Cherokee County Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Georgia Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Cherokee County is about the same as Georgia average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Cherokee County is higher than Georgia average and is much higher than the national average.
Earthquake Index, #57
| Cherokee County | 0.05 |
| Georgia | 0.08 |
| U.S. | 1.81 |
The earthquake index value is calculated based on historical earthquake events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the earthquake level in a region. A higher earthquake index value means a higher chance of an earthquake.
Volcano Index, #1
| Cherokee County | 0.0000 |
| Georgia | 0.0000 |
| U.S. | 0.0023 |
The volcano index value is calculated based on the currently known volcanoes using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the possibility of a region being affected by a possible volcano eruption. A higher volcano index value means a higher chance of being affected.
Tornado Index, #7
| Cherokee County | 238.41 |
| Georgia | 179.92 |
| U.S. | 136.45 |
The tornado index value is calculated based on historical tornado events data using USA.com algorithms. It is an indicator of the tornado level in a region. A higher tornado index value means a higher chance of tornado events.
Other Weather Extremes Events
A total of 15,028 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Cherokee County were recorded from 1950 to 2010. The following is a break down of these events:
| Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count | Type | Count |
| Avalanche: | 0 | Blizzard: | 0 | Cold: | 22 | Dense Fog: | 3 | Drought: | 75 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 794 | Hail: | 4,952 | Heat: | 23 | Heavy Snow: | 74 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 10 | Ice Storm: | 30 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 72 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 7,564 | Tropical Storm: | 18 | Wildfire: | 4 | Winter Storm: | 69 | Winter Weather: | 63 |
| Other: | 1,255 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Cherokee County.
Historical Earthquake Events
No historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Cherokee County.
No historical earthquake events found in or near Cherokee County.
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 86 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Cherokee County.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 1.6 | 1962-04-11 | 2 | 34°14'N / 84°30'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cherokee | |
| 6.3 | 1962-03-21 | 3 | 34°10'N / 84°25'W | 10.00 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cherokee | |
| 8.1 | 1965-04-26 | 2 | 34°15'N / 84°20'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cherokee | |
| 8.2 | 1992-11-22 | 4 | 34°05'N / 84°31'W | 34°10'N / 84°26'W | 7.00 Miles | 867 Yards | 0 | 12 | 2.5M | 0 | Cherokee |
| 8.9 | 2002-11-11 | 2 | 34°21'N / 84°35'W | 34°23'N / 84°28'W | 6.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.8M | 0 | Cherokee |
| Brief Description: A National Weather Service disaster survey team and the Cherokee county Emergency Manager Director observed a 6-mile long path of damage, beginning near Beasley Gap in northwest Cherokee county, then continuing east-northeast toward the town of Worley Crossroads on the Pickens county border. While much of the damage along the path was determined as straight line wind damage with speeds of at least 70 mph, there was definite indication of a multi-segmented tornado. The most significant tornado damage occurred on Salacoa Road near Beasley Gap, where the tornado damage was classified as F2. The damage path was approximately 627 yards wide at its widest point, but the tornadic portion of this damage was limited to around 100 yards wide. Two homes were completely destroyed, three were severely damaged, and six were moderately damaged. Numerous trees and power lines were down along and near the damage path as well. Some livestock was also killed during the event. Cherokee county was one of five counties declared in a state of emergency by the governor. | |||||||||||
| 9.1 | 1985-04-05 | 2 | 34°14'N / 84°21'W | 34°14'N / 84°17'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cherokee |
| 11.9 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 34°08'N / 84°40'W | 34°10'N / 84°38'W | 3.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Cherokee |
| 12.2 | 2002-11-11 | 2 | 34°21'N / 84°27'W | 34°26'N / 84°16'W | 14.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 10 | 5.6M | 0 | Pickens |
