Tornadoes · United States · Georgia · 2008
EF1 tornado, Glynco Nas to Glynn Haven, Georgia, May 11, 2008
From Glynco Nas to Glynn Haven, this EF1 tornado ran 5.2 miles across Glynn County on May 11, 2008, touching down at 2:40 PM EDT and reaching 200 yards wide. It killed nobody.
The rating scale
Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
EF2111 to 135 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.
EF3136 to 165 mph
Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
EF5over 200 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
- EF1
- Date
- May 11, 2008
- Touchdown
- 2:40 PM EDT (18:40 UTC)
- Lifted
- 2:50 PM EDT (18:50 UTC)
- On the ground
- 10 minutes
- Path length
- 5.2 miles (8.4 km)
- Path width
- 200 yards (183 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Glynn County
- Touchdown point
- 31.235, -81.452
- Lift-off point
- 31.196, -81.376
- Record number
- 0805111240-01
What the Weather Service recorded
A storm system intensified as it moved toward the southeastern states on Saturday Night May 10th and Sunday, May 11th. The combination of warm unstable air and strong wind shear increased the potential for severe thunderstorms and tornadoes across much of the region with a Moderate Risk area issued by the Storms Prediction Center for Sunday. An upper jet axis moved across central Georgia with vertical lift along and north of the jet axis leading to widespread convection over much of southern Georgia.
Doppler weather radar indicated a fast moving storm with super cell characteristics which produced the tornado. A National Weather Service storm survey confirmed EF1 tornado damage along a 2 mile long patch in and near the Sea Palms resort area on Saint Simons Island. The path width was 1/10 to 1/8 of a mile. Many trees were snapped or uprooted along the path which caused damage to some buildings. Winds were estimated to be at 80 to 100 mph. Press reports indicate the tornado began near Old Bell Point Road and Honey Bee Lane on the mainland and that it crossed the Intra-coastal Waterway to Saint Simons Island and photographic evidence supports that analysis.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Jacksonville, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at May 11, 2:33 PM EDT, 7 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 11, 2:33 PM EDT, 7 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
233 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008
...ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS STILL POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHEAST GA...
...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR NE FLORIDA...
.SHORT TERM...A LARGE MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM FROM PRE-
FRONTAL CONVECTION HAS PUSHED OFFSHORE OF THE SE ATLANTIC COAST
AFTER PRODUCING WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER AS A DERECHO WITH
EMBEDDED TORNADOES ACROSS MUCH OF GA AND SC THIS MORNING. A
TRAILING SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDS FROM COASTAL GA WEST INTO SW GA
OVER A MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIRMASS. ALOFT AN AREA OF MID LEVEL
POSITIVE VORTICITY ADVECTION CONTINUES TO OVERRIDE THIS TROUGH
WHICH CONTINUES TO FIRE ISOLD SEVERE STORMS ACROSS SE GA.
ELSEWHERE POPCORN SHRA ARE FIRING ACROSS NE FL WHERE DIURNAL
INSTABILITY HAS BROKEN THE CAP. GRADIENT WINDS SUSTAINED FROM
25-30 MPH WITH GUSTS OVER 40 MPH ACROSS NE FL REQUIRED US TO
UPGRADE TO A LAKE WIND ADVISORY THROUGH 8 PM.
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING WILL
CONTINUE WITH SCATTERED TS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA. BELIEVE THE
GREATEST AREA OF CONCERN FOR SVR STORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER SE GA
THROUGH LATE AFTN AS PVA CONTINUES TO TRACK EAST AS THE UPPER
LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE NE SLOWLY FILLS AND LIFTS NE. LACK OF DEEP
LAYER MOISTURE IS LIMITING AREAL COVERAGE OF CONVECTION...BUT
STRONG LOW LEVEL JET DYNAMICS AND INSTABILITY ARE ENABLING STORMS
TO BECOME SEVERE QUICKLY WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS. MEAN LAYER DRY AIR WILL FINALLY BEGIN TO
INFILTRATE IN FROM THE NW BETWEEN 03-06Z WITH CONVECTION COMING TO
END. WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS FOR OUR
SE GA ZONES THROUGH THIS EVENING...AND GUSTY WINDS FOR NE FL.
