Tornadoes · United States · Georgia · 2009

EF2 tornado, Red Hill to Lavonia, Georgia, April 10, 2009

From Red Hill to Lavonia, this EF2 tornado ran 9.5 miles across Franklin County on April 10, 2009, touching down at 6:53 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.

  1. EF065 to 85 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mphthis tornado

    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.

  4. 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.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. 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.

  7. 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
EF2
Date
April 10, 2009
Touchdown
6:53 PM EDT (22:53 UTC)
Lifted
7:06 PM EDT (23:06 UTC)
On the ground
13 minutes
Path length
9.5 miles (15.3 km)
Path width
200 yards (183 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Franklin County
Touchdown point
34.430, -83.266
Lift-off point
34.453, -83.117
Record number
0904101653-01

What the Weather Service recorded

Supercell thunderstorms moved into extreme northeast Georgia in the early evening hours. Tornadoes were spawned by the supercells. There was also quite a bit of large hail and straight-line wind damage.

The tornado damage path began near Farmers Academy Rd, about 0.5 mile south of highway 106. The tornado crossed Red Hill School Rd, where some outbuildings were destroyed and a couple of mobile homes received minor roof damage. As the tornado continued northeast, some frame homes on highway 106 received minor roof damage. The most significant damage occurred on Crumps Bridge Rd, where one large chicken house was completely destroyed, and several others received major damage. The tornado continued to move northeast, uprooting or snapping off numerous trees as it crossed highway 145 and Greater Hope Rd. From there, the tornado began to move in a more east/northeast direction, continuing to blow down trees as it moved roughly parallel to North Clarks Creek Rd. As the tornado crossed Hulsey Rd, roofs were blown off the wood frame addition to a mobile home and a barn. After the tornado crossed highway 17 and Pleasant Hill Circle, it continued to turn more to the right, traveling due east near the to Wilson Rd, where a mobile home was moved off its foundation, and the steel siding and some roofing material was blown off a building. The tornado continued to travel east, or even east/southeast, before lifting in the Gerrard Rd area.

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 Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Apr 10, 2:43 PM EDT, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 10, 2:43 PM EDT, 4 hours 10 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
243 PM EDT FRI APR 10 2009

.SYNOPSIS...
STRONG LOW PRESSURE WILL PASS BY TO THE NORTH TONIGHT...DRAGGING A
COLD FRONT ACROSS THE REGION. HIGH PRESSURE WILL SLOWLY BUILD IN
FROM THE NORTHWEST SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST BY MONDAY...BRINGING UNSETTLED
WEATHER TO THE REGION THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AS THE DEEP UPPER LOW PRES CENTER MOVES EAST THROUGH KY LATE THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING...STRONG DPVA AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE
WILL LIFT ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA 21Z TO 00Z. MEANWHILE...A 130 KT
UPPER LEVEL JET STREAK WILL STRETCH ACROSS THE DEEP SOUTH THIS
EVENING...PRODUCING STRONG DIVERGENCE IN THE LEFT EXIT REGION OVER
THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. THIS WILL ALLOW CONVECTIVE COVERAGE TO
STEADILY INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA. THE MAIN UPPER FORCING WILL MOVE
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA FROM THE WEST BETWEEN ABOUT 8 PM AND 1 AM.
LOW LEVEL FLOW SHOULD BEGIN TO BACK SHARPLY TOWARD 21Z...STRONGLY
ENHANCING LOW LEVEL HELICITY. A TONGUE OF LOWER 60S DEWPOINTS
COINCIDENT WITH THE BETTER SHEAR AXIS WILL TRAVERSE THE SRN PART OF
THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING TO GREATLY ENHANCE THE ORGANIZED
SEVERE TSTM THREAT. A WATCH IS LIKELY LATER THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS
EVENING.

850 MB FLOW WILL TURN QUICKLY WESTERLY OVERNIGHT FOLLOWING
FROPA...PRODUCING DOWNSLOPE DRYING EAST OF THE MTNS. NORTHWEST FLOW
SHOULD ALLOW UPSLOPE SHOWERS TO CONTINUE ALONG THE SPINE OF THE
SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...ALONG WITH WINDY
CONDITIONS IN THE COLD ADVECTION FLOW. PROFILES STAY WARM ENOUGH FOR
THE PTYPE TO REMAIN LIQUID. CONTINUED CLEARING THROUGHOUT IS
EXPECTED SAT AFTN. A STRONG GRADIENT IN MAX TEMPS WILL
DEVELOP...WITH HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE 50S IN THE MTNS AND LOW TO MID
70S IN THE SE PIEDMONT.

