Tornadoes · United States · Georgia · 2017

EF0 tornado, Canoochee to Garfield, Georgia, January 21, 2017

From Canoochee to Garfield, this EF0 tornado ran 4.8 miles across Emanuel County on January 21, 2017, touching down at 2:11 PM EST and reaching 200 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $50,000 of property damage.

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 mphthis tornado

    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 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.

  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
EF0
Date
January 21, 2017
Touchdown
2:11 PM EST (19:11 UTC)
Lifted
2:15 PM EST (19:15 UTC)
On the ground
4 minutes
Path length
4.8 miles (7.7 km)
Path width
200 yards (183 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$50,000
County
Emanuel County
Touchdown point
32.660, -82.185
Lift-off point
32.701, -82.118
Record number
1701211311-01

The damage survey

22 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS CAE and NWS FFC, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF0. The highest wind the damage implies is 85 mph.

  • outbuilding destroyed and tree snapped
  • EM reported trees down blocking road at Old Wadley Road for about 50 to 75 yards.
  • Irrigation system turned over.

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

What the Weather Service recorded

Throughout the weekend of the 21st and 22nd, persistent southwesterly upper-level flow brought a series of strong short waves across the region. The atmosphere over central Georgia was unseasonably warm and unstable with strong low and mid-level shear. The first short wave generated a wave of severe thunderstorms across central and south Georgia through the morning and into the afternoon of the 21st that produced numerous tornadoes. Twenty three tornadoes were confirmed in the WFO Peachtree City warning area with 27 total tornadoes confirmed in the state of Georgia, both records for the number of tornadoes in a single day. A second, stronger short wave swept through during the late morning and afternoon of the 22nd bringing another round of severe weather to central and south Georgia. Additional tornadoes confirmed brought the 2-day total to 27 for the WFO Peachtree City warning area and 41 for the state of Georgia, both a record number for a 2 day period.

A National Weather Service survey team found that an EF0 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 80 MPH and a maximum path width of 200 yards began along Noonday Church Road in eastern Emanuel County where minor roof damage occurred. The tornado travelled northeast for nearly 5 miles downing numerous trees and destroying a small outbuilding in the Canoochee community. A large metal barn and silo had part of the siding removed along Mt Olivet Church before the tornado ended near Pike Johnson Road. [01/21/17: Tornado #23, County #1/1, EF1, Washington, 2017:024].

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

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Enhanced Risk, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 16:27 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.

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 Atlanta, GA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the tornado touched down at Jan 21, 1:47 PM EST, 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 21, 1:47 PM EST, 24 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 21, 12:53 PM EST, 1 hour 18 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1253 PM EST SAT JAN 21 2017

GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086-
089>098-102>113-221800-
BALDWIN-BANKS-BARROW-BARTOW-BIBB-BLECKLEY-BUTTS-CARROLL-CATOOSA-
CHATTAHOOCHEE-CHATTOOGA-CHEROKEE-CLARKE-CLAYTON-COBB-COWETA-
CRAWFORD-CRISP-DADE-DAWSON-DEKALB-DODGE-DOOLY-DOUGLAS-EMANUEL-
FANNIN-FAYETTE-FLOYD-FORSYTH-GILMER-GLASCOCK-GORDON-GREENE-
GWINNETT-HALL-HANCOCK-HARALSON-HARRIS-HEARD-HENRY-HOUSTON-JACKSON-
JASPER-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON-JONES-LAMAR-LAURENS-LUMPKIN-MACON-
MADISON-MARION-MERIWETHER-MONROE-MONTGOMERY-MORGAN-MURRAY-
MUSCOGEE-NEWTON-NORTH FULTON-OCONEE-OGLETHORPE-PAULDING-PEACH-
PICKENS-PIKE-POLK-PULASKI-PUTNAM-ROCKDALE-SCHLEY-SOUTH FULTON-
SPALDING-STEWART-SUMTER-TALBOT-TALIAFERRO-TAYLOR-TELFAIR-TOOMBS-
TOWNS-TREUTLEN-TROUP-TWIGGS-UNION-UPSON-WALKER-WALTON-WARREN-
WASHINGTON-WEBSTER-WHEELER-WHITE-WHITFIELD-WILCOX-WILKES-
WILKINSON-
1253 PM EST SAT JAN 21 2017

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...

...TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
GEORGIA AND SOUTHEAST NORTH GEORGIA...

...CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES THROUGH MID
AFTERNOON AND AGAIN WITH ANOTHER POSSIBLE ROUND OVERNIGHT...

A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH
EASTWARD ACROSS CENTRAL GA AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NORTH GEORGIA
INTO THIS AFTERNOON. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING WIND
GUSTS...ISOLATED TORNADOES AND HAIL. THE GREATEST CHANCE SHOULD
BE MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF A MCDONOUGH TO WARRENTON LINE AND
EAST OF A MCDONOUGH TO AMERICUS LINE...GRADUALLY PUSHING EAST
THROUGH MID AFTERNOON.

ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER IS POSSIBLE FOR LATER TONIGHT INTO
SUNDAY MORNING AS ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM MOVES ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST.
DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL AGAIN POSE
THE MAIN THREATS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...

THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP FROM SATURDAY NIGHT INTO
SUNDAY MORNING. THE MAIN STORM SYSTEM SHOULD BE MOVING ACROSS THE
SOUTHEAST STATES DURING THAT TIME FRAME. THE THREAT OF SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD HAVE MOVED EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA BY
SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

IN ADDITION...STORM TOTAL RAINFALL TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY WILL
EXCEED 3 INCHES IN SOME LOCATIONS. GIVEN THESE HEAVY RAINFALL
AMOUNTS SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED BUT SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED
TO SUBMIT REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH THE WEB BY GOING TO
WEATHER.GOV/ATLANTA.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 21, 1:31 PM EST, 40 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 21, 1:35 PM EST, 36 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 21, 1:42 PM EST, 29 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 21, 1:44 PM EST, 27 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 21, 1:54 PM EST, 17 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 21, 1:58 PM EST, 13 minutes before
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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.

