Georgia, 2019

Tornado in Georgia, January 4, 2019

January 4, 2019 · NWS TAE · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A QLCS moved through southwest Georgia during the early morning hours with one brief tornado confirmed.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS TAE wrote it up.

A QLCS moved through southwest Georgia during the early morning hours with one brief tornado confirmed.

What forecasters said that day

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 Tallahassee, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 4, 2:34 AM EST, 3 hours 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 4, 2:34 AM EST, 3 hours 36 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
234 AM EST Fri Jan 4 2019

.NEAR TERM [Through Today]...

A strong low pressure system will move through the Southeast today,
forcing a cold front through the Tri-State region. Severe weather is
not anticipated, though the strong wind field with this system will
likely result in gusty winds 20-30 mph in and behind the line. Rain
amounts are not forecast to be too impressive due to the progressive
nature of the front. Expect average amounts on the order of 0.5-
1.0". While high clouds won't completely clear out today, the low
overcast will clear with the passage of the cold front.

.SHORT TERM [Tonight Through Sunday]...

In the upper levels a cut-off low centered over Tennessee will move
out of the Southeast by tomorrow afternoon and a ridge will build
into the region. At the surface a low will be near West Virginia
tonight with wrap around moisture extending to North Florida. By
tomorrow afternoon high pressure will move into the region. POPs
will be near zero this weekend. Clouds will be moving out of the
region by tomorrow afternoon. Highs will be in the 60s. Lows will be
in the lower 40s.

.LONG TERM [Sunday Night Through Friday]...

In the upper levels a ridge may be over the Gulf of Mexico. A trough
will move through the Southeast on Monday night, then a longwave
trough will deepen along the Atlantic Coast midweek. At the surface
high pressure will be over the region until a weak cold front
approaches Monday night. High pressure returns by Tuesday night.
POPs will be very low until Friday night when a more substantial
system is possible. Highs will be in the 60s and lower 70s. Lows
will be in the 40s.

&&

.AVIATION...
[Through 06Z Saturday]

LIFR conditions are forecast to impact TLH, VLD, and possibly ABY
overnight. Further west, an MVFR/IFR mixture exists in and out of
light rain. As the primary line of heavy rain moves through the
region today, expect gusty winds and IFR conditions, with VFR and
breezy conditions under a CI deck to follow.

&&

.MARINE...

Southerly winds will increase this morning becoming more westerly
late this morning. A Small Craft Advisory is in effect until
tomorrow morning. Winds will become northwesterly Friday night as a
cold front moves through.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...

Red Flag conditions are not forecast over the next few days. Dispersion
indices are forecast to be marginally high behind a cold front
this afternoon, but should fall back into the acceptable range by
tomorrow afternoon.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...

A few local rivers remain in minor flood stage at this time. Some
additional rises are possible today and tonight as more rain moves
in. About one inch of rain is expected today with isolated higher
amounts possible. Drier weather is expected this weekend and next
week.

&&

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not requested. However, spotters are always
encouraged to safely report significant weather conditions when they
occur by calling the office or tweeting us @NWSTallahassee.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...

Tallahassee   69  44  62  42  69 / 100   0   0   0   0
Panama City   66  47  61  47  66 /  80   0   0   0   0
Dothan        66  43  60  42  66 /  70   0   0   0   0
Albany        67  43  61  42  67 / 100   0   0   0   0
Valdosta      69  44  61  43  67 /  90   0   0   0   0
Cross City    70  48  62  43  69 / 100  10   0   0   0
Apalachicola  69  48  61  47  65 / 100  10   0   0   0

&&

.TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...High Rip Current Risk through Saturday morning for Coastal Bay-
     Coastal Franklin-Coastal Gulf-South Walton.

GA...None.
AL...None.
GM...Small Craft Advisory until 7 AM EST Saturday for Coastal Waters
     From Ochlockonee River to Apalachicola Fl out to 20 Nm-
     Coastal waters from Mexico Beach to Apalachicola FL out 20
     NM-Coastal waters from Mexico Beach to Okaloosa Walton
     County Line FL out 20 NM-Waters from Suwannee River to
     Apalachicola FL from 20 to 60 NM-Waters from Apalachicola
     to Mexico Beach FL from 20 to 60 NM-Waters from Mexico
     Beach to Okaloosa Walton County Line FL from 20 to 60 NM.

&&

NEAR TERM...Harrigan
SHORT TERM...McD
LONG TERM...McD
AVIATION...Harrigan
MARINE...McD
FIRE WEATHER...Harrigan
HYDROLOGY...McD

The radar

The Ft Rucker radar (KEOX), 49 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:10 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Clay

When
January 4, 6:10 AM EST to 6:12 AM EST
Where
Clay County, 2.04 mi WNW of Zetto to 1.96 mi WNW of Zetto
Rating
EF1
Path length
0.23 mi
Path width
90 yd
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
31.598, -84.963

A brief tornado touched down just west of Zetto and impacted a single family residence. Part of the roof was ripped off from an attached carport as well as a garage on a shed blown in. Trees were uprooted and large branches were broken off on the residence. Brick and shingle damage was noted as well as other debris thrown about the yard and well behind the residence.

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Georgia in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Georgia, 2019Warnings in Georgia, January 2019

Sources

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: 792082.