Tornadoes · United States · Georgia · 2021

EF1 tornado, Kolomoki Mounds State Park to Whitehouse, Georgia, June 19, 2021

From Kolomoki Mounds State Park to Whitehouse, this EF1 tornado ran 29.0 miles across Early, Clay and Randolph counties on June 19, 2021, touching down at 1:31 PM EDT and reaching 400 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $3,000 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 mph

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

    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
EF1
Date
June 19, 2021
Touchdown
1:31 PM EDT (17:31 UTC)
Lifted
2:44 PM EDT (18:44 UTC)
On the ground
73 minutes
Path length
29.0 miles (46.7 km)
Path width
400 yards (366 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$3,000
Counties
Early, Clay and Randolph counties
Touchdown point
31.430, -84.980
Lift-off point
31.827, -84.822
Record number
2106191131-01

The damage survey

12 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS TAE, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF1. The highest wind the damage implies is 100 mph.

  • Tornado crossed US-84 at this location.
  • Pump house destroyed/debris blown away
  • Trees uprooted/damaged in mainly inaccessible areas near Zetto.
  • Report of tornado crossing GA-266

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

Tropical Storm Claudette passed west of the tri-state area. However, some squalls associated with it resulted in a few trees being blown down. One supercell developed in rural southwest Georgia and produced a long track tornado. Fortunately, minimal damage occurred due to the rural area it affected.

A tornado touched down west of Blakely, GA and traversed mainly rural terrain across Early, Clay, and Randolph Counties. The tornado was observed at multiple locations by trained spotters and the public throughout its path. The storm snapped or uprooted numerous pine trees northwest of Blakely. Tree damage continued into Clay County but didn't affect any major roadways. The tornado crossed GA-266 near Coleman in Randolph County. Minor structural damage was noted to a few residences and pump houses near US-82 and Reid Station Road west of Cuthbert. Numerous trees were snapped in this area, some blocking US-82. Some further tree damage was reported north of the highway before the tornado lifted.

A tornado touched down west of Blakely, GA and traversed mainly rural terrain across Early, Clay, and Randolph Counties. The tornado was observed at multiple locations by trained spotters and the public throughout its path. The storm snapped or uprooted numerous pine trees northwest of Blakely. Tree damage continued into Clay County but didn't affect any major roadways. The tornado crossed GA-266 near Coleman in Randolph County. Minor structural damage was noted to a few residences and pump houses near US-82 and Reid Station Road west of Cuthbert. Numerous trees were snapped in this area, some blocking US-82. Some further tree damage was reported north of the highway before the tornado lifted.

A tornado touched down west of Blakely, GA and traversed mainly rural terrain across Early, Clay, and Randolph Counties. The tornado was observed at multiple locations by trained spotters and the public throughout its path. The storm snapped or uprooted numerous pine trees northwest of Blakely. Tree damage continued into Clay County but didn't affect any major roadways. The tornado crossed GA-266 near Coleman in Randolph County. Minor structural damage was noted to a few residences and pump houses near US-82 and Reid Station Road west of Cuthbert. Numerous trees were snapped in this area, some blocking US-82. Some further tree damage was reported north of the highway before the tornado lifted.

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

The warnings

24 minutes of warning. NWS TAE issued a tornado warning for this county at 17:07 UTC, 24 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 17:50 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 14:34 UTC and running to 00:00 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
06:00 UTC18:17 UTCFlash Flood WatchTAE
14:34 UTC00:00 UTCTornado WatchTAE
16:47 UTC17:15 UTCTornado WarningTAE
17:07 UTC17:50 UTCTornado WarningTAE
00:02 UTC13:00 UTCTornado WatchTAE
01:03 UTC01:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAE

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 Slight Risk, with a 0.05 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 16:31 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), 12:00Z

5.5 hours before the tornado, 148 km from the path. June 19, 2021.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Tallahassee Rgnl, FL at 12:00Z on 2021-06-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1367 joules per kilogram, CIN -13, lifted condensation level 747 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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, Tallahassee Rgnl, FL at 12:00Z on 2021-06-19The 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 147 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 24 knots.193958Sfc1 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
1367 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-13 J/kg
Surface CAPE
673 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
747 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
147 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
315 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
3.7
0-3 km lapse rate
5.9 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Tallahassee Rgnl, FL (KTLH), 00:00Z

6.5 hours after it, 148 km from the path. June 20, 2021.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Tallahassee Rgnl, FL at 00:00Z on 2021-06-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 1506 joules per kilogram, CIN -6, lifted condensation level 764 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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, Tallahassee Rgnl, FL at 00:00Z on 2021-06-20The 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 152 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 26 knots.193958Sfc1 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
1506 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Surface CAPE
2792 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
764 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
152 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
223 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.9
Supercell composite
7.3
0-3 km lapse rate
6.1 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Blakely (BIJ), 26 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
15:35 UTC75.271.6110° 5 kt1016.9RA
15:55 UTC75.271.6110° 4 kt1016.6-DZ
16:15 UTC75.271.60° 0 kt1016.6RA
16:35 UTC75.273.490° 3 kt1016.3-RA
16:55 UTC7773.4100° 4 kt1016.3
17:15 UTC7773.470° 6 kt1015.9RA
17:35 UTC7773.490° 7 kt1015.6TS
17:55 UTC7773.4110° 3 kt1015.6
18:15 UTC7773.480° 3 kt1014.9RA
18:35 UTC7773.490° 5 kt1014.6-VCTSRA
18:55 UTC78.8770° 0 kt1013.9
19:15 UTC80.6770° 0 kt1013.9

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

The radar

The Ft Rucker radar (KEOX), 56 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 17:33 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)ReportWhereCountyRemark
17:33 UTCTORNADO4 Sw Kolomoki Mounds SpEarly, GADAMAGE TO HOUSES REPORTED NEAR WHITE CHANDLER RD.
17:35 UTCTORNADO2 Wsw Kolomoki Mounds SEarly, GADAMAGE REPORTED TO A BARN PUMP NEAR SAWYER RD.
17:56 UTCTORNADO3 W Harrisons MillClay, GASPOTTER CONFIRMED TORNADO.
18:40 UTCTORNADO1 Sse Peterson HillRandolph, GATREES DOWN ALONG HWY 82 THAT COINCIDE WITH OBSERVED TDS.

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

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2021 tornado in GeorgiaEvery tornado in Georgia since 1950Warnings in force in Georgia nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of June 19, 2021

11 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 192:31 AM CDTEF0Harrison, MS1.275$50,000
June 193:16 AM CDTEF0Mobile, AL0.1251
June 195:08 AM CDTEF0Jackson, MS0.525$15,000
June 195:35 AM CDTEF1Jackson, MS0.850$5,000
June 197:31 AM CDTEF2Escambia, AL22.065020$3.2 million
June 191:12 PM CDTEF0Covington, AL0.625
June 192:05 PM MDTEF0Adams, CO0.025
June 192:17 PM MDTEF0Adams, CO0.025
June 192:26 PM MDTEF0Adams, CO0.025
June 192:34 PM MDTEF0Adams, CO0.025
June 192:43 PM MDTEF0Morgan, CO0.025

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.