Tornadoes · United States · Georgia · 2005
F0 tornado, Barrow County, Georgia, August 29, 2005
This F0 tornado ran 1.5 miles across Barrow County on August 29, 2005, touching down at 11:05 PM EDT and reaching 100 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $150,000 of property damage.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
F040 to 72 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
F173 to 112 mph
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
F2113 to 157 mph
Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.
F3158 to 206 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
F4207 to 260 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
F5261 to 318 mph
Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.
Unrated
The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.
The record
- Rating
- F0
- Date
- August 29, 2005
- Touchdown
- 11:05 PM EDT (03:05 UTC)
- Path length
- 1.5 miles (2.4 km)
- Path width
- 100 yards (91 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $150,000
- County
- Barrow County
- Touchdown point
- 33.950, -83.730
- Lift-off point
- 33.970, -83.730
- Record number
- 1130
The warnings
10 minutes of warning. NWS FFC issued a tornado warning for this county at 02:55 UTC, 10 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 03:30 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22:54 UTC | 23:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | FFC |
| 23:57 UTC | 00:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | FFC |
| 02:55 UTC | 03:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | FFC |
Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.
The forecast that day
The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Moderate Risk, with a 0.15 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 00:12 UTC.
SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.
The air that afternoon
The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.
Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), 00:00Z
3.1 hours before the tornado, 97 km from the path. August 30, 2005.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1046 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -8 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 1357 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 650 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 44 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 36 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 331 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 425 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 2.1
- Supercell composite
- 10.9
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.4 K/km
Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), 12:00Z
8.9 hours after it, 97 km from the path. August 30, 2005.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 482 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -2 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 895 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 648 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 41 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 222 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 227 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.5
- Supercell composite
- 3.8
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.3 K/km
The surface observations
Winder (WDR), 6 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01:20 UTC | 73.4 | 71.6 | 120° 11 kt | 16 | 1010.5 | |
| 01:40 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 110° 13 kt | 21 | 1010.5 | |
| 02:00 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 120° 11 kt | 20 | 1010.2 | |
| 02:20 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 110° 11 kt | 15 | 1010.2 | |
| 02:57 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 80° 8 kt | 1010.5 | ||
| 03:05 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 100° 6 kt | 18 | 1010.2 | |
| 03:20 UTC | 77 | 73.4 | 150° 10 kt | 16 | 1010.5 | |
| 03:40 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 130° 11 kt | 17 | 1010.2 | |
| 04:00 UTC | 77 | 73.4 | 130° 11 kt | 20 | 1010.2 | |
| 04:20 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 130° 10 kt | 16 | 1009.8 | |
| 04:40 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 130° 11 kt | 17 | 1009.8 | |
| 05:00 UTC | 75.2 | 73.4 | 140° 11 kt | 18 | 1009.5 |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
What was reported nearby
Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Social Circle | Walton, GA | POSSIBLE TORNADO IN SOCIAL CIRCLE. 7 TREES DOWN AND POWER LINES DOWN. |
| 02:30 UTC | TORNADO | Social Circle | Walton, GA | FO TORNADO. ABOUT TWO DOZEN TREES KNOCKED DOWN IN THE AREA...SOME OF WHICH FELL ON CARS AND HOMES. DAMAGE PATH 1/4 MILE LONG AND ABOUT 50 YARDS WIDE. |
| 02:30 UTC | TORNADO | Social Circle | Walton, GA | FO TORNADO OCCURRED IN SOCIAL CIRCLE IN SOUTHERN WALTON COUNTY. AT LEAST TWO DOZEN TREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN. SOME FELL ON HOUSES AND CARS. THE DAMAGE PATH WAS 1/4 MILE LONG AND THE WIDTH WAS ABOUT 50 YARDS. |
