Tornadoes · United States · Georgia · 2020
EF1 tornado, Pinetta to Ocilla, Georgia, April 13, 2020
From Pinetta to Ocilla, this EF1 tornado ran 1.9 miles across Irwin County on April 13, 2020, touching down at 6:01 AM EDT and reaching 50 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 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
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
- EF1
- Date
- April 13, 2020
- Touchdown
- 6:01 AM EDT (10:01 UTC)
- Lifted
- 6:04 AM EDT (10:04 UTC)
- On the ground
- 3 minutes
- Path length
- 1.9 miles (3.1 km)
- Path width
- 50 yards (46 m)
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- County
- Irwin County
- Touchdown point
- 31.500, -83.320
- Lift-off point
- 31.503, -83.287
- Record number
- 2004130401-01
What the Weather Service recorded
A strong area of low pressure with sufficient instability and a very strong low level jet affected the tri-state area. A severe squall line crossed the area with numerous reports of wind damage. A couple of tornadoes occurred in south-central Georgia.
Brief tornado touched down in western Irwin County. The tornado initially touched down north of Five Bridge Road, crossed Five Bridge Road near Palm Road and ended near Palm Road and Peach Road. Many trees were snapped. The tornado was rated EF1 with max winds around 90 mph.
From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.
The warnings
9 minutes of warning. NWS TAE issued a tornado warning for this county at 09:52 UTC, 9 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 10:30 UTC.
The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 07:23 UTC and running to 11:53 UTC.
| Issued (UTC) | Expired | Product | Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18:00 UTC | 12:00 UTC | Wind Advisory | TAE |
| 07:23 UTC | 11:53 UTC | Tornado Watch | TAE |
| 09:21 UTC | 10:45 UTC | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | TAE |
| 09:52 UTC | 10:30 UTC | Tornado Warning | TAE |
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, with a 0.02 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 05:50 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.
Tallahassee Rgnl, FL (KTLH), 00:00Z
10.0 hours before the tornado, 155 km from the path. April 13, 2020.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 854 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -88 J/kg
- Surface CAPE
- 2055 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 749 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 50 kt
- 0-1 km bulk shear
- 29 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 193 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 299 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.6
- Supercell composite
- 6.7
- 0-3 km lapse rate
- 5.3 K/km
The radar
The Moody AFB radar (KVAX), 74 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 10:01 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.
What was reported nearby
Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Report | Where | County | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:14 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 S Red Rock | Worth, GA | NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN THE 3800 BLOCK OF US-82 EAST OF SYLVESTER. ONE HOME WITH ROOF DAMAGE IN THE AREA. |
| 09:24 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Wsw Anderson City | Worth, GA | TREE DOWN ON HOUSE. |
| 09:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Wsw Poulan | Worth, GA | PUBLIC REPORTS TREES DOWN AND BLOCKING THE ROAD AT HWY 256 AND SEABROOK DRIVE. |
| 09:25 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 4 Nnw Isabella | Worth, GA | TREES DOWN BLOCKING THE ROAD AT JEWEL CROWE ROAD AND BLUE SPRINGS ROAD. |
| 09:30 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 Ene Powelltown | Worth, GA | TREE DOWN AT SIZEMORE FARM. |
| 09:36 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 W Ty Ty | Worth, GA | SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO SHOWING SEVERAL TREES DOWN ALONG HIGHWAY 82 ONE MILE WEST OF TY TY. |
| 09:36 UTC | TORNADO | 3 Wnw Ty Ty | Worth, GA | START POINT OF AN EF1 TORNADO THAT MOVED NORTHEAST ACROSS US 82 E. |
