A cold front pushed through the Southeast on the 19th. Instability increased ahead of the front across central Georgia during the afternoon hours, and several thunderstorms were able to become severe, with mostly damaging winds reported.
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.
A cold front pushed through the Southeast on the 19th. Instability increased ahead of the front across central Georgia during the afternoon hours, and several thunderstorms were able to become severe, with mostly damaging winds reported. A tornado occurred as well in Newton and Morgan Counties.
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, 3:29 AM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 429 AM EDT FRI APR 19 2013 .SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT/... MAIN FEATURE OF THE SHORT TERM WILL BE THE COLD FRONT PUSHING THROUGH THE CWA TODAY. SHOWERS ARE JUST BEGINNING TO PUSH INTO NORTHWEST GEORGIA THIS MORNING AND EXPECT IT TO PUSH INTO THE ATL AREA BY MID MORNING AND INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. HI RES MODELS ARE ALL CONSISTENT WITH BRINGING THIS INITIAL AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH BUT THEN DEVELOPING AN AREA OF SHOWERS BEHIND IT AROUND THE ATL METRO AREA AND PUSHING SOUTHEAST INTO CENTRAL GEORGIA. GIVEN THIS...HAVE NOT BEEN TOO QUICK TO CLEAR OUT THE POPS THIS AFTERNOON...BUT GIVEN INSTABILITY THIS AFTERNOON IS LIMITED TO CENTRAL GEORGIA...HAVE ONLY INCLUDED SHOWERS IN THE NORTH. INSTABILITY IS FAIRLY LIMITED THIS MORNING AND THUS LIGHTNING HAS BEEN MINIMAL IN THE LINE. DESPITE LIMITED INSTABILITY...MAIN THREAT WITH THE LINE THIS MORNING IS DAMAGING WIND. BOTH NAM AND GFS SHOW 40KT LOW LEVEL SHEAR THIS MORNING. IN ADDITION...HAVE ALREADY SEEN SOME KINKS IN REFLECTIVITY ALONG THE LINE AND WILL HAVE TO WATCH CAREFULLY AS IT MOVES INTO NORTHWEST GEORGIA AS THE TORNADO THREAT IS NON-ZERO THIS MORNING. AS THE LINES PROGRESSES THROUGH THE CWA TODAY...INSTABILITY INCREASES WITH DAYTIME HEATING...HOWEVER THE LOW-LEVEL SHEAR DECREASES BY THE AFTERNOON. WITH CAPE EXPECTED AROUND 1000 J/KG THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS CENTRAL GEORGIA...THINK THIS MAY BE OUR BETTER CHANCE FOR THE STRONGER STORMS WITH THE MAIN THREAT BEING DAMAGING WIND. SPC HAS KEPT US OUT OF THE SLIGHT RISK FOR TODAY...BUT WE ARE IN GENERAL THUNDER. TEMPS ARE NEAR A BLEND BUT DO NOT FOLLOW A DIURNAL TREND FOR TODAY. WILL SEE TEMPS DROP WITH THE RAIN MOVING IN AND COLD FRONT PUSHING THROUGH. OVERNIGHT LOWS DROP DOWN INTO THE MID 30S ACROSS NORTH AND PARTS OF WEST GEORGIA. MAY NEED TO ISSUE A FROST ADVISORY FOR THIS...BUT GIVEN BORDERLINE VALUES WILL LET THE DAY SHIFT RE-EVALUATE. 11 .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... QUIET LONG TERM STILL ON TAP FOR THE FORECAST AREA UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...WHEN THE NEXT FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE CWFA. ANY LINGERING SHOWERS EARLY SATURDAY MORNING SHOULD DISSIPATE/MOVE OFF TO THE EAST BY LATE MORNING AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE WEST. HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN ACROSS THE CWFA THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. BOTH THE NAM AND GFS SHOW AN INVERTED SURFACE TROUGH DEVELOPING TO THE EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA SUNDAY INTO EARLY MONDAY. THE NAM BRINGS IN SOME LIGHT PRECIP WITH THIS FEATURE...WHILE THE GFS REMAINS DRY. THE POPS PRODUCED BY THE NAM ARE VERY LOW AT THIS TIME...SO WILL KEEP THE FORECAST DRY FOR NOW. THE NEXT BEST CHANCES FOR PRECIP WILL BE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. A SHARP COLD FRONT WILL BEGIN APPROACHING WESTERN GA OVERNIGHT TUESDAY...AN POPS WILL INCREASE FROM THE WEST. THE HIGHEST POPS SHOULD OCCUR ON WEDNESDAY WITH THE FROPA. MODELS ARE SHOWING SOME INSTABILITY...SO WILL KEEP THUNDER IN THE FORECAST. HIGH PRESSURE WILL RETURN FOR THE END OF THE WEEK. NLISTEMAA && .AVIATION... 