&&

.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 205 PM FRIDAY...UPPER LEVEL RIDGE CONTINUES TO BUILD ACROSS
THE MIDWEST SAT NIGHT WHILE THE LAST LOBE OF S/W ENERGY CROSSES THE
CWFA TO THE EAST. THE GFS AND THE NAM BOTH AGREE ON THIS WAVE
LEAVING THE AREA BY 06Z THUS ENDING ANY REAL CHANCE OF PRECIP.
THE 12Z GFS DOES HANG ONTO H85 MOISTURE THROUGH THE DAY SUNDAY WHICH
DOESNT MAKE MUCH SENSE CONSIDERING ITS BRINGING IT ACROSS THE MTNS
IN DOWNSLOPE FLOW AND INTO AN INCREASING SUBSIDENCE INVERSION.
HOWEVER...THE 12Z GFS HAS COME IN DRIER THAN THE 00Z GFS WHICH
COMPARES MORE FAVORABLY WITH THE EVEN DRIER 12Z NAM. SO...WONT
EXPECT MUCH CLOUD COVER NOR ANY UPSLOPE PRECIP AS DEPICTED BY THE
GFS. THE MODELS DO AGREE ON DEVELOPING A FAIRLY STRONG INSITU WEDGE
LATE SUNDAY AND MAINTAINING IT THROUGH MON. THE GFS IS MORE BULLISH
WITH THE STRENGTH...BUT IN EITHER CASE THE EXPECTED WX SHOULD BE
SIMILAR. THIS SITUATION HAS LED TO PUSHING BACK CHC POPS SUN NIGHT
UNTIL AFTER 06Z MON FOR THE WRN THIRD OF THE CWFA. BASICALLY A DRY
WEDGE SETTING UP SUN...BECOMING A MOIST WEDGE SUN NIGHT THROUGH MON.

UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT WILL BE LOW WITH THE NEXT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
AND COLD FRONT. H5 PVU/S ARE LESS THAN 1 AND H3 DIV REMAINS NW OF THE
MTNS. ALSO...ANOTHER SIGN OF THE CLASSICAL GSP SLIT WILL BE
INCREASED INSTABILITY TO THE SOUTH AND WEST. BUFKIT SOUNDINGS FOR
KGSP INDICATE LI/S WILL REMAIN ABOVE 10 THROUGH MON AND THE NAM
KEEPS ALL THE CONVECTIVE PRECIP OVER AL AND SRN GA THROUGH 00Z TUE.
SO SUFFICE TO SAY...THE CHC THUNDER HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE GRIDS
MON. STILL EXPECT LIKELY POPS MON AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS WEDGE
CONTINUES TO HOLD AND PROVIDE VERY GOOD ISENTROPIC LIFT FOR
WIDESPREAD -RA. MIN TEMPS ARE EXPECTED TO BE RIGHT AROUND NORMAL
SUN...AND FEW ABOVE NORMAL MON AS OVC SKIES DEVELOP. HIGHS SHOULD
ALSO BE RIGHT AROUND NORMAL SUN...WITH GOOD INSOLATION OFFSETTING AN
INCREASING NE/LY FLOW AND WEAK CAA. HIGHS FOR MON WILL BE ABOUT 10
DEGREES BELOW NORMAL AS MOIST WEDGE SETS UP EARLY AND PERSISTS
THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...
AS OF 240 PM FRIDAY...THE EXT RANGE BEGINS WITH STABLE WEDGE
REMAINING IN CONTROL...HOWEVER UPPER DYNAMICS WILL BE INCREASING
THROUGH MON NIGHT AND DURING THE DAY TUE. THE WEDGE SHOULD BREAKDOWN
BY 12Z AS THE COLD FRONT CROSSES THE REGION. STILL DONT SEE MUCH
UPPER SUPPORT WITH THIS FRONT. VORTICITY LOOKS TO REMAIN STREAMLINED
WITH UPPER LOW AND THE STRONGEST FORCING CROSSES THE LOWER OH
VALLEY. HARD TO JUDGE THE AMOUNT OF LLVL INSTABILITY DEVELOPING
TUE AS THE WEDGE BREAKS DOWN FROM THE SW. SOME EVIDENCE EXISTS FOR
TS POTENTIAL WITH LI/S DROPPING INTO THE LOWER SINGLE DIGITS AND
WEAK ELEVATED CAPE SHOWING UP ON THE SOUNDINGS. ALSO...BOTH THE GFS
AND THE ECMWF INDICATE ANOTHER POSSIBLE TRIPLE POINT LOW CROSSING
THE UPSTATE AND PIEDMONT BTW 18Z AND 00Z. FOR NOW...WILL KEEP ALL
THE PRECIP NON/CONVECTIVE AS TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY EXISTS WITH THE
TIMING OF THE WEDGE BREAKDOWN AND INCREASING INSTABILITY POTENTIAL.
A PROGRESSIVE PATTERN IS EXPECTED THO...AND BY 06Z THE FRONT SHOULD
BE NEAR THE COAST.