| 09:37 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Nnw Ty Ty | Worth, GA | POWER LINE DOWN ALONG LITTLE RIVER ROAD. REPORTED BY PUBLIC ON THE COLQUITT EMC FACEBOOK PAGE. |
| 09:40 UTC | TORNADO | 1 Nne Ty Ty | Tift, GA | END POINT OF AN EF1 TORNADO THAT MOVED NORTHEAST INTO THE COUNTY FROM JUST WEST OF TY TY GA. |
| 09:45 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 3 S Chula | Tift, GA | SEVERAL TREES DOWN NORTH OF TIFTON ON NORTH CARPENTER ROAD. ADDITIONAL TREES DOWN ON BRIGHTON ROAD AND OVER NEAR OLD OCILLA ROAD. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. |
| 09:50 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Se Crosland | Colquitt, GA | SEVERAL TREES DOWN ACROSS NE COLQUITT COUNTY. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. |
| 10:01 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 Wnw Gladys | Irwin, GA | SEVERAL TREES REPORTED DOWN ON FIVE BRIDGE ROAD SOUTH OF OCILLA. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. POSSIBLE TORNADO. |
| 10:01 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Wnw Gladys | Irwin, GA | RADAR IMAGERY AND PHOTOS COLLECTED VIA SOCIAL MEDIA CONFIRM A BRIEF TORNADO ALONG FIVE BRIDGES ROAD NEAR PALM ROAD IN IRWIN COUNTY. TIME ESTIMATED ON RADAR DATA. |
| 10:07 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Nne Gladys | Irwin, GA | TREE DOWN ACROSS ALTHEA ROAD. PICTURE VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. |
| 10:10 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 1 Nw Glory | Berrien, GA | TREE OVER THE ROAD ON HWY 82. |
| 10:24 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 Wnw Douglas | Coffee, GA | EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTS WIND DAMAGE TO A VACATE MOBILE HOME NEAR CHANEY ROAD AND HIGHWAY 32. TIME ESTIMATED BASED ON RADAR. |
| 10:27 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 Wnw Douglas | Coffee, GA | NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES WERE KNOCKED DOWN THROUGHOUT COFFEE COUNTY PER EMA AND 911. |
| 10:32 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 E Douglas | Coffee, GA | TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN ACROSS COFFEE COUNTY. ROOF ON HOME COLLAPSED ON SLEEPY HALLOW FARM ROAD. |
| 10:32 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 7 S Douglas | Coffee, GA | NEAR COFFEE COUNTY / AND ATKINSON COUNTY ALONG U.S.221 NUMEROUS TREES, POWER LINES AND A POTENTIAL HOUSE ROOF WERE REPORTED BLOWN OFF. |
| 10:39 UTC | TORNADO | 5 Se Ambrose | Coffee, GA | IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF APRIL 13TH, AN EF-O TORNADO WITH MAX WINDS OF 80 MPH TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 5 MILES SE OF AMBROSE, GA. THE TORNADO WAS APPROXIMATELY 125 YARDS WIDE AND TRAVELED ABOUT 1.5 MILES BEFORE LIFTING NE |
| 10:40 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 5 Se Ambrose | Coffee, GA | COFFEE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SHARED PICTURES OF SIGNFICANT DAMAGE TO MOBILE HOMES AND AN EIGHTEEN WHEEL TRUCK OVERTURNED IN THE VICINTIY OF BUSHNELL. |
| 10:40 UTC | TSTM WND GST 55 | Douglas | Coffee, GA | DOUGLASS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT REPORTED A THUNDERSTORM WIND GUST OF 55 MPH AT 640 AM ET. |
| 10:55 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | Nashville | Berrien, GA | SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT OF THREE TREES DOWN IN THE NASHVILLE AREA. |
| 11:34 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 Sse Hahira | Lowndes, GA | TREE DOWN IN THE 5700 BLOCK OF OLD US 41. |
| 12:01 UTC | TSTM WND DMG | 2 S Hansell | Lanier, GA | TREES DOWN IN THE 500 BLOCK OF SOUTH HIGHWAY 135. TIME ESTIMATED BY RADAR. POSSIBLE TORNADO. |
From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.
This ground now
The live radar over the trackEvery 2020 tornado in GeorgiaEvery tornado in Georgia since 1950Warnings in force in Georgia nowThe forecast where you are
The other tornadoes of April 13, 2020
67 more were confirmed in the United States that day.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 13 | 2:08 AM EDT | EF0 | Talbot, GA | 2.9 | 100 | $25,000 | ||