06Z UPDATE... LINE OF TSRA WILL PUSH THROUGH THE TAF SITES TODAY WITH LINE OF TSRA TO BEGIN WITH AND THEN A TRANSITION TO JUST RA EVENTUALLY. WILL REACH THE ATL AREA AS EARLY AS 11Z BUT BEST CHANCES OF TS AT ATL APPEAR TO BE BETWEEN 14 AND 16Z. WINDS ARE ALREADY SOUTHERLY AND APPEAR THEY WILL BECOME JUST WEST OF SOUTH IN THE 10-12Z TIME FRAME SO THE TAF IS ON THE LATER SIDE OF THAT. WITH LINE OF TSRA...VSBYS COULD BECOME LOWER THAN ADVERTISED WITH 1-2SM POSSIBLE...HOWEVER WILL BE FOR A SHORT TIME PERIOD SO TAF MENTIONS MVFR. //ATL CONFIDENCE...06Z UPDATE... LOW CONFIDENCE ON TIMING OF WIND SHIFT...OTHERWISE MEDIUM CONFIDENCE ON WIND. MEDIUM CONFIDENCE ON TIMING OF PRECIP...CIGS AND VSBYS. MEDIUM CONFIDENCE OF THUNDER OCCURRING AT THE AIRPORT. 11 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATHENS 69 41 67 43 / 100 40 0 0 ATLANTA 65 40 65 45 / 100 20 0 0 BLAIRSVILLE 63 37 62 39 / 100 10 0 0 CARTERSVILLE 63 37 65 41 / 100 10 0 0 COLUMBUS 68 42 70 45 / 100 50 0 0 GAINESVILLE 65 41 66 44 / 100 20 0 0 MACON 71 41 69 45 / 100 80 5 0 ROME 62 36 66 40 / 100 10 0 0 PEACHTREE CITY 65 37 66 41 / 100 30 0 0 VIDALIA 83 53 69 50 / 90 100 30 0 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM...11 LONG TERM....NLISTEMAA AVIATION...11
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 945 AM EDT THU APR 18 2013 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-191000- 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- 945 AM EDT THU APR 18 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE TONIGHT FOR NORTH AND WEST GEORGIA. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE STRONG TO POSSIBLY SEVERE FROM DALTON TO CEDARTOWN AND WEST TOWARD THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. THE MOST LIKELY HAZARDS WILL BE STRONG GUSTY WINDS... LIGHTNING...AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN. A WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTH GEORGIA LATER TONIGHT AS SOUTHERLY WINDS INCREASE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY... SHOWERS AND SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT. SOME STORMS COULD BE STRONG WITH THE MOSTLY LIKELY HAZARDS BEING STRONG GUSTY WINDS... SMALL HAIL...LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN. IF GREATER SURFACE INSTABILITY IS REALIZED WITH THIS SYSTEM THAN IS CURRENTLY FORECAST...THERE WILL BE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE STORMS THAT COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS. A WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED ACROSS THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTH GEORGIA EARLY FRIDAY DUE TO STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. SPOTTERS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT IN CASE CONDITIONS CHANGE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
433 AM EDT FRI APR 19 2013
GAZ001-002-190915-
433 AM EDT FRI APR 19 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR 45 MPH WINDS IN WALKER AND DADE
COUNTIES UNTIL 515 AM EDT...
AT 428 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM 11 MILES NORTHWEST OF COLE CITY TO 17 MILES
WEST OF RISING FAWN...MOVING EAST AT 40 MPH.
WIND GUSTS OF 45 MPH ARE LIKELY AS THESE STORMS MOVE ACROSS WALKER
AND DADE COUNTIES THROUGH 515 AM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF
THESE STORMS INCLUDE COLE CITY...STEPHENSVILLE...RISING FAWN...NEW
ENGLAND...TRENTON...HOOKER...MORGANVILLE...WILDWOOD...CLOUDLAND
CANYON STATE PARK...CEDAR GROVE...COOPER HEIGHTS...CHATTANOOGA
VALLEY...LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN...CHICKAMAUGA AND FAIRVIEW.
&&
LAT...LON 3499 8527 3486 8526 3485 8520 3484 8520
3468 8530 3466 8555 3486 8559 3498 8561
3499 8560
TIME...MOT...LOC 0833Z 266DEG 35KT 3505 8568 3483 8570
3470 8577SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
519 AM EDT FRI APR 19 2013
GAZ001>003-011-190945-
519 AM EDT FRI APR 19 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR 45 MPH WINDS IN WALKER...
CATOOSA...CHATTOOGA AND DADE COUNTIES UNTIL 545 AM EDT...