| Brief Description: The tornado that originated in Cherokee county near Beasley Gap, continued into and across Pickens county. Once again, the National Weather Service disaster survey team determined that this was a multi-segmented tornado, with much of the damage along the path caused by straight line winds of at least 70 mph. The tornado entered the county southwest of Cagle, then continued on to just north of Tate roughly paralleling Georgia Highway 108, then turned more eastward along Georgia Highway 53 to near Marblehill, through the Big Canoe golf course and recreation area, then east of Big Canoe into extreme western Dawson county. There was definite evidence of F2 tornadic damage just north of Tate where winds were estimated in the 113 to 157 mph range. Some of the hardest hit areas included homes on Pleasant Union Road near the Cherokee county border; the Mountain Lakes Estates area, where several homes suffered extensive damage; the Bethany-Salem district where at least 56 structures were damaged or destroyed; Refuge Road near Tate, the town suffering some of the greatest damage where several homes and business were destroyed; the Big Canoe area near the Dawson county border, where several homes were damaged and the tennis center suffered extensive damage. All together, a total of 26 structures, mostly residential homes were destroyed, 142 structures were partially damaged, 2 businesses were destroyed, and 14 vehicles were totally destroyed. In addition, ten people were injured, primarily in damaged homes or trapped in vehicles on which trees fell. One of the businesses destroyed was the popular Davis's Barbeque on Georgia Highway 108. The restaurant was completely blown away, including the 20-foot white columns that stood in front of the restaurant. Three of the injuries in the county occurred in new mobile homes behind the Barbeque restaurant when their homes were flattened by the winds and other debris from the restaurant. One of the children injured, a 4-year old girl, was found by a nearby pond. The Refuge Baptist Church suffered extensive damage and was left in shambles. The historic Big Canoe chapel was also among the structures suffering damage. The steeple and all of the windows were lost from the church along with other structural damage to both the exterior and interior walls. Numerous trees were uprooted and many power lines were damaged along the path. Thirty people had to be put up in shelters and at least 6000 people were left without power for an extended period. Pickens county was the hardest hit of five counties declared in a state of emergency by the governor. | |||||||||||
| 13.0 | 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°06'N / 84°37'W | 34°04'N / 84°34'W | 3.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cherokee |
| 13.5 | 1956-04-15 | 2 | 33°54'N / 84°52'W | 34°12'N / 84°08'W | 46.80 Miles | 67 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Paulding |
| 13.9 | 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°04'N / 84°34'W | 34°02'N / 84°31'W | 3.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Cobb |
| 15.2 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 34°06'N / 84°43'W | 34°08'N / 84°40'W | 3.80 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Bartow |
| 15.4 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 34°22'N / 84°20'W | 34°27'N / 84°15'W | 7.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 17 | 2.5M | 0 | Pickens |
| 15.6 | 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°05'N / 84°40'W | 34°05'N / 84°40'W | 1.00 Mile | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cobb |
| 15.9 | 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°06'N / 84°42'W | 34°05'N / 84°40'W | 2.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Bartow |
| 17.5 | 1986-03-19 | 2 | 33°58'N / 84°32'W | 34°01'N / 84°29'W | 5.70 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 15 | 25.0M | 0 | Cobb |
| 17.7 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 34°05'N / 84°44'W | 34°06'N / 84°43'W | 2.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 7 | 0K | 0 | Cobb |
| 18.1 | 1992-11-22 | 4 | 33°55'N / 84°40'W | 34°05'N / 84°31'W | 13.00 Miles | 867 Yards | 0 | 34 | 25.0M | 0 | Cobb |
| 18.2 | 1970-04-02 | 3 | 34°14'N / 84°11'W | 34°19'N / 84°08'W | 6.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Forsyth |
| 18.3 | 2002-11-11 | 2 | 34°25'N / 84°16'W | 34°27'N / 84°14'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 3 | 200K | 0 | Dawson |