| April 13 | 2:19 AM EDT | EF3 | Upson, GA | 16.6 | 1,200 | $305,000 | ||
| April 13 | 2:36 AM EDT | EF0 | Fulton, GA | 2.8 | 50 | $50,000 | ||
| April 13 | 2:40 AM EDT | EF3 | Monroe, GA | 5.3 | 300 | 1 | $10 million | |
| April 13 | 2:49 AM EDT | EF1 | Banks, GA | 14.3 | 200 | $130,000 | ||
| April 13 | 3:00 AM EDT | EF1 | Bibb, GA | 3.7 | 300 | $250,000 | ||
| April 13 | 3:07 AM EDT | EF1 | Stephens, GA | 8.7 | 500 | $20,000 | ||
| April 13 | 3:18 AM EDT | EF1 | Oconee, SC | 4.0 | 400 | |||
| April 13 | 3:18 AM EDT | EF1 | Putnam, GA | 12.9 | 300 | $100,000 | ||
| April 13 | 3:21 AM EDT | EF3 | Seneca tornado, SC | 16.7 | 1,000 | 1 | 5 | $100 million |
| April 13 | 3:38 AM EDT | EF1 | Greene, GA | 6.4 | 350 | $500,000 | ||
| April 13 | 3:41 AM EDT | EF2 | Pickens, SC | 8.0 | 200 | 8 | $300,000 | |
| April 13 | 3:44 AM EDT | EF0 | Pickens, SC | 7.4 | 70 | |||
| April 13 | 4:01 AM EDT | EF0 | Greenville, SC | 0.7 | 30 | $20,000 | ||
| April 13 | 4:01 AM EDT | EF0 | Washington, GA | 1.7 | 50 | $20,000 | ||
| April 13 | 4:05 AM EDT | EF0 | Washington, GA | 3.1 | 100 | $50,000 | ||
| April 13 | 4:12 AM EDT | EF0 | Washington, GA | 1.0 | 100 | $50,000 | ||
| April 13 | 4:18 AM EDT | EF1 | Washington, GA | 14.2 | 220 | $270,000 | ||
| April 13 | 4:53 AM EDT | EF2 | Burke, GA | 16.5 | 700 | |||
| April 13 | 5:21 AM EDT | EF3 | Barnwell, SC | 37.9 | 800 | |||
| April 13 | 5:33 AM EDT | EF3 | Barnwell, SC | 8.5 | 50 | |||
| April 13 | 5:36 AM EDT | EF1 | Tift, GA | 3.6 | 100 | $200,000 | ||
| April 13 | 5:43 AM EDT | EF3 | Barnwell, SC | 35.7 | 770 | 2 | 7 | |
| April 13 | 5:49 AM EDT | EF3 | Barnwell, SC | 1.4 | 40 | |||
| April 13 | 5:50 AM EDT | EF3 | Barnwell, SC | 5.4 | 800 | |||
| April 13 | 5:53 AM EDT | EF1 | Richland, SC | 4.9 | 80 | |||
| April 13 | 4:58 AM CDT | EF1 | Screven, GA to SC | 5.9 | 200 | |||
| April 13 | 6:04 AM EDT | EF0 | Allendale, SC | 5.8 | 300 | |||
| April 13 | 6:10 AM EDT | EF4 | Hampton County tornado, SC | 23.7 | 1,300 | 5 | 60 | |
| April 13 | 6:25 AM EDT | EF2 | Orangeburg, SC | 10.2 | 700 | |||
| April 13 | 6:32 AM EDT | EF1 | Alamance, NC | 4.5 | 440 | $500,000 | ||
| April 13 | 6:34 AM EDT | EF2 | Anson, NC | 0.2 | 75 | $600,000 | ||
| April 13 | 6:39 AM EDT | EF0 | Coffee, GA | 1.2 | 125 | |||
| April 13 | 6:39 AM EDT | EF1 | Colleton, SC | 1.4 | 50 | |||
| April 13 | 6:45 AM EDT | EF1 | Anson, NC | 8.8 | 200 | $3.0 million | ||
| April 13 | 6:46 AM EDT | EF1 | Colleton, SC | 3.1 | 100 | |||
| April 13 | 6:47 AM EDT | EF1 | Colleton, SC | 17.3 | 500 | |||
| April 13 | 7:10 AM EDT | EF1 | Dorchester, SC | 2.3 | 150 | |||
| April 13 | 7:25 AM EDT | EF1 | Wayne, GA | 4.8 | 440 | 8 | ||
| April 13 | 7:37 AM EDT | EF1 | Long, GA | 3.2 | 500 | |||
| April 13 | 7:38 AM EDT | EF3 | Berkeley, SC | 5.7 | 400 | 6 | ||
| April 13 | 7:47 AM EDT | EF0 | Long, GA | 0.4 | 100 | |||
| April 13 | 7:51 AM EDT | EF0 | Berkeley, SC | 0.9 | 200 | |||
| April 13 | 8:00 AM EDT | EF1 | Berkeley, SC | 2.5 | 400 | |||
| April 13 | 8:10 AM EDT | EF1 | Columbus, NC | 0.6 | 100 | $100,000 | ||
| April 13 | 8:11 AM EDT | EF1 | Liberty, GA | 8.9 | 250 | |||
| April 13 | 8:13 AM EDT | EF1 | Georgetown, SC | 4.8 | 40 | $100,000 | ||
| April 13 | 8:15 AM EDT | EF1 | Georgetown, SC | 11.0 | 50 | $75,000 | ||
| April 13 | 8:15 AM EDT | EF2 | Colleton, SC | 1.2 | 140 | |||
| April 13 | 8:28 AM EDT | EF1 | Charleston, SC | 1.3 | 120 | |||
| April 13 | 8:33 AM EDT | EF1 | Charleston, SC | 0.3 | 60 | |||
| April 13 | 8:36 AM EDT | EF2 | Georgetown, SC | 4.6 | 50 | $20,000 | ||
| April 13 | 9:09 AM EDT | EF1 | Pender, NC | 7.8 | 50 | $150,000 | ||
| April 13 | 9:13 AM EDT | EF1 | Pender, NC | 2.8 | 50 | $100,000 | ||
| April 13 | 9:19 AM EDT | EF1 | Pender, NC | 2.8 | 30 | $25,000 | ||
| April 13 | 9:24 AM EDT | EF0 | Pender, NC | 1.5 | 30 | $2,000 | ||
| April 13 | 9:32 AM EDT | EF0 | Brunswick, NC | 0.1 | 15 | $8,000 | ||
| April 13 | 9:36 AM EDT | EF0 | Brunswick, NC | 0.4 | 15 | $15,000 | ||
| April 13 | 9:36 AM EDT | EF1 | Onslow, NC | 5.5 | 640 | |||
| April 13 | 10:01 AM EDT | EF0 | Jones, NC | 0.7 | 75 |
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.