AT 515 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM 10 MILES WEST OF CHATTANOOGA TO 7 MILES
WEST OF CLOUDLAND...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
ISOLATED AREAS OF WIND GUSTS OF 45 MPH ARE POSSIBLE AS THESE STORMS
MOVE ACROSS WALKER...CATOOSA...CHATTOOGA AND DADE COUNTIES THROUGH
545 AM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN...WILDWOOD...RISING FAWN...CLOUDLAND CANYON STATE
PARK...CHATTANOOGA VALLEY...CEDAR GROVE...CLOUDLAND...LAKEVIEW...
FAIRVIEW...MENLO...FORT OGLETHORPE...CHICKAMAUGA...CHATTOOGAVILLE
AND BOYNTON.
&&
LAT...LON 3432 8546 3433 8548 3472 8557 3499 8541
3499 8513
TIME...MOT...LOC 0918Z 271DEG 19KT 3504 8532 3450 8559SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
543 AM EDT FRI APR 19 2013
GAZ002-003-011-191015-
543 AM EDT FRI APR 19 2013
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR 50 MPH WINDS IN WALKER...CATOOSA
AND CHATTOOGA COUNTIES UNTIL 615 AM EDT...
AT 539 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM 4 MILES WEST OF CENTER POST TO 5 MILES
WEST OF BERRYTON...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.
WIND GUSTS OF 50 MPH ARE LIKELY AS THESE STORMS MOVE ACROSS WALKER...
CATOOSA AND CHATTOOGA COUNTIES THROUGH 615 AM EDT. SOME LOCATIONS IN
THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE JAMES H. FLOYD STATE PARK...
BERRYTON...SUMMERVILLE...CENTER POST...TRION...LAFAYETTE...LINWOOD...
WOOD STATION AND NAOMI.
&&
LAT...LON 3469 8541 3483 8513 3448 8523 3438 8548
3439 8549 3442 8550
TIME...MOT...LOC 0943Z 233DEG 44KT 3466 8538 3450 8542The Northeast Alabama radar (KHTX), 75 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:44 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
The Chattooga County Emergency Manager reported that a tree was blown down across Highway 48 near Ridge Street.
A National Weather Service storm survey confirmed that straight-line wind damage with estimated winds of 80 to 90 MPH resulted in dozens of trees down and uprooted with large limbs twisted off. One tree was blown down through a house and another on a car. Glass was blown out of a Circle-K store with part of the roof blown off. A restaurant along victory drive suffered damage to the building and a sign out front. Three traffic lights were blown down. Most of the damage ocucrred near the intersection of Elm Drive, Macon Road, and University Avenue.
The Talbot County Sheriff's office reported that two trees were blown down in Woodland, one along Highway 36 and another along Highway 208.
A National Weather Service storm survey determined that an EF-2 tornado formed within a line of storms moving through Newton County. It first touched down along Dukes Road, southwest of Mansfield, where it snapped and uprooted a few trees. As the tornado moved east along Kellogg Street it increased in intensity, producing EF-1 damage to several homes along Kellogg Street and Savannah Street. The EF-2 damage occurred to an older home on the north side of Kellogg Street where the home was completely destroyed. A mobile home further east along Kellogg Street was also completely destroyed. One person was injured in the mobile home and was trapped within the debris. Numerous trees and power lines were snapped and downed along Kellogg Stret as well as further east along Sewell and Lloyd Roads. In all, eight homes sustained significant damage and a few buildings in downtown Mainsfield sustained minor damage. The tornado began to weaken as it headed northeast crossing CR-213 where a park sustaned damage to several outbuildings and several trees were uprooted. Minor tree damage was noted in the town of Newborn as the tornado moved through the north side of town. The tornado then crossed into Morgan County.|[04/19/13: Tornado #1, County #1-2, EF2, Newton-Morgan, 2013:008].
The tornado that touched down in Newton County crossed into Morgan County briefly. The track ended near the intersection of Durden Road and Reese Road where a few trees were snapped and uprooted.|[04/19/13: Tornado #1, County #2-2, EF2, Newton-Morgan, 2013:008].
The Houston County 911 Center reported that a couple of trees were blown down in the Bonaire area.
Broadcast media relayed a report of several trees blown down along Highways 96 and 358 in southern Twiggs County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Georgia, 2013Warnings in Georgia, April 2013
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: 444683, 444689, 444684, 444681, 444682, 444685, 444686.