Tornadoes · United States · Georgia · 2019

EF0 tornado, Ideal, Georgia, February 12, 2019

This EF0 tornado ran 0.8 miles across Macon County on February 12, 2019, touching down at 2:29 PM EST and reaching 200 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $10,000 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
February 12, 2019
Touchdown
2:29 PM EST (19:29 UTC)
Lifted
2:31 PM EST (19:31 UTC)
On the ground
2 minutes
Path length
0.8 miles (1.3 km)
Path width
200 yards (183 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
County
Macon County
Touchdown point
32.370, -84.202
Lift-off point
32.370, -84.188
Record number
1902121329-01

What the Weather Service recorded

A sharp upper-level trough and associated strong cold front swept through the region resulting in numerous reports of damaging thunderstorm wind gusts and a few isolated tornadoes across parts of north and central Georgia.

A National Weather Service survey team found that an EF0 tornado with maximum winds of 75 mph and a maximum path width of 200 yards occurred in western Macon County. The tornado touched down on the southwest side of the town of Ideal on Brooks Road travelling east along the road snapping or uprooting several trees along the road before lifting around Tom Watson Avenue. A small shed had most if its tin walls and roof removed and tossed nearly 200 yards away. No injuries were reported. [02/12/19: Tornado #4, County #1/1, EF-0, Macon, 2019:004].

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

The warnings

No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
07:35 UTC11:35 UTCDense Fog AdvisoryFFC
19:23 UTC20:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningFFC

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 forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Marginal Risk. The outlook in force was issued at 16:18 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 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

7.5 hours before the tornado, 115 km from the path. February 12, 2019.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2019-02-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 65 joules per kilogram, CIN -13, lifted condensation level 496 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2019-02-12The 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 274 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 54 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
65 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-13 J/kg
Surface CAPE
20 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
496 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
54 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
274 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
279 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
4.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), 00:00Z

4.5 hours after it, 115 km from the path. February 13, 2019.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2019-02-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 7 joules per kilogram, CIN -15, lifted condensation level 782 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2019-02-13The 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 -157 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 77 knots.1939587897Sfc1 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
7 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-15 J/kg
Surface CAPE
105 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
782 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
77 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-157 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-363 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
5.1 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What was reported nearby

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

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
19:00 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Sse JuniperMarion, GAMARION EMA REPORTS SEVERAL TREES DOWN ALONG HWY 355 IN THE BOX SPRINGS AREA.
19:00 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 N Olive BranchTalbot, GANUMEROUS TREES DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY WITH AROUND A DOZEN MAJOR ROADS AFFECTED. HARDEST HIT AREA BETWEEN SR 36 AND SR 315 WNW OF TALBOTON.
19:00 UTCTSTM WND DMG4 Ssw JuniperMarion, GAMARION EMA REPORTS SEVERAL TREES DOWN ALONG HWY 355 IN THE BOX SPRINGS AREA, AS WELL AS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE ROOFS OF A CHURCH AND A HOUSE DIRECTLY CAUSED BY THE WIND
19:08 UTCTSTM WND DMGRowlandUpson, GATHE UPSON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTED TREES AND POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN IN THE ROLAND AREA NEAR HIGHWAY 36 AND WEST JEFFERSON STREET AND ROLAND ROAD.
19:18 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 Wsw Redbone CrossroadUpson, GATHE UPSON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTED TREES AND POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN AROUND THE INTERSECTION OF WAYMANVILLE ROAD AND NEW HARMONY CHURCH ROAD.
19:24 UTCTSTM WND DMG5 Wsw Fickling MillTaylor, GAIN ADDITION TO NUMEROUS TREES BLOWN DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED 2 HOMES WITH ROOF DAMAGE CAUSED BY THE WIND 4-5 MILES NORTH OF BUTLER
19:30 UTCTSTM WND DMGIdealMacon, GAEMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTED DOWNED TREES AND POWERLINES IN IDEAL, WITH ONE STRUCTURE OFF BROOKS ROAD SUSTAINING DAMAGE TO THE TIN ROOF.
19:47 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Sw WinchesterMacon, GAEMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTED DAMAGE TO A DAIRY BARN TIN ROOF.
19:50 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 Ese AmericusSumter, GASUMTER COUNTY EMA REPORTED TREES SNAPPED NEAR A RESIDENCE OFF CHARLESTON ROAD, SOUTHEAST OF AMERICUS. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
20:00 UTCTSTM WND DMG3 Sse LakewoodPeach, GASIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO A MOBILE HOME OCCURED ON THE 2500 BLOCK OF US 41 WHEN A TREE FELLONTO THE RESIDENCE. ANOTHER PROPERTY SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE AT THIS LOCATION.
20:03 UTCTSTM WND DMG1 Ne PerryHouston, GAMULTIPLE REPORTS OF SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO HOMES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF PERRY.
20:05 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 Wnw Sand BedHouston, GATREE REPORTED DOWN IN THE ROADWAY ON KINGS CHAPEL RD NEAR THE INTERSECTION WITH ARENA RD.
20:10 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 Sse Houston LakeHouston, GAMINOR STRUCTUAL DAMAGE TO A RESIDENCE ON OLD WINMILL RD
20:12 UTCTSTM WND DMGSand BedHouston, GATREE REPORTED DOWN IN THE ROADWAY ON HWY 247 DUE SOUTH OF FRITO LAY INC.
21:05 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 Wnw Sand BedHouston, GATREE REPORTED DOWN IN THE ROADWAY ON KINGS CHAPEL RD NEAR THE INTERSECTION WITH ARENA RD.
21:12 UTCTSTM WND DMGSand BedHouston, GATREE REPORTED DOWN IN THE ROADWAY ON HWY 247 DUE SOUTH OF FRITO LAY INC.

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

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2019 tornado in GeorgiaEvery tornado in Georgia since 1950Warnings in force in Georgia nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of February 12, 2019

5 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
February 124:53 AM CSTEF1Leake, MS4.2500$40,000
February 121:29 PM ESTEF0Fayette, GA0.6150$10,000
February 121:33 PM ESTEF0Clayton, GA3.0100$25,000
February 122:12 PM ESTEF0Henry, GA0.9100$15,000
February 126:48 PM ESTEF1Orangeburg, SC0.6125

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.