIA BY SUNRISE...THEN ACROSS THE REST OF THE CWA DURING THE MORNING. MAY SEE A BREAK BETWEEN INITIAL ACTIVITY THIS MORNING...AND REDEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AS THE FRONT GETS CLOSER. SPC NOW OUTLOOKING JUST A SLIVER OF OUR WESTERN COUNTIES FOR RISK OF SEVERE STORMS TODAY. INSTABILITY RATHER WEAK...WITH LITTLE CAPE. HOWEVER..WITH WEAK SHEAR AND A WEAK LOW LEVEL JET EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE REGION...COULD SEE A FEW STRONG/ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS DEVELOP...ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON IF WE ARE ABLE TO GET SOME BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS/HEATING...TO AID IN DESTABILIZATION. MODELS SIMILAR WITH FRONT PUSHING INTO NORTHWEST GEORGIA THIS EVENING...NEARING A CSG TO AGS LINE BY EARLY MONDAY AS THE MAIN BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PUSH ACROSS SOUTH GEORGIA. HOWEVER...MODELS STILL MAINTAIN SOME WRAP-AROUND MOISTURE AFFECTING MUCH OF NORTH GEORGIA INTO TUESDAY...AND MAY SEE A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS OVER THAT AREA...ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS. COOLER AIRMASS SETTLES IN OVER THE STATE BEHIND THE FRONT. MODELS SIMILAR WITH HIGHS RUNNING SOME 5 TO 10 DEGREES COOLER THAN AVERAGE BY TUESDAY...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTH. .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... EXTENDED PROGS SHOW THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LIFTING ACROSS NEW ENGLAND BY WEDNESDAY...AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE SOUTHEAST U.S. FROM THE GULF. THIS WILL LEAD TO A DRY FORECAST AND MODERATING TEMPS FOR THE REST OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD. && .FIRE WEATHER... WITH SCATTERED PRECIPITATION EXPECTED OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL TODAY AND MONDAY...NO FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ARE ANTICIPATED. && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH 17Z. MVFR CEILINGS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AFTER 17Z AND PERSIST THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA BETWEEN 22Z AND 06Z. WINDS WILL BE LIGHT AND VARY FROM SOUTHEAST AND SOUTHWEST BETWEEN 12Z AND 16Z...BECOMING PREDOMINATELY SOUTHWEST AFTER 16Z WITH WIND SPEEDS INCREASING TO 8 TO 12 KTS...WITH HIGHER GUSTS BETWEEN 18Z AND 00Z. SCATTERED LIGHT SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH 18Z...WITH INCREASING CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT AFTER 18Z. THE MOST ACTIVE TIME FOR CONVECTION WILL BE BETWEEN 20Z AND 02Z ACROSS NORTH AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA...AND BETWEEN 00Z AND 06Z ACROSS CENTRAL AND EAST GEORGIA. 20 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 73 56 69 46 67 / 70 70 20 20 20 ATLANTA 70 55 68 45 64 / 70 60 20 20 20 BLAIRSVILLE 66 53 61 41 61 / 80 70 30 30 30 CARTERSVILLE 70 53 65 40 64 / 70 60 20 20 20 COLUMBUS 74 59 73 47 71 / 70 60 10 10 10 GAINESVILLE 70 55 65 44 66 / 70 70 20 20 20 MACON 75 58 75 47 72 / 50 70 10 10 10 ROME 71 54 68 44 69 / 70 60 20 20 20 PEACHTREE CITY 71 53 69 43 66 / 70 60 10 10 10 VIDALIA 77 57 75 50 72 / 30 70 20 10 10 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && 49
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 540 AM EDT SUN APR 19 2009 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-200945- BALDWIN-BANKS-BARROW-BARTOW-BIBB-BLECKLEY-BUTTS-CARROLL-CATOOSA- CHATTAHOOCHEE-CHATTOOGA-CHEROKEE-CLARKE-CLAYTON-COBB-COWETA- CRAWFORD-CRISP-DADE-DAWSON-DEKALB-DODGE-DOOLY-DOUGLAS-EMANUEL- FANNIN-FAYETTE-FLOYD-FORSYTH-GILMER-GLASCOCK-GORDON-GREENE- GWINNETT-HALL-HANCOCK-HARALSON-HARRIS-HEARD-HENRY-HOUSTON-JACKSON- JASPER-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-JONES-LAMAR-LAURENS-LUMPKIN-MACON- MADISON-MARION-MERIWETHER-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-MORGAN-MURRAY- MUSCOGEE-NEWTON-NORTH FULTON-OCONEE-OGLETHORPE-PAULDING-PEACH- PICKENS-PIKE-POLK-PULASKI-PUTNAM-ROCKDALE-SCHLEY-SOUTH FULTON- SPALDING-STEWART-SUMTER-TALBOT-TALIAFERRO-TAYLOR-TELFAIR-TOOMBS- TOWNS-TREUTLEN-TROUP-TWIGGS-UNION-UPSON-WALKER-WALTON-WARREN- WASHINGTON-WEBSTER-WHEELER-WHITE-WHITFIELD-WILCOX-WILKES- WILKINSON- 540 AM EDT SUN APR 19 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .SYNOPSIS... A DEVELOPING SURFACE LOW OVER THE MID AND LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...ASSOCIATED WITH A LARGE UPPER LOW MOVING EAST OUT OF THE SOUTHERN PLAINS...WILL LIFT NORTHEAST INTO THE TENNESSEE VALLEY TODAY AND INTO THE OHIO VALLEY TONIGHT DRAGGING A COLD FRONT ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .PRIMARY HAZARDS... THE PRIMARY HAZARD FROM ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...ALTHOUGH ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. THE BEST TIME FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT WILL BE FROM 4 PM THROUGH 8 PM EDT WEST OF LINE FROM CHATSWORTH TO MARIETTA AND PRESTON. .DISCUSSION... THE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA WILL BECOME WEAKLY TO MODERATELY UNSTABLE BY THIS AFTERNOON WITH LIFTED INDICES BETWEEN MINUS 1 AND MINUS 3 AND CAPE BETWEEN 300 AND 800 BY LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. ALTHOUGH MODERATE TO STRONG SHEAR IS EXPECTED IN THE LOW AND MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS NORTH GEORGIA THIS MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON...THE BEST SHEAR SHIFTS OFF TO THE NORTHEAST OF THE STATE BY THE TIME THE ATMOSPHERE OVER THE REGION DESTABILIZES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST INFORMATION FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION...ESPECIALLY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ACROSS NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL GEORGIA.
The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 65 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:42 UTC.
2 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
The Walker County Emergency Management Director reported that a few trees were blown down in the southern part of the county.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency relayed reports of funnel clouds from northeast Cobb county near the Interstate 75 and Interstate 575 split. A mesoscale circulation was clearly evident on Doppler radar in this area.
A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that an EF1 tornado touched down in far southeast Cherokee county near the Cobb county line in the Woodstock area. The tornado touched down near the intersection of Georgia Highway 92 and Dial Drive, then continued north-northeast along Dial Drive crossing a large section of Coleman's Bluff. The tornado lifted just south of the intersection of Windcrest Court and River Chase Drive. The total path length of the tornado was 1.5 miles with a maximum path width of 1/2 mile or 880 yards. Maximum winds were estimated to be 90 mph. EF1 tornado damage to trees and structures was observed along a 3/4 mile-long path paralleling Dial Drive beginning just north of its intersection with Georgia Highway 92. Damage was observed to 120 homes along the path of the tornado, 12 of which were completely destroyed. The majority of the damage took place in the Coleman's Bluff area. Most of the damage was the result of large trees falling on the structures. Two residents of the affected homes were injured by debris.
A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that an EF1 tornado, which initially touched down in Phenix City - Russell County, Alabama as an EF2 tornado at the intersection of Dillingham and Broad Streets, continued into Muscogee county, Georgia and the city of Columbus. The total tornado path was determined to be approximately four miles in length, two of which fell within Muscogee county, Georgia. The maximum path width was determined to be 250 yards with maximum winds estimated at 105 mph. Damage within Georgia was first observed at Columbus State University. Significant damage was observed to buildings and trees on the campus. The Old Rankin Building, an older building which had been converted to dormitories, suffered substantial damage. From this point, spotty tree, roof, and window damage was observed along the path of the tornado and it continued moving eastward. At the intersection of 13th Street and 13th Avenue, a small utility truck used at a nursery had been picked up and moved at least 25 feet and through a neighboring fence. Minor damage to displays, trees, and plants was also observed in the adjacent nursery. From here to where the tornado lifted near the intersection of Macon Road and Preston Drive in Columbus, hundreds of large mature oak trees were either snapped or uprooted through Lake Bottom Park and Hilton Avenue and Harding Drive. Extensive damage was observed to homes throughout this area, largely a result of the downed trees. Many power lines were down along the path of the tornado as well. Over 100 structures, including homes and businesses, suffered minor to moderate damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Georgia, 2009Warnings in Georgia, April 2009
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 167121, 167122, 167123, 167134.