ANOTHER WEAK WEDGE BUILDS IN THU AND REMAINS THROUGH FRI AHEAD OF
YET ANOTHER SYS PUSHING INTO THE DEEP SOUTH. THE 12Z GFS HAS SLOWED
DOWN AND IS MORE INLINE WITH THE 00Z ECMWF. THIS GIVE THE MED RANGE
FCST BETTER CONFIDENCE AS THE GFS WAS PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY MODEL
HANGING ONTO THE FASTER SOLN. SOLID CHC POPS STILL LOOK GOOD FOR FRI
LINGERING INTO SAT AS THE AXIS OF THE SFC TROF SHOWS GOOD CONTIGUITY
BTW THE OP MODELS. WONT EXPECT MUCH OF A WARM UP THROUGH THE
REMAINDER OF THE WEEK...HOWEVER TEMPS WILL BE RIGHT AROUND NORMAL.
THE LLVL WIND FIELD REALLY DOESNT GET A S/LY COMPONENT UNTIL LATE
FRI AHEAD OF THE NEXT FRONT...BEFORE THAT A WEAKENING WEDGE WIND
FIELD...NE/LY TO SE/LY IS EXPECTED. PLENTY OF SUNSHINE WED THROUGH
FRI WILL HELP MAX TEMPS REACH AROUND 70 F NON/MTNS...MID 60S
MTNS...IF NOT A FEW DEGREES ABOVE THU AND FRI.

&&

.AVIATION /19Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
CONVECTION CONTINUES TO FIRE ALONG AND NW OF THE INTERSTATE 85
CORRIDOR THIS AFTERNOON IN A REGION OF STRONGER LOW LEVEL
CONVERGENCE AND UPSLOPE FLOW. THE GREATEST THUNDERSTORM THREAT
THROUGH 21Z WILL BE FROM KAND TO KGSP...BUT THUNDERSTORMS WILL
BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS
AS THE BETTER UPPER SUPPORT ARRIVES. TEMPO IFR CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED IN THE HEAVIEST SHOWERS...WITH GENERALLY PERSISTENT MVFR
CONDITIONS ELSEWHERE. FLOW WILL REMAIN SOUTHERLY...WITH A FEW GUSTS
NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. THE BEST COVERAGE OF THUNDERSTORMS...WITH THE
HIGHEST RISK OF ASSOCIATED LIGHTNING AND SEVERE GUSTS...WILL BE FROM
00Z WEST TO 05Z EAST WITH CONVECTION ALONG THE MAIN FRONTAL PASSAGE.

AT KCLT...SHOWERS WILL INCREASE FROM THE SW...WITH TEMPO
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON. MORE WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS
WILL DEVELOP BY 00Z THIS EVENING. SSW WINDS WILL BACK SLIGHTLY TO
SOUTH AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING FRONT...AND STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY CROSS THE TERMINAL BETWEEN 02Z AND 05Z
LATER THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO WESTERLY BEHIND THE PASSING
FRONT...WITH MVFR CONDITIONS SLOW TO SCATTER THROUGH DAYBREAK.

OUTLOOK...DRY HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION SAT AFTERNOON
THROUGH SUNDAY. THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING MOISTURE BACK INTO
THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...WITH ASSOCIATED RESTRICTIONS
DEVELOPING. SOME IMPROVEMENT IS EXPECTED TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF NEXT
WEEK.

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.

&&

SYNOPSIS...HG
NEAR TERM...HG
SHORT TERM...SBK
LONG TERM...SBK
AVIATION...HG
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 10, 3:43 PM EDT, 3 hours 10 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
343 PM EDT FRI APR 10 2009

GAZ010-017-018-026-NCZ051-052-058-059-062-063-111945-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-GRAHAM-
NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-
343 PM EDT FRI APR 10 2009

...TORNADO WATCH 134 IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM EDT THIS EVENING...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND WESTERN
NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   TORNADO WATCH.

LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS THIS
EVENING. MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR IN ADVANCE OF THE APPROACHING COLD
FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW WILL ALLOW SCATTERED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. THROUGH
6 PM THIS EVENING...THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL BE ACROSS NORTHEAST GEORGIA...UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND
THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA. LARGE HAIL
WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT ASSOCIATED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE REGION THIS EVENING AHEAD OF THE
COLD FRONT...ALLOWING THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME MORE ORGANIZED. THE
THREAT WILL THEN SHIFT FROM HAIL TO A COMBINATION OF
WIND...HAIL...AND POSSIBLE ISOLATED TORNADOES THROUGH LATE
EVENING.

WHILE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY AFFECT ANY LOCATION IN THE WESTERN
CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS EVENING...LOCATIONS SOUTH OF
A LINE FROM ASHEVILLE TO CHARLOTTE WILL SEE THE GREATEST THREAT. A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OR TORNADO WATCH WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS
EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE.

GAZ028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>050-053-056-057-064-065-068>072-082-
501>510-SCZ001>014-019-111945-
HART-ELBERT-AVERY-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-
BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-
GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-
GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-
EASTERN MCDOWELL-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD-
POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-
GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-
LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
343 PM EDT FRI APR 10 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT
NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS THIS
EVENING. MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR IN ADVANCE OF THE APPROACHING COLD
FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW WILL ALLOW SCATTERED SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS. THROUGH
6 PM THIS EVENING...THE GREATEST THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
WILL BE ACROSS NORTHEAST GEORGIA...UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND
THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA. LARGE HAIL
WILL BE THE MAIN THREAT ASSOCIATED WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE REGION THIS EVENING AHEAD OF THE
COLD FRONT...ALLOWING THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME MORE ORGANIZED. THE
THREAT WILL THEN SHIFT FROM HAIL TO A COMBINATION OF
WIND...HAIL...AND POSSIBLE ISOLATED TORNADOES THROUGH LATE
EVENING.

WHILE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY AFFECT ANY LOCATION IN THE WESTERN
CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS EVENING...LOCATIONS SOUTH OF
A LINE FROM ASHEVILLE TO CHARLOTTE WILL SEE THE GREATEST THREAT. A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM OR TORNADO WATCH WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS
EVENING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Apr 10, 6:20 PM EDT, 33 minutes before
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Local storm report, Apr 10, 6:28 PM EDT, 25 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
628 PM EDT FRI APR 10 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0117 PM     HAIL             BATESVILLE              34.75N 83.61W
04/10/2009  E1.50 INCH       HABERSHAM          GA   PUBLIC

            CAR DAMAGED.

&&

KRENTZ
Local storm report, Apr 10, 6:28 PM EDT, 25 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
628 PM EDT FRI APR 10 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

617 PM     HAIL             BATESVILLE              34.75N 83.61W
04/10/2009  E1.50 INCH       HABERSHAM          GA   PUBLIC

            CAR DAMAGED.

&&

KRENTZ
Local storm report, Apr 10, 6:46 PM EDT, 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
646 PM EDT FRI APR 10 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0117 PM     HAIL             6 SW TOCCOA             34.52N 83.40W
04/10/2009  E1.00 INCH       STEPHENS           GA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER ALSO RECORDED 48 MPH WINDS.

&&

KRENTZ
Local storm report, Apr 10, 6:46 PM EDT, 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
646 PM EDT FRI APR 10 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

617 PM     HAIL             6 SW TOCCOA             34.52N 83.40W
04/10/2009  E1.00 INCH       STEPHENS           GA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER ALSO RECORDED 48 MPH WINDS.

&&

KRENTZ
Local storm report, Apr 10, 6:50 PM EDT, 3 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
650 PM EDT FRI APR 10 2009

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0630 PM     TORNADO          12 W WALHALLA           34.77N 83.27W
04/10/2009                   OCONEE             SC   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORTED BRIEF TORNADO.

