Tornadoes · United States · Georgia · 2012

EF0 tornado, Pyles Marsh, Georgia, July 18, 2012

Name: EF0 tornado, Pyles Marsh, Georgia, July 18, 2012
Start: 2012-07-18T19:42:00.000Z
End: 2012-07-18T19:43:00.000Z
Location: Pyles Marsh, Georgia

This EF0 tornado ran 0.5 miles across Glynn County on July 18, 2012, touching down at 3:42 PM EDT and reaching 25 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 mphthis tornado
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mph
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: EF0
Date: July 18, 2012
Touchdown: 3:42 PM EDT (19:42 UTC)
Lifted: 3:43 PM EDT (19:43 UTC)
On the ground: 1 minutes
Path length: 0.5 miles (0.8 km)
Path width: 25 yards (23 m)
Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
County: Glynn County
Touchdown point: 31.112, -81.481
Lift-off point: 31.118, -81.476
Record number: 1207181342-01

What the Weather Service recorded

The upper low was drifting WNW over SE Georgia. In addition to destabilization from cold core temperatures aloft, lobes of positive vorticity advection rotating southward over SE Ga and NE Fl during the afternoon fueled a few strong to severe storms in addition to the sea breeze and outflow foci over an unstable and moist airmass.

A tornado (waterspout) was near the Sidney Lanier bridge. The spout moved slowy and became rain-wrapped while dissipating over nearby marshland.

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 Jul 18, 1:57 PM EDT, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 1:57 PM EDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
157 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS NE FL...WITH
INITIAL SHOWERS FORMING IN SE GA. AS INTERACTION WITH SEABREEZE
BOUNDARIES INCREASE THIS AFTN...EXPECT PRECIP COVERAGE TO INCREASE
TO NUMEROUS ACROSS NE FL...WITH HIGH END SCATTERED FOR SE GA.
PRECIP WILL DECREASE THIS EVENING...WITH ONLY AN ISOLATED SHOWER
OR TWO OVERNIGHT/EARLY THURSDAY.

FOR THURSDAY/FRIDAY...THE REGION WILL REMAIN BETWEEN A TROUGH
OF LOW PRESSURE TO THE NORTH...AND RIDGING ACROSS CENTRAL/SOUTH
FLORIDA. SW FLOW WILL CONTINUE...WITH AFTN/EVENING SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND TSTMS AS WEAK IMPULSES ROTATING AROUND THE UPPER
TROUGH TO THE NORTH INTERACT WITH SEABREEZE BOUNDARIES. AS THE
TROUGH GRADUALLY WEAKENS...AND RIDGING TO THE SOUTH AMPLIFIES
SOME...EXPECT PRECIP COVERAGE FRIDAY TO BE SOMEWHAT LESS THAN
THURSDAY. NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL PREVAIL.

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
RIDGING TO THE SOUTH WILL CONTINUE TO NUDGE NORTHWARD SATURDAY
RESULTING IN LOWER POPS ACROSS MOST OF NE FL...WITH CHANCE POPS
ACROSS GA CLOSER TO A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE. FOR SUNDAY THROUGH
EARLY NEXT WEEK...GFS/ECMWF BRINGS SOME TROPICAL MOISTURE
NORTHWARD ACROSS THE REGION. WITH SOME DIFFERENCES AS TO HOW
MUCH TAP IS BROUGHT INTO THE AREA...WILL USE CHANCE POPS FOR NOW.
RIDGING IS PROGGED BY MIDWEEK FOR SOME DRYING. NEAR TO SLIGHTLY
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES CAN BE EXPECTED.

&&

.AVIATION...
CONVECTION FIRING ALONG THE BASE OF THE UPPER LOW AND EXPECT
CONVECTION AT THE JACKSONVILLE FIELDS THROUGH...AT LEAST...2200 UTC.
LOOKING AT BASES ABOUT 4 KFT AT THIS TIME.

&&

.MARINE...
S/SW FLOW WILL PREVAIL FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...AS SURFACE HIGH
PRESSURE REMAINS ENTRENCHED TO THE SOUTH. WINDS WILL REMAIN UNDER
SCEC CRITERIA...WITH SOME NOCTURNAL SURGE AT NIGHT OFFSHORE UP TO
15 KNOTS. SEAS WILL MOSTLY BE IN 2 TO 4 FOOT RANGE.