ONCE CONVECTION DIES OFF THIS EVENING...SKIES WILL CLEAR AS
BREEZY CONDITIONS CONTINUE. MON COOLER MAXES IN THE UPPER 70S/LOW
80S UNDER SUNNY SKIES AND WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED...AND
ANOTHER LAKE WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FOR THE ENTIRE CWA WITH
SUSTAINED SPEEDS NEAR 20 MPH AND GUSTS NEAR 30 MPH. MON NIGHT INTO
TUE MEAN RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE AREA WITH MINS DROPPING TO NEAR
50 INLAND...PERHAPS UPPER 40S AT SOME OF OUR NORMALLY COOLER
LOCALES. TUE ONSHORE FLOW WILL DEVELOP WITH COOLER MAXES IN THE
MID 70S ALONG THE COAST...WITH MID 80S INLAND. TUE NIGHT AND WED
MOISTURE AND WARMER TEMPS RETURN OVER THE AREA AS SSE FLOW
DEVELOPS.
.LONG TERM...THU THROUGH SUN...
INCREASING RAIN CHANCES IN THE EXTENDED FORECAST AS MOISTURE AND
WARM AIR ADVANCES OVER THE AREA IN ADVANCE OF A FRONTAL SYSTEM
EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA LATE FRI INTO SAT. HAVE CONTINUED WITH
A LOW CHANCES OF POPS EACH DAY AND ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS WITH HIGHS
IN THE MID-UPPER 80S AND LOW IN THE 60S.
&&
.AVIATION...STRONG SW WINDS WILL CONTINUE SHIFTING TO WEST
TONIGHT. WINDS SHOULD BRIEFLY DROP BELOW 12 KT BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z
THEN INCREASE AGAIN. WILL KEEP WINDS AT SSI SINCE THE SITE HAS
BEEN AN OUTLIER AND SHOULD INCREASE SOON.
&&
.MARINE...BUOYS ARE REPORTING SW WINDS 20-25 KT WITH GUSTS OF
30-33 KT. WILL CONTINUE SCA WITH MENTION OF OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO
GALE FORCE. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO W TONGT AND NW ON MON THEN BEGIN
TO DIMINISH LATE MON.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...HAVE UPGRADED THE WATCH TO A RED FLAG WRNG FOR SE
GA ON MONDAY AS LATEST GRIDS INDICATE SUSTAINED 20 MPH WINDS ARE
LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON WHEN RHS WILL BE AT A MINIMUM. MIN RHS
WILL BE 25-30 PCT ACRS THE REGION. SIMILAR MIN RHS WILL OCCUR
AGAIN TUE MAINLY W OF I-95 AS THE BEACHES SHOULD EXPERIENCE RHS
NEAR 40%.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AMG 55 80 50 82 / 10 0 0 0
SSI 59 79 56 76 / 20 0 0 0
JAX 57 81 53 80 / 20 0 0 0
SGJ 61 81 58 76 / 20 0 0 0
GNV 60 83 52 85 / 20 0 0 0
OCF 60 82 51 86 / 20 0 0 0
&&
.JAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 12 PM TO 7 PM EDT MONDAY FOR ALACHUA-BAKER-
BRADFORD-CLAY-COLUMBIA-DUVAL-FLAGLER-GILCHRIST-HAMILTON-
MARION-NASSAU-PUTNAM-ST JOHNS-SUWANNEE-UNION.