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), 12:00Z

7.2 hours before the tornado, 203 km from the path. January 21, 2017.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Charleston AFB, SC at 12:00Z on 2017-01-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 138 joules per kilogram, CIN -38, lifted condensation level 581 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 12:00Z on 2017-01-21The 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 22 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 25 knots.1939587897117Sfc1 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
138 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-38 J/kg
Surface CAPE
31 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
581 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
25 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
22 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.3 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), 00:00Z

4.8 hours after it, 203 km from the path. January 22, 2017.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Charleston AFB, SC at 00:00Z on 2017-01-22Temperature 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 -32151, lifted condensation level 944 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 00:00Z on 2017-01-22The 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 -314 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 47 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
-32151 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
944 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-314 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-121 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.9 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Swainsboro (SBO), 22 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 Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 19:13 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 2017 tornado in GeorgiaEvery tornado in Georgia since 1950Warnings in force in Georgia nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of January 21, 2017

59 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
January 213:13 AM CSTEF1Pike, MS7.5150
January 213:35 AM CSTEF3Lamar, MS31.1900457$9.5 million
January 215:14 AM CSTEF2Choctaw, AL20.48004$750,000
January 215:55 AM CSTEF1Marengo, AL4.2900
January 218:49 AM ESTEF1Troup, GA5.4200$50,000
January 217:55 AM CSTEF1Elmore, AL0.7200
January 217:55 AM CSTEF1Elmore, AL1.5450
January 217:57 AM CSTEF0Elmore, AL0.290
January 218:48 AM CSTEF1Lee, AL2.8100
January 218:49 AM CSTEF0Lee, AL2.4150
January 218:55 AM CSTEF1Pike, AL37.3400
January 218:56 AM CSTEF0Lee, AL1.1150
January 219:00 AM CSTEF0Lee, AL0.8150
January 219:08 AM CSTEF0Lee, AL0.150
January 219:19 AM CSTEF1Lee, AL0.9300
January 2110:33 AM ESTEF1Harris, GA10.8400$75,000
January 2111:06 AM ESTEF0Talbot, GA1.9100$10,000
January 2111:14 AM ESTEF1Talbot, GA9.5300$65,000
January 2111:18 AM ESTEF1Taylor, GA12.3400$100,000
January 2111:22 AM ESTEF2Upson, GA5.7300$300,000
January 2111:25 AM ESTEF1Upson, GA5.3200$75,000
January 2111:32 AM ESTEF0Upson, GA0.8100$20,000
January 2111:39 AM ESTEF1Upson, GA1.9175$20,000
January 2111:59 AM ESTEF1Macon, GA8.9100$30,000
January 2112:08 PM ESTEF0Monroe, GA8.8250$15,000
January 2112:11 PM ESTEF2Peach, GA12.8350$295,000
January 2112:46 PM ESTEF0Twiggs, GA4.2100$50,000
January 2112:50 PM ESTEF1Bleckley, GA4.3100$30,000
January 2112:54 PM ESTEF1Wilkinson, GA5.8100$10,000
January 211:10 PM ESTEF0Putnam, GA0.650$25,000
January 211:20 PM ESTEF0Laurens, GA2.285$12,000
January 211:28 PM ESTEF1Baldwin, GA0.570$10,000
January 211:39 PM ESTEF0Johnson, GA6.4100$10,000
January 211:40 PM ESTEF1Washington, GA2.6300$30,000
January 211:45 PM ESTEF1Washington, GA1.3300$50,000
January 211:46 PM ESTEF1Washington, GA8.4300$60,000
January 212:09 PM ESTEF0Burke, GA1.3250
January 212:23 PM ESTEF0Burke, GA1.5100
January 212:40 PM ESTEF1Burke, GA1.075
January 212:42 PM ESTEF0Screven, GA0.750
January 212:50 PM ESTEF0Tattnall, GA0.9250
January 212:52 PM ESTEF1Screven, GA2.7525
January 213:47 PM ESTEF2Barnwell, SC13.81,6001
January 214:09 PM ESTEF1Orangeburg, SC5.5400
January 214:18 PM CSTEF2Harrison, TX6.9230$1.0 million
January 214:19 PM CSTEF1Marion, TX0.8100$250,000
January 214:50 PM CSTEF2Marion, TX to LA13.48001$900,000
January 215:12 PM CSTEF2Bossier Parish, LA10.89901$825,000
January 215:55 PM CSTEF1Webster Parish, LA3.5350$10,000
January 215:56 PM CSTEF2Natchitoches Parish, LA2.03001$500,000
January 217:00 PM CSTEF1Grant Parish, LA2.21501$250,000
January 217:04 PM CSTEF1Union, AR2.975$10,000
January 217:38 PM CSTEF0Union, AR0.650$25,000
January 217:51 PM CSTEF0Grant Parish, LA1.2150$25,000
January 218:29 PM CSTEF0LaSalle Parish, LA0.2100$90,000
January 218:45 PM CSTEF0Ashley, AR0.750$3,000
January 218:48 PM CSTEF0Union Parish, LA0.650$10,000
January 219:04 PM CSTEF1Morehouse Parish, LA8.9300$145,000
January 2110:44 PM CSTEF2Lauderdale, MS7.35501$175,000

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.