RIP CURRENTS: MODERATE RISK INTO TONIGHT. LOW RISK THURSDAY WITH
DECREASED EASTERLY SWELL.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
AMG  72  93  73  93 /  40  60  60  50
SSI  75  91  76  92 /  40  40  40  40
JAX  72  92  73  93 /  50  60  60  40
SGJ  74  91  75  91 /  50  50  50  40
GNV  71  93  73  93 /  50  60  50  40
OCF  71  93  73  93 /  50  50  50  40

&&

.JAX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...NONE.
GA...NONE.
AM...NONE.
&&

ALLEN/SANDRIK/KEEGAN

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 18, 9:52 AM EDT, 5 hours 50 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
952 AM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

AMZ450-452-454-470-472-474-FLZ020>025-030>033-035>038-040-GAZ132>136-
149>154-162>166-191000-
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-
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-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-
952 AM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE COASTAL WATERS...NORTHEAST
FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST GEORGIA.

...SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY
EVENING...

...MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS TODAY...

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS
AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING...WITH STORM MOTION TO THE NORTHEAST
ABOUT 10 MPH. A FEW STORMS MAY BE STRONG AND PRODUCE GUSTY
WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES.

A MODERATE RISK OF RIP CURRENTS WILL CONTINUE TODAY DUE TO EASTERLY
SWELLS. USE EXTRA CAUTION IF SWIMMING AT THE BEACHES AND ALWAYS
SWIM WITHIN SIGHT OF LIFEGUARDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN ON THURSDAY WITH
LOWER CHANCES EXPECTED FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...SPOTTERS
ARE REQUESTED TO MONITOR THE WEATHER AND SELF ACTIVATE IF NEEDED.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN
JACKSONVILLE WEBSITE ON THE INTERNET AT WEATHER.GOV/JAX.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 18, 2:47 PM EDT, 55 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 18, 2:54 PM EDT, 48 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
254 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

FLZ032-036-181930-
ALACHUA-CLAY-
254 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR EXTREME
SOUTHWESTERN CLAY AND NORTHERN ALACHUA COUNTIES FOR EXCESSIVE
LIGHTNING VALID UNTIL 330 PM EDT...

AT 254 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM CENTERED 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ALACHUA...OR 6
MILES NORTHWEST OF GAINESVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH. THIS
STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL ALSO AFFECT AREAS AROUND GAINESVILLE...
ALACHUA...LA CROSSE...GAINESVILLE AIRPORT...WALDO AND ORANGE HEIGHTS
THROUGH 330 PM EDT. EXCESSIVE CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE
EXPECTED. POSTPONE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES PROMPTLY. GO QUICKLY INSIDE A
COMPLETELY ENCLOSED BUILDING. UNPLUG ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND
APPLIANCES AS THEY ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO POWER SURGES AND MAY BE DAMAGED
BY NEARBY LIGHTNING STRIKES. 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.

LAT...LON 2980 8251 2988 8235 2984 8228 2985 8224
      2984 8223 2984 8214 2979 8212 2978 8208
      2975 8206 2976 8204 2975 8204 2964 8243
TIME...MOT...LOC 1854Z 246DEG 11KT 2975 8238

SANDRIK

Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:12 PM EDT, 30 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
312 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

FLZ025-032-033-181945-
CLAY-DUVAL-ST. JOHNS-
312 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NORTHEASTERN
CLAY...NORTHWESTERN ST. JOHNS AND SOUTHERN DUVAL COUNTIES FOR
EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING VALID UNTIL 345 PM EDT...

AT 312 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM CENTERED OVER ORANGE PARK...MOVING EAST AT 15
MPH. THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL ALSO AFFECT AREAS AROUND ORANGE
PARK...LAKESIDE...DOCTORS INLET...BELLAIR...MANDARIN AND FRUIT COVE
THROUGH 345 PM EDT. EXCESSIVE CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE
EXPECTED. POSTPONE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES PROMPTLY. GO QUICKLY INSIDE A
COMPLETELY ENCLOSED BUILDING. UNPLUG ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND
APPLIANCES AS THEY ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO POWER SURGES AND MAY BE DAMAGED
BY NEARBY LIGHTNING STRIKES. 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.