LAKE WIND ADVISORY FROM 8 PM TO 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR
ALACHUA-BAKER-BRADFORD-CLAY-COLUMBIA-DUVAL-FLAGLER-
GILCHRIST-HAMILTON-MARION-NASSAU-PUTNAM-ST JOHNS-SUWANNEE-
UNION.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR ALACHUA-BAKER-
BRADFORD-CLAY-COLUMBIA-DUVAL-FLAGLER-GILCHRIST-HAMILTON-
MARION-NASSAU-PUTNAM-ST JOHNS-SUWANNEE-UNION.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY
EVENING FOR CLAY-DUVAL-NASSAU-PUTNAM.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY
EVENING FOR ALACHUA-BAKER-BRADFORD-COLUMBIA-GILCHRIST-
HAMILTON-MARION-SUWANNEE-UNION.
GA...LAKE WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR APPLING-
ATKINSON-BACON-BRANTLEY-CHARLTON-CLINCH-COASTAL CAMDEN-
COASTAL GLYNN-COFFEE-ECHOLS-INLAND CAMDEN-INLAND GLYNN-JEFF
DAVIS-PIERCE-WARE-WAYNE.
RED FLAG WARNING FROM 12 PM TO 7 PM EDT MONDAY FOR APPLING-
ATKINSON-BACON-BRANTLEY-CHARLTON-CLINCH-COASTAL CAMDEN-
COASTAL GLYNN-COFFEE-ECHOLS-INLAND CAMDEN-INLAND GLYNN-JEFF
DAVIS-PIERCE-WARE-WAYNE.
AM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM EDT TUESDAY FOR ALTAMAHA SOUND
GA TO FERNANDINA BEACH FL 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-
FERNANDINA BEACH TO ST AUGUSTINE FL 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE-
ST AUGUSTINE TO FLAGLER BEACH FL 20 NM TO 60 NM OFFSHORE.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM EDT MONDAY FOR ALTAMAHA SOUND GA
TO FERNANDINA BEACH FL OUT 20 NM-FERNANDINA BEACH TO ST
AUGUSTINE FL OUT 20 NM-ST AUGUSTINE TO FLAGLER BEACH FL OUT
20 NM.
&&
ENYEDI/TRABERT/KERNSHazardous weather outlook, May 11, 2:03 PM EDT, 37 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL 203 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 FLZ020>025-030>033-035>038-040-GAZ132>136-149>154-162>166-120830- HAMILTON-SUWANNEE-COLUMBIA-BAKER-NASSAU-DUVAL-UNION-BRADFORD-CLAY- ST JOHNS-GILCHRIST-ALACHUA-PUTNAM-FLAGLER-MARION-COFFEE- JEFF DAVIS-BACON-APPLING-WAYNE-ATKINSON-WARE-PIERCE-BRANTLEY- INLAND GLYNN-COASTAL GLYNN-ECHOLS-CLINCH-CHARLTON-INLAND CAMDEN- COASTAL CAMDEN- 203 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH THIS EVENING... ...WIND ADVISORY FOR NORTHEAST FLORIDA THROUGH 8 PM... ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR SOUTHEAST GEORGIA THROUGH 11 PM... SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...AND PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE AND THE THREAT FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE GREATEST ACROSS SOUTHEAST GEORGIA...WITH ONLY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED ACROSS NORTHEAST FLORIDA. STORM WILL MOVES RAPIDLY EAST AROUND 40 TO 50 MPH. STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE AREA THROUGH SUNSET WITH SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR 20 MPH ACROSS SOUTHEAST GEORGIA WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH...AND A LAKE WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT. NORTHEAST FLORIDA WILL CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE WINDS AROUND 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH THROUGH SUNSET...AND A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE LATE FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED ACROSS SOUTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN JACKSONVILLE WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/JAX. ENYEDI
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 11, 1:02 PM EDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL 102 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 GAZ154-166-111730- COASTAL CAMDEN-COASTAL GLYNN- 102 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 ...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR EASTERN CAMDEN AND SOUTHERN GLYNN COUNTIES FOR STRONG WINDS AND SMALL HAIL VALID UNTIL 130 PM EDT... AT 102 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CENTERED 4 MILES NORTH OF HIGH POINT...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH. THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO AFFECT AREAS AROUND JEKYLL ISLAND...HIGH POINT AND BRUNSWICK THROUGH 130 PM EDT. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND GUSTY WINDS UP TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH POSSIBLE MINOR DAMAGE. HEAVY RAINFALL WILL PRODUCE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND MINOR FLOODING OF LOW-LYING AREAS. REPORT DAMAGE TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR YOUR COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. ZIBURA
Local storm report, May 11, 1:25 PM EDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
125 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0815 AM TSTM WND DMG AMBROSE 31.59N 83.01W
05/11/2008 COFFEE GA LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN IN THE AMBROSE VICINITY AS REPORTED BY 911
DISPATCH.