| Brief Description: The Dawson county Emergency Management Director reported that the tornado that originated in Cherokee county and traveled across Pickens county, entered Dawson county in the Big Canoe area and continued to just east-northeast of the Big Canoe area before dissipating. Two double-wide mobile homes were completely destroyed just east of the Big Canoe area as large trees fell on the structures. While the contents of one were salvagable, those of the other were destroyed. Three injuries occurred at one of these mobile homes as the residents were trapped by the downed trees on the structure. In addition, there were four other homes that received minor damage in the Big Canoe area. Numerous trees and power lines were blown down in the area of the tornado and some roads were temporarily blocked as a result. Dawson county was one of five counties declared in a state of emergency by the governor. | |||||||||||
| 19.5 | 1953-12-04 | 2 | 33°58'N / 84°25'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Cobb | |
| 20.0 | 1985-04-05 | 2 | 34°30'N / 84°36'W | 34°33'N / 84°31'W | 5.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Pickens |
| 21.2 | 1982-04-26 | 2 | 34°08'N / 84°51'W | 34°09'N / 84°48'W | 5.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Bartow |
| 22.3 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 34°27'N / 84°15'W | 34°30'N / 84°09'W | 6.80 Miles | 200 Yards | 5 | 13 | 2.5M | 0 | Dawson |
| 22.7 | 1998-04-08 | 2 | 33°57'N / 84°20'W | 33°57'N / 84°16'W | 4.00 Miles | 800 Yards | 1 | 0 | 25.0M | 0 | De Kalb |
| Brief Description: The damage path began just northeast of Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody and extended well into Gwinnett county. There was significant widespread damage to trees and homes. One person was killed when a tree fell on his home. DeKalb College's north campus was closed after several buildings sustained major damage. M72PH | |||||||||||
| 23.7 | 1993-02-21 | 3 | 33°56'N / 84°42'W | 33°54'N / 84°30'W | 8.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 3 | 50.0M | 0 | Cobb |
| Brief Description: The tornado touched down near Lost Mountain in Western Cobb County and proceded on an east southeat path across rural portions of the county, initially uprooting mainly trees and downing power lines. As the tornado moved over Marietta it touched down and caused severe damage to two condominium complexes, a large strip shopping center, and several apartment complexes. Over 400 condominiums, apartments, businesses, and mobile homes sustained damage from the tornado. Of the 400 structures damaged, 113 were mobile homes. In Marietta, several mobile home parks were severely damaged near Dobbins Air Force Base. Several businesses and industrial parks in Marietta sustained major damage. Box cars were pushed off railroad tracks. Numerous trees, poles, and power lines were downed which caused extensive power outages. Many of the trees were twisted or snapped in half. Over 9,100 Marietta Georgia Power customers lost their power as a result of the tornado. | |||||||||||
| 24.3 | 1984-11-10 | 2 | 34°01'N / 84°09'W | 1.50 Miles | 127 Yards | 0 | 8 | 2.5M | 0 | Gwinnett | |
| 24.5 | 1970-07-19 | 2 | 34°12'N / 84°54'W | 0.50 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Bartow | |
| 24.9 | 1998-04-08 | 2 | 33°53'N / 84°31'W | 33°53'N / 84°28'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 15.0M | 0 | Cobb |
| Brief Description: The same supercell that had tracked from Alabama across Haralson and Paulding counties spawned another tornado in Smyrna. The touchdown was along Windy Hill Road just west of Cobb Parkway where a commercial building sustained heavy damage. A filling station and car dealership less than a block east also sustained heavy damage. There was $500,000 to $750,000 in damage to new cars. Trees over a foot in diameter were snapped or uprooted. In total, 59 buildings were damaged, but no injuries were reported. Aerial and ground surveys by NWS employees showed the path varied from 100 to 200 yards wide with a length of about 3 miles. The tornado crossed just into Fulton county near I-285 and the Chattahoochee River. Dime to quarter size hail and other wind damage were also reported in north and central Cobb county. | |||||||||||
| 25.1 | 2002-11-11 | 2 | 34°18'N / 84°59'W | 34°19'N / 84°50'W | 12.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 1.5M | 0 | Bartow |
| Brief Description: A National Weather Service disaster survey team and the Bartow county Emergency Management Director confirmed a 12 mile long west-east path of damage beginning on Barnsley Garden Road near Barnsley Gardens in northwest Bartow county continuing east to just south of Halls Station crossing U.S. Highway 41, then east across Pleasant Valley Road, to just east of Interstate 75 on Crowe Spring Road. The path of damage, up to 500 yards wide in some area, consisted mostly of damage caused by straight line winds with speeds of 80 to 100 mph, but there was definite evidence of tornadic damage of F2 intensity in an isolated area on Clear Creek Road. This portion of the tornado had a path length of 500 yards with a path width of 100 yards. Tornadic damage of F1 intensity was evident along a secondary segment of the damage path at the intersection of Cedar Creek Road and Hazel Road about 3 miles north of Cassville. This portion of the torando had a path length of 500 yards with a path width of 100 yards. Twelve to 15 residental homes suffered major structural damage, seven chicken houses were destroyed, including 7500 chickens, and a barn was completely destroyed. There were also numerous downed trees and power lines along and near the the damage path. Bartow county was one of five counties declared in a state of emergency by the governor. | |||||||||||