LAT...LON 3008 8177 3021 8178 3031 8158 3010 8151
TIME...MOT...LOC 1912Z 252DEG 12KT 3018 8167

SANDRIK

Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:17 PM EDT, 25 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
317 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

FLZ031-181945-
BRADFORD-
317 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUTHERN
BRADFORD COUNTY FOR EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING VALID UNTIL 345 PM EDT...

AT 317 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM CENTERED 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SAMPSON...OR 11
MILES SOUTHEAST OF LAKE BUTLER...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. THIS STRONG
THUNDERSTORM WILL ALSO AFFECT AREAS AROUND NEW RIVER...BROOKER...
SAMPSON...STARKE AND HAMPTON THROUGH 345 PM EDT. EXCESSIVE
CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING CAN BE EXPECTED. POSTPONE OUTDOOR
ACTIVITIES PROMPTLY. GO QUICKLY INSIDE A COMPLETELY ENCLOSED
BUILDING. UNPLUG ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND APPLIANCES AS THEY ARE
SUSCEPTIBLE TO POWER SURGES AND MAY BE DAMAGED BY NEARBY LIGHTNING
STRIKES. 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.

LAT...LON 2979 8211 2984 8214 2985 8219 2984 8223
      2985 8224 2984 8228 2988 8234 2996 8234
      2995 8231 2997 8230 3003 8205 2979 8205
TIME...MOT...LOC 1917Z 260DEG 8KT 2988 8223

SANDRIK

Local storm report, Jul 18, 3:36 PM EDT, 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
336 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

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

0334 PM     WATER SPOUT      2 SSW BRUNSWICK         31.11N 81.48W
07/18/2012                   GLYNN              GA   EMERGENCY MNGR

            EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONFIRMED THAT A WATER SPOUT
            REMAINED IN THE VICINITY OF THE US-17 BRIDGE OVER THE
            INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY.

&&

SCHASE

Special weather statement, Jul 18, 3:41 PM EDT, 1 minute before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JACKSONVILLE FL
341 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

FLZ025-032-182015-
CLAY-DUVAL-
341 PM EDT WED JUL 18 2012

...A SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR NORTHERN CLAY
AND SOUTHERN DUVAL COUNTIES FOR STRONG WINDS AND EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING
VALID UNTIL 415 PM EDT...

AT 341 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
THUNDERSTORMS CENTERED 2 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DOCTORS INLET...OR 3
MILES SOUTHEAST OF LAKESIDE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH. THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO AFFECT AREAS AROUND LAKESIDE...DOCTORS
INLET...BELLAIR...ORANGE PARK...MANDARIN AND BAYARD THROUGH 415 PM
EDT. EXCESSIVE CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WINDS OF 45 TO 55
MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH POSSIBLE MINOR DAMAGE.

REPORT DAMAGE TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY OR YOUR COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

LAT...LON 3011 8154 3012 8157 3013 8160 3012 8168
      3008 8168 3006 8169 3003 8169 3000 8175
      3011 8186 3031 8167 3014 8149
TIME...MOT...LOC 1941Z 227DEG 8KT 3010 8173

TRABERT

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

7.7 hours before the tornado, 72 km from the path. July 18, 2012.

Skew-T log-p

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.

Hodograph

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: 640 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -31 J/kg
Surface CAPE: 26 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 686 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 12 kt
0-1 km bulk shear: 7 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -12 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0
0-3 km lapse rate: 4.1 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Brunswick/Malcolm (SSI), 9 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), 73 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 19:42 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 track Every 2012 tornado in Georgia Every tornado in Georgia since 1950 Warnings in force in Georgia now The forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of July 18, 2012

1 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

Date	Time	Rating	Where	Path (mi)	Width (yd)	Deaths	Injuries	Damage
July 18	2:00 PM MDT	EF0	Deuel, NE	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.