&&

KRENTZ

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), 12:00Z

10.9 hours before the tornado, 170 km from the path. April 10, 2009.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2009-04-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -72391, lifted condensation level 671 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2009-04-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 256 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 56 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-72391 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
671 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
56 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
256 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
292 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.7 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Clemson/Oconee County (CEU), 38 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
00:00 UTC

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 22:53 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 2009 tornado in GeorgiaEvery tornado in Georgia since 1950Warnings in force in Georgia nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of April 10, 2009

63 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 101:27 AM CDTEF1Richland Parish, LA4.4100$10,000
April 105:38 AM CDTEF0Marshall, AL2.0200$16,000
April 1010:41 AM CDTEF1Benton, TN4.075$500,000
April 1010:50 AM CDTEF0Humphreys, TN1.025$10,000
April 1010:59 AM CDTEF1Humphreys, TN12.0300$200,000
April 1011:16 AM CDTEF0Calloway, KY0.375$200,000
April 1011:45 AM CDTEF1Lyon, KY0.3501$70,000
April 1011:47 AM CDTEF0Christian, KY1.650$14,000
April 1011:54 AM CDTEF3Hopkins, KY2.0752$152,000
April 1012:19 PM CDTEF4Murfreesboro tornado, TN23.3750258$100 million
April 1012:49 PM CDTEF1Sumner, TN0.650$200,000
April 1012:58 PM CDTEF0Rutherford, TN0.225$5,000
April 101:01 PM CDTEF1Rutherford, TN3.7100$60,000
April 101:19 PM CDTEF0Cannon, TN0.875$10,000
April 101:59 PM CDTEF0Limestone, AL0.210$20,000
April 103:13 PM EDTEF1Lincoln, KY7.5100$140,000
April 102:18 PM CDTEF0Coffee, TN0.325
April 102:22 PM CDTEF1Putnam, TN6.0100$100,000
April 103:02 PM CDTEF2Sequatchie, TN5.0175$100,000
April 103:02 PM CDTEF3Marshall, AL32.54405
April 103:05 PM CDTEF1Sequatchie, TN0.240$15,000
April 104:23 PM EDTEF1Hamilton, TN0.530$50,000
April 105:00 PM EDTEF2Chattooga, GA0.3200$900,000
April 106:04 PM EDTEF1Pickens, GA3.4440$25,000
April 106:30 PM EDTEF0Oconee, SC0.130
April 106:57 PM EDTEF1Forsyth, GA0.2200$200,000
April 107:23 PM EDTEF1Anderson, SC2.8400$300,000
April 107:50 PM EDTEF0Anderson, SC1.6100
April 107:12 PM CDTEF1Tallapoosa, AL10.1250$52,000
April 108:23 PM EDTEF1Abbeville, SC1.2200$50,000
April 108:28 PM EDTEF2Abbeville, SC6.73002$1.0 million
April 107:30 PM CDTEF1Lee, AL5.5300$150,000
April 108:32 PM EDTEF1Union, SC3.9350$400,000
April 108:41 PM EDTEF1Greenwood, SC4.6200$200,000
April 108:43 PM EDTEF1Greenwood, SC2.6200$300,000
April 107:51 PM CDTEF1Lee, AL2.2100$30,000
April 108:04 PM CDTEF1Russell, AL5.9150$10,000
April 108:19 PM CDTEF1Russell, AL1.0502$120,000
April 108:26 PM CDTEF1Macon, AL25.5440$210,000
April 109:46 PM EDTEF1Chattahoochee, GA3.7440$100,000
April 108:48 PM CDTEF1Montgomery, AL26.1440$366,000
April 109:53 PM EDTEF0McDuffie, GA0.440$72,000
April 1010:00 PM EDTEF1Chattahoochee, GA3.7100$150,000
April 1010:19 PM EDTEF0Hancock, GA1.133$10,000
April 109:20 PM CDTEF1Russell, AL0.51501$50,000
April 1010:23 PM EDTEF0Hancock, GA0.333$7,000
April 1010:28 PM EDTEF3Hancock, GA6.88801$500,000
April 1010:30 PM EDTEF3Columbia, GA17.788012$6.0 million
April 1010:56 PM EDTEF0Glascock, GA0.3150$4,000
April 1010:57 PM EDTEF3Aiken, SC14.688014$5.0 million
April 1011:00 PM EDTEF1Sumter, GA25.1250$380,000
April 1011:20 PM EDTEF0Dooly, GA5.5100$50,000
April 1011:34 PM EDTEF3Burke, GA26.38804$3.0 million
April 1011:40 PM EDTEF1Sumter, GA1.2200$5,000
April 1012:02 AM EDTEF1Glascock, GA4.6200$102,000
April 1012:15 AM EDTEF1Sumter, GA2.9200$1.0 million
April 1012:17 AM EDTEF0Barnwell, SC0.1100
April 1012:23 AM EDTEF1Crisp, GA25.3200$700,000
April 1012:24 AM EDTEF1Terrell, GA0.6100$300,000
April 1012:26 AM EDTEF1Allendale, SC1.2300$1.0 million

All 64 of them

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.