| 03:05 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Winder | Barrow, GA | POSSIBLE TORNADO. ROOF BLOWN OFF KFC AND SOME TREES DOWN. |
| 03:05 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Sw Winder | Barrow, GA | F0 TORNADO. DAMAGE PATH OF 1.5 MILES TO TREES IN FORT YARGO STATE PARK. DAMAGE PATH OF 1.5 MILES AND 100 YARDS WIDE. DAMAGE CONFINED ALMOST ENTIRELY TO FORT YARGO STATE PARK WITH AN ESTIMATED 800-900 TREES BLOWN DOWN. |
| 03:05 UTC | TORNADO | Winder | Barrow, GA | ESTIMATED 800 TO 900 TREES DOWN IN FORT YARGO STATE PARK SOUTH OF WINDER. F0 TORNADO... 1.5 MILES LONG AND ABOUT 100 YARDS WIDE. DAMAGE WAS MOSTLY CONFINED TO THE STATE PARK. |
| 03:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Hoschton | Jackson, GA | SEVERAL TREES DOWN. |
| 04:10 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Lula | Hall, GA | POSSIBLE TORNADO IN LULA AREA. 6 MILE PATH OF TREES DOWN. SEVERAL HOMES DAMAGED ON HEMLOCK STREET. |
| 04:10 UTC | TORNADO | Lula | Hall, GA | F0 TORNADO. DAMAGE PATH FROM ONE MILE SOUTH OF LULA TO JUST WEST OF LULA TO NEAR MOSSY CREEK IN WHITE COUNTY...JUST SOUTHEAST OF CLEVELAND. DAMAGE PATH WAS 10 MILES LONG AND ABOUT 50 YARDS WIDE. DOZENS OF TREES WERE BLOW |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2005 tornado in GeorgiaEvery tornado in Georgia since 1950Warnings in force in Georgia nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of August 29, 2005
39 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 29 | 7:05 AM CDT | F0 | Santa Rosa, FL | 3.0 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 7:07 AM CDT | F0 | Escambia, FL | 1.0 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 7:30 AM CDT | F0 | Escambia, AL | 2.0 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 8:42 AM CDT | F0 | Okaloosa, FL | 1.0 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 8:47 AM CDT | F0 | Santa Rosa, FL | 1.0 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 11:25 AM CDT | F1 | Forrest, MS | 0.5 | 50 | $2,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:00 PM CDT | F1 | Newton, MS | 13.0 | 100 | $200,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:06 PM CDT | F2 | Newton, MS | 1.0 | 75 | $50,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:14 PM CDT | F1 | Lauderdale, MS | 3.0 | 75 | $30,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:22 PM CDT | F1 | Lauderdale, MS | 3.0 | 50 | $60,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:27 PM CDT | F2 | Neshoba, MS | 3.0 | 100 | $70,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:36 PM CDT | F1 | Neshoba, MS | 3.0 | 75 | $50,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:39 PM CDT | F1 | Neshoba, MS | 3.0 | 50 | $80,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:48 PM CDT | F1 | Neshoba, MS | 4.0 | 150 | $100,000 | ||
| August 29 | 1:05 PM CDT | F1 | Neshoba, MS | 2.0 | 75 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 1:21 PM CDT | F1 | Leake, MS | 2.0 | 75 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 1:55 PM CDT | F1 | Tallapoosa, AL | 3.3 | 300 | $70,000 | ||
| August 29 | 3:16 PM CDT | F0 | Montgomery, AL | 6.0 | 300 | $190,000 | ||
| August 29 | 4:24 PM EDT | F2 | Heard, GA | 5.5 | 200 | 1 | 3 | $5.2 million |
| August 29 | 3:30 PM CDT | F0 | Bullock, AL | 0.1 | 25 | $1,000 | ||
| August 29 | 3:53 PM CDT | F1 | Calhoun, AL | 1.5 | 30 | $120,000 | ||
| August 29 | 5:15 PM EDT | F0 | Haralson, GA | 1.0 | 75 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 5:15 PM EDT | F0 | Paulding, GA | 1.0 | 50 | $400,000 | ||
| August 29 | 4:19 PM CDT | F0 | Macon, AL | 3.0 | 400 | $30,000 | ||
| August 29 | 5:24 PM EDT | F1 | Polk, GA | 2.8 | 50 | $50,000 | ||
| August 29 | 6:15 PM EDT | F0 | Forsyth, GA | 0.5 | 50 | $250,000 | ||
| August 29 | 6:26 PM EDT | F0 | Decatur, GA | 3.0 | 50 | |||
| August 29 | 6:35 PM EDT | F0 | Oconee, GA | 0.1 | 25 | $10,000 | ||
| August 29 | 6:37 PM EDT | F1 | Taylor, GA | 3.5 | 250 | 1 | $250,000 | |
| August 29 | 5:41 PM CDT | F0 | Russell, AL | 0.1 | 25 | $1,000 | ||
| August 29 | 6:45 PM EDT | F0 | Lumpkin, GA | 0.9 | 125 | $40,000 | ||
| August 29 | 7:06 PM EDT | F0 | Evans, GA | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| August 29 | 7:10 PM EDT | F2 | Peach, GA | 4.0 | 50 | 3 | $2.6 million | |
| August 29 | 7:45 PM EDT | F0 | Fannin, GA | 0.3 | 100 | $250,000 | ||
| August 29 | 7:45 PM EDT | F1 | Spalding, GA | 1.0 | 100 | 2 | $300,000 | |
| August 29 | 10:25 PM EDT | F0 | Walton, GA | 0.3 | 50 | $30,000 | ||
| August 29 | 11:35 PM EDT | F0 | Jackson, GA | 1.0 | 20 | $20,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:10 AM EDT | F0 | Hall, GA | 11.0 | 50 | $260,000 | ||
| August 29 | 12:30 AM EDT | F2 | White, GA | 5.0 | 300 | $3.0 million |
What this means
Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.
Sources
NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.