&&
JHESSSpecial weather statement, May 11, 1:59 PM EDT, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL 159 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 GAZ133-111830- JEFF DAVIS- 159 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 ...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NORTHERN JEFF DAVIS COUNTY FOR STRONG WINDS AND SMALL HAIL VALID UNTIL 230 PM EDT... AT 159 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM CENTERED 19 MILES WEST OF HAZLEHURST...OR 14 MILES SOUTH OF MCRAE...MOVING EAST AT 56 MPH. THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL ALSO AFFECT AREAS AROUND HAZLEHURST THROUGH 230 PM EDT. HAIL UP TO ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND GUSTY WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH POSSIBLE MINOR DAMAGE. THE AREA REMAINS UNDER A TORNADO WATCH. REPORT DAMAGE TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR YOUR COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. PETERSON
Local storm report, May 11, 2:02 PM EDT, 38 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
202 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0200 PM HAIL GARDI 31.54N 81.80W
05/11/2008 E1.25 INCH WAYNE GA LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
JHESSLocal storm report, May 11, 2:28 PM EDT, 12 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
228 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0226 PM HAIL HAZLEHURST 31.87N 82.60W
05/11/2008 M1.00 INCH JEFF DAVIS GA LAW ENFORCEMENT
QUARTER SIZE HAIL REPORTED IN HAZLEHURST BY JEFF DAVIS
COUNTY 911.
&&
PKEEGANSpecial weather statement, May 11, 2:38 PM EDT, 2 minutes before
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</html>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.
Jacksonville, FL (KJAX), 12:00Z
6.7 hours before the tornado, 84 km from the path. May 11, 2008.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1555 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -68 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 1790 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 722 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 60 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 40 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 248 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 267 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 2.0
- Supercell composite
- 8.9
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 4.1 K/km
Jacksonville, FL (KJAX), 00:00Z
5.3 hours after it, 84 km from the path. May 12, 2008.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2044 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -44 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 2646 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1102 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 58 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 33 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 348 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 420 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 4.5
- Supercell composite
- 19.9
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 6.9 K/km
The surface observations
Brunswick/Glynco (BQK), 7 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (kt) | Pressure (mb) | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 UTC |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.
The radar
The Jacksonville radar (KJAX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 18:40 UTC.
Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track
Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2008 tornado in GeorgiaEvery tornado in Georgia since 1950Warnings in force in Georgia nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of May 11, 2008
41 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 11 | 2:36 AM CDT | EF1 | Cleburne, AL | 3.8 | 1,000 | $1.8 million | ||
| May 11 | 2:47 AM CDT | EF1 | Cleburne, AL | 2.3 | 150 | $50,000 | ||
| May 11 | 4:08 AM EDT | EF2 | Carroll, GA | 0.1 | 100 | $2.0 million | ||
| May 11 | 4:08 AM EDT | EF2 | Troup, GA | 1.0 | 150 | $80,000 | ||
| May 11 | 4:09 AM EDT | EF0 | Edgefield, SC | 4.0 | 80 | |||
| May 11 | 4:18 AM EDT | EF2 | Troup, GA | 3.8 | 300 | $80,000 | ||
| May 11 | 4:25 AM EDT | EF2 | Carroll, GA | 0.1 | 100 | $7.0 million | ||
| May 11 | 4:31 AM EDT | EF0 | Aiken, SC | 3.5 | 60 | |||
| May 11 | 5:17 AM EDT | EF2 | Clayton, GA | 17.5 | 100 | $7.5 million | ||
| May 11 | 5:28 AM EDT | EF0 | Aiken, SC | 1.0 | 50 | |||
| May 11 | 5:50 AM EDT | EF2 | Bibb, GA | 18.4 | 100 | $5.0 million | ||
| May 11 | 6:07 AM EDT | EF0 | Aiken, SC | 7.8 | 50 | |||
| May 11 | 6:15 AM EDT | EF1 | Twiggs, GA | 24.8 | 100 | $4.0 million | ||
| May 11 | 6:36 AM EDT | EF2 | Laurens, GA | 13.8 | 250 | 2 | 2 | $1.4 million |
| May 11 | 6:44 AM EDT | EF1 | Johnson, GA | 10.1 | 581 | 5 | $16 million | |
| May 11 | 6:45 AM EDT | EF0 | Washington, GA | 33.6 | 440 | $5.2 million | ||
| May 11 | 6:58 AM EDT | EF1 | Laurens, GA | 0.4 | 200 | $900,000 | ||
| May 11 | 7:01 AM EDT | EF2 | Johnson, GA | 7.5 | 880 | 3 | $7.8 million | |
| May 11 | 7:11 AM EDT | EF3 | Treutlen, GA | 7.7 | 150 | $225,000 | ||
| May 11 | 7:20 AM EDT | EF2 | Toombs, GA | 1.1 | 150 | 3 | $500,000 | |
| May 11 | 7:33 AM EDT | EF0 | Jenkins, GA | 1.7 | 1,200 | 1 | $50,000 | |
| May 11 | 7:35 AM EDT | EF3 | Toombs, GA | 7.3 | 200 | 2 | $1.0 million | |
| May 11 | 8:10 AM EDT | EF1 | Bulloch, GA | 2.3 | 300 | $125,000 | ||
| May 11 | 8:25 AM EDT | EF0 | Madison, IN | 0.1 | 10 | $15,000 | ||
| May 11 | 8:30 AM EDT | EF0 | Hampton, SC | 0.3 | 25 | |||
| May 11 | 9:15 AM EDT | EF1 | Whitley, KY | 1.6 | 400 | $100,000 | ||
| May 11 | 9:52 AM EDT | EF4 | Darien tornado, GA | 11.0 | 700 | 9 | $13 million | |
| May 11 | 10:20 AM EDT | EF1 | Carter, KY | 1.3 | 100 | $300,000 | ||
| May 11 | 10:27 AM EDT | EF1 | Leslie, KY | 0.3 | 70 | $25,000 | ||
| May 11 | 1:10 PM EDT | EF0 | Madison, OH | 1.8 | 20 | $10,000 | ||
| May 11 | 4:30 PM EDT | EF0 | Burke, NC | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| May 11 | 4:48 PM EDT | EF0 | Lincoln, NC | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| May 11 | 6:03 PM EDT | EF0 | New Hanover, NC | 0.1 | 10 | |||
| May 11 | 6:12 PM EDT | EF2 | Charleston, SC | 12.0 | 1,760 | $1.2 million | ||
| May 11 | 6:19 PM EDT | EF0 | Cabarrus, NC | 0.1 | 20 | |||
| May 11 | 6:25 PM EDT | EF2 | Bertie, NC | 15.0 | 200 | 2 | $1.0 million | |
| May 11 | 6:57 PM EDT | EF2 | Onslow, NC | 5.0 | 100 | 6 | $155,000 | |
| May 11 | 7:28 PM EDT | EF0 | Onslow, NC | 0.2 | 20 | |||
| May 11 | 8:06 PM EDT | EF1 | Carteret, NC | 2.7 | 30 | $30,000 | ||
| May 11 | 8:17 PM EDT | EF0 | Carteret, NC | 0.3 | 30 | $10,000 | ||
| May 11 | 8:27 PM EDT | EF0 | Carteret, NC | 0.1 | 10 |
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.