| 25.7 | 1977-03-30 | 2 | 34°37'N / 84°30'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Gilmer | |
| 26.5 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 33°54'N / 84°55'W | 34°05'N / 84°44'W | 16.50 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 8 | 0K | 0 | Paulding |
| 27.0 | 1990-02-10 | 2 | 33°52'N / 84°36'W | 1.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Cobb | |
| 27.1 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 34°30'N / 84°09'W | 34°32'N / 84°07'W | 3.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Lumpkin |
| 27.3 | 1991-03-29 | 3 | 33°50'N / 84°39'W | 33°54'N / 84°35'W | 5.00 Miles | 1320 Yards | 0 | 25 | 25.0M | 0 | Cobb |
| 27.7 | 1965-04-15 | 2 | 34°23'N / 84°07'W | 34°22'N / 83°55'W | 11.50 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Pickens |
| 28.0 | 1977-03-30 | 2 | 34°33'N / 84°51'W | 34°36'N / 84°40'W | 11.00 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Gordon |
| 28.0 | 1998-04-08 | 2 | 33°56'N / 84°14'W | 34°01'N / 83°59'W | 15.00 Miles | 800 Yards | 0 | 10 | 50.0M | 0 | Gwinnett |
| Brief Description: Significant widespread damage continued into Gwinnett county in a path from Norcross through Duluth and Suwanee to north of Lawrenceville. Large trees were knocked down or snapped. Many of them fell on homes and apartments causing damage. Roofs were torn off of houses. At least 5000 homes were affected. Ten people at an apartment complex were treated for minor injuries. | |||||||||||
| 28.3 | 2008-03-15 | 3 | 34°06'N / 85°02'W | 34°07'N / 84°51'W | 11.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3.0M | 0K | Bartow |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A storm survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia in cooperation with the Georgia State Patrol confirmed that the EF3 tornado, that originated in Polk county just east of Seney, and continued across extreme southeast Floyd county, continued into southern Bartow county. The tornado entered the county about 3 1/4 miles west-northwest of Taylorsville and finally lifted about four miles southwest of Cartersville. The tornado tracked approximately 11 miles across southern Bartow county. While no deaths or injuries were reported from the tornado in Bartow county, several mobile homes were heavily damaged and hundreds of trees and several high voltage power transmission lines were knocked down and there was damage to the Georgia Power Plant on Georgia Highway 113. In addition, the Taylorsville Elementary School sustained significant damage. Several homes sustained roof damage along Popum Road just north of Taylorsville, a number of trees were down along Euharlee Road, and several bulidings, a number of trees, and several street signs were down in the area of Woodland High School about three miles southwest of Cartersville. All together, there were approximately 55 homes damaged, six of which were destroyed, and 30 homes with minor damage. Two schools, as noted above Taylorsville Elementary and Woodland High School suffered heavy damage. Some Georgia Power high transmission towers were also down. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The pattern that began to evolve on March 14th continued and intensified on March 15th. A stationary front remained draped across north Georgia from near Atlanta to Athens. South of this front, the air mass was becoming increasingly warm, moist and unstable. Meanwhile, aloft, a low amplitude, yet vigorous short wave embedded within a fast zonal flow, was tracking rapidly eastward from the mid south into the southeast. Strong shear and high helicity combined with the unstable air mass and the frontal boundary to allow repeated severe thunderstorms to develop and track eastward along the boundary across north Georgia. The activity began early in the day as a complex of thunderstorms moved into the area from Alabama and continued until nearly midnight. As the day progressed, especially during the afternoon, the development of the activity gradually progressed further south and by midnight had reached the south and southeast parts of the state. Numerous severe thunderstorms and tornadic supercells were observed throughout the day. Historical records indicate that this was one of the most significant severe weather days for the Peachtree City Weather Forecast Office with more events and warnings than had been observed since May 2003. | |||||||||||
| 28.3 | 1971-04-28 | 2 | 33°52'N / 84°40'W | 0.30 Mile | 77 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Cobb | |
| 28.5 | 1954-12-05 | 2 | 34°05'N / 85°00'W | 34°07'N / 84°53'W | 7.10 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Bartow |
| 28.5 | 1975-03-24 | 3 | 33°46'N / 84°32'W | 33°54'N / 84°20'W | 14.80 Miles | 500 Yards | 3 | 152 | 250.0M | 0 | Fulton |
| 29.2 | 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°10'N / 84°00'W | 34°09'N / 83°57'W | 3.30 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Hall |
| 30.9 | 1957-04-08 | 2 | 34°26'N / 85°00'W | 34°32'N / 84°52'W | 10.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Gordon |
| 31.9 | 1983-12-03 | 2 | 33°47'N / 84°31'W | 0.50 Mile | 80 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Fulton | |
| 33.7 | 2010-11-30 | 2 | 34°02'N / 83°57'W | 34°04'N / 83°55'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 5.0M | 0K | Gwinnett |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that an EF2 tornado touched down near Holland Park Drive in east central Gwinnett county, or about five miles northwest of Dacula. The tornado then tracked slightly over two miles to the north-northeast between Mountain View High School and Twin Rivers Middle School before lifting just east of the intersection of Gravel Springs Road and Interstate-85. The tornado was determined to have a path width of 300 yards with maximum wind gusts of 130 mph. Extensive damage was observed to homes mainly in the Kirkstone Subdivision of Buford. A total of 56 homes and one business along the path of the tornado sustained at least minor damage. Of these, 15 to 20 homes sustained major damage or were destroyed and thus were declared uninhabitable. One of these homes collapsed on itself. Damage to homes and property was estimated by the state insurance commissioner to exceed $5 million. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A deep full-latitude upper trough was sweeping from the central into the eastern U.S. The trough brought a quick transition to the eastern U.S. from mild fall temperatures to an extended period of well below normal temperatures. As the trough swept through the southeastern U.S. on November 30th, it took on a significant negative tilt. Although only marginal instability was noted because of extensive pre-frontal cloud cover and light to moderate rain showers, a strong 50-60kt low-level jet accompanied the trough as it rotated through Georgia during the afternoon of November 30th. This was sufficient combined with minimal instability (CAPE) in place at the time to support the development of a fairly well marked, yet very narrow, quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) which spawned two tornadoes, one an EF2 causing extensive damage to homes in Gwinnett county, and another weaker tornado in Henry county. In addition, the squall line or QLCS also produced numerous damaging wind events across north and central Georgia. | |||||||||||
| 34.5 | 2008-03-14 | 2 | 33°46'N / 84°25'W | 33°44'N / 84°21'W | 5.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 30 | 25.0M | 0K | Fulton |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A ground and aerial survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia in cooperation with the Atlanta Police Department, confirmed that an EF2 tornado tracked through the heart of the city of Atlanta causing millions of dollars of damage to buildings, including several high rise business and/or hotel buildings, within the downtown Atlanta area. The tornado also resulted in one death and 30 non-life threatening injuries. The death occurred on Decatur Street across from the Martin Luther King MARTA station. The tornado first touched down near the intersection of Simpson and Burbank Streets in the Vine City neighborhood just west of downtown Atlanta. The tornado then tracked near due east over the center of the Georgia World Congress Center, about 100 yards north of the Georgia Dome, which was concurrently hosting an SEC basketball conference, across the CNN Omni Hotel Complex and the Phillips Arena, where an NBA basketball game was underway, across the Equitable Bank tower, across the Interstate 75/85 Downtown Connector at the Edgewood Exit, and then into the Cotton Mill Lofts across the Oakland Cemetery located near the Fulton/DeKalb county line. The tornado then weakened, but continued into extreme western