EF2 tornado, Bynum to Surrency, Georgia, December 2, 2009

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.

Rating

EF2

Date

December 2, 2009

Touchdown

3:15 PM EST (20:15 UTC)

Lifted

3:30 PM EST (20:30 UTC)

On the ground

15 minutes

Path length

5.1 miles (8.3 km)

Path width

440 yards (402 m)

Deaths

0

Injuries

2

Counties

Pierce and Appling counties

Touchdown point

31.508, -82.236

Lift-off point

31.570, -82.189

Record number

0912021415-01

Strong mid and upper low initially over Texas was moving east-northeast while the upper level trough it was embedded in became negatively tilted. This led to a broad diffluent pattern over most of the southeastern states. As the system approached the right rear quadrant of upper jet moved into the forecast area coincident with a low-level jet of, at least, 60 knots. This created atmospheric dynamics favorable for severe weather, with the only limiting factor being modest instability. A warm front over the area during the morning moved rapidly north in response to increasing southerly flow allowing a gradual increase in low level instability. By afternoon several severe weather events and three tornadoes occurred over portions of southeast Georgia.

The tornado first touched down at approximately 1415EST in northwest Pierce County near Merson Road and Crump Road. Several trees were damaged and a farm shed had portions of its sheet metal roof removed. Winds here were estimated to have been near 70 mph or EF-0. The tornado moved northeast across several fields and encountered two small farm structures and a wooded area along Tiny Lane. The structures were completely destroyed with their contents strewn across the wooded area. Extensive tree blow down occurred in the woods with many pines snapped at 10 to 15 feet above ground level. The tornado was estimated to have been an EF-1 event in this location with winds of 110 mph. The funnel continued to move across fields next encountering wooded areas and structures near Scuffletown Road. At this point the funnel was one quarter mile or approximately 440 yards wide with winds estimated at 105 mph. Extensive tree blow down continued here with one mobile home destroyed and substantial damage to a wood frame structure. The tornado crossed the Big Satilla Creek at this point, and crossed into Appling County, continuing on a northeast track.

The tornado first touched down at approximately 1415EST in northwest Pierce County near Merson Road and Crump Road. It crossed the Big Satilla Creek, entering into Appling County at this point, and continued on a northeast track. The funnel may have briefly lifted off the ground at this point. The next significant damage occurred along Metts-Overstreet Road with the complete destruction of a singlewide mobile home and a farm shed at approximately 1425EST. Additionally, at this location, a brick cider block structure had one wall knocked over. The tornado then moved into a dairy just west of the intersection of State Road 15 and Wireglass Road. The event was rated as an EF-2 with winds of 135 mph at this location. Three metal building structures were destroyed with one removed from its foundation and blown into a pile of scrap metal. It is possible the funnel may have approached EF-3 at this particular location with winds of 140 to 150 mph; however, other damage to frame and masonry structures at the dairy suggested a lower wind value should be assigned to this area. One individual escaped injury by jumping into a depressed area inside one of the structures before it blew down around her. East of State Road 15, along Wireglass Road, extensive tree blow down and snapping continued in a tree farm. Once again the funnel likely lifted off the ground touching down again at 1430EST near 4230 Antioch Church Road destroying a doublewide mobile home. At this location, two middle aged individuals were in the bedroom, preparing for work, when the funnel destroyed the mobile home. Both escaped with only minor cuts despite the fact that the doublewide was completely obliterated and the frames bent. Once again at this location the winds were rated at 135 mph for a strong EF-2 rating.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

19 minutes of warning. NWS JAX issued a tornado warning for this county at 19:56 UTC, 19 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 20:45 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 19:46 UTC and running to 00:32 UTC.

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 Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 19:57 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 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.

Alma/Bacon Co. (AMG), 28 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

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

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

The live radar over the trackEvery 2009 tornado in GeorgiaEvery tornado in Georgia since 1950Warnings in force in Georgia nowThe forecast where you are

6 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

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.

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.