DeKalb county before finally lifting for good. The tornado had a total path length of six miles, five of which fell within Fulton county, and a maximum path width of 200 yards. Maximum wind speeds were estimated at 130 mph, which is a high end EF2. The tornado had a path width of 100 yards as it moved across the Georgia World Congress Center and CNN Omni Hotel complex and was ranked an EF1 at that point. At least 50 homes were damaged by the tornado, as were several multi-story towers and commercial buildings near and east of Centennial Olympic Park. Windows were blown out of several of these high rise tower buildings at multiple heights. Damage in residential and industrial areas ranged from roofing materials blown from homes and businesses to trees falling on structures and vehicles. The Cotton Mill Lofts experienced some of the most significant damage with the roof blown off and exterior walls on the top or fourth floors blown inward. Two sections of the fourth flour collapsed all the way into the basement of the building, trapping several people. Most of the injuries observed were associated with this damage. Damaged buildings and structures in the downtown Atlanta area included two Hermes 65-foot tall light towers at Centennial Olympic Park, the CNN Center/Omni Hotel, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Equitable Bank Building, Georgia-Pacific Building, Georgia World Congress Center, Grady Hospital, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Martin Luther King Center, Oakland Cemetery, SunTrust Building, Tabernacle, Ted's Montana Grill, Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, and Walton Building Barbershop. In addition to the damage reports, a wind gust of 83 mph was measured at Atlanta Fire Station No. 13 at 447 Flat Shoals Road Southeast in Atlanta, and a wind gust of 65 mph was measured at Atlanta Fire Station No. 4 at 309 Edgewood Drive in Atlanta. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A series of vigorous upper-level disturbances were racing through a fast zonal flow across the southern states. A supercell thunderstorm developed across north central Alabama and tracked southeast into northwest Georgia and eventually across downtown Atlanta, spawning an EF2 tornado that tracked right through the heart of downtown Atlanta. This was the first recorded incident of a tornado touchdown in downtown Atlanta. The tornado wreaked havoc on the downtown streets as it tracked from the Vine City neighborhood on the west, across the I-75/85 corridor, through the Cotton Mill Lofts, and into extreme western DeKalb county before weakening. One death was reported and dozens were injured as they were trapped in downtown buildings amidst debris. Damage was in the millions. | |||||||||||
| 34.7 | 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°25'N / 83°59'W | 34°30'N / 83°52'W | 9.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Hall |
| 34.8 | 2008-03-15 | 3 | 34°06'N / 85°05'W | 34°06'N / 85°02'W | 3.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 1 | 1.0M | 0K | Floyd |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A ground and aerial storm survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City Georgia in cooperation with the Georgia State Patrol confirmed that the EF3 tornado, that first touched down in extreme north central Polk county just east of Seney, continued on an east-northeastward track across extreme southeast Floyd county. Approximately three miles of the 16-mile long path of this tornado was within Floyd county. The maximum path was once again estimated to be approximately 1/2 mile. Despite the relatively short time frame and small area of the county affected, considerable damage was inflicted to the far southeast part of the county. A home was destroyed on Old Wax Road, resulting in additional fatality and injury. Dozens of trees and several power lines were also down in this part of the county. Overall damage consisted of 20 homes, 10 of which were destroyed, and 10 with minor damage. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The pattern that began to evolve on March 14th continued and intensified on March 15th. A stationary front remained draped across north Georgia from near Atlanta to Athens. South of this front, the air mass was becoming increasingly warm, moist and unstable. Meanwhile, aloft, a low amplitude, yet vigorous short wave embedded within a fast zonal flow, was tracking rapidly eastward from the mid south into the southeast. Strong shear and high helicity combined with the unstable air mass and the frontal boundary to allow repeated severe thunderstorms to develop and track eastward along the boundary across north Georgia. The activity began early in the day as a complex of thunderstorms moved into the area from Alabama and continued until nearly midnight. As the day progressed, especially during the afternoon, the development of the activity gradually progressed further south and by midnight had reached the south and southeast parts of the state. Numerous severe thunderstorms and tornadic supercells were observed throughout the day. Historical records indicate that this was one of the most significant severe weather days for the Peachtree City Weather Forecast Office with more events and warnings than had been observed since May 2003. | |||||||||||
| 35.0 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 34°41'N / 84°30'W | 34°49'N / 84°21'W | 12.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Gilmer |
| 35.0 | 1973-03-16 | 2 | 34°34'N / 84°57'W | 2.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Gordon | |
| 35.8 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 34°34'N / 84°58'W | 34°36'N / 84°56'W | 3.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 2 | 25 | 2.5M | 0 | Whitfield |
| 35.9 | 2008-03-15 | 3 | 34°05'N / 85°06'W | 34°06'N / 85°03'W | 3.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 1 | 3.5M | 0K | Polk |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A ground and aerial survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, GA in cooperation with the Georgia State Patrol and local emergency managers confirmed that an EF3 tornado had touched down in extreme north central Polk county, just east of the town of Seney near the intersection of Georgia Highway 101 and the Floyd county line. The tornado then tracked approximately 16 miles across extreme northeast Polk, extreme southeast Floyd, and into southern Bartow county before lifting southwest of Cartersville. The tornado had a maximum path width of 1/2 mile with maximum wind speeds estimated at 150 mph. EF3 damage was noted at three locations along the path of the tornado as it tracked across the three counties. The tornado made an approximate 3-mile track across far northern Polk county. Within Polk county, four homes were destroyed, two sustained major damage, five had minor damage, and 5 others were minimally impacted. All of these were in the far north central and northeast part of the county between Georgia Highway 101 and the Floyd county line where Bon Loop Road intersects the Floyd county line. One fatality and one injury occurred on Bon Loop Road where a home was destroyed. In addition, several county outbuildings, barns, shops, vehicles, one motor home, one travel trailer, one dog kennel business, several fences were heavily damaged. Several livestock were either injured or killed. Hundreds of trees and power lines were down in the area, including several high tension power lines support structures, which were heavily damaged. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The pattern that began to evolve on March 14th continued and intensified on March 15th. A stationary front remained draped across north Georgia from near Atlanta to Athens. South of this front, the air mass was becoming increasingly warm, moist and unstable. Meanwhile, aloft, a low amplitude, yet vigorous short wave embedded within a fast zonal flow, was tracking rapidly eastward from the mid south into the southeast. Strong shear and high helicity combined with the unstable air mass and the frontal boundary to allow repeated severe thunderstorms to develop and track eastward along the boundary across north Georgia. The activity began early in the day as a complex of thunderstorms moved into the area from Alabama and continued until nearly midnight. As the day progressed, especially during the afternoon, the development of the activity gradually progressed further south and by midnight had reached the south and southeast parts of the state. Numerous severe thunderstorms and tornadic supercells were observed throughout the day. Historical records indicate that this was one of the most significant severe weather days for the Peachtree City Weather Forecast Office with more events and warnings than had been observed since May 2003. | |||||||||||
| 35.9 | 1968-05-29 | 2 | 34°18'N / 85°06'W | 0.80 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Floyd | |
| 36.0 | 2006-04-08 | 2 | 34°01'N / 85°04'W | 34°01'N / 85°01'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 450K | 0 | Polk |
| Brief Description: A survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, GA concluded that a second tornado, this one an F2, touched down one mile northwest of Rockmart and traveled to the east approximately three miles, terminating at a point around two miles east-northeast of Rockmart. Over two dozen homes along the path of the tornado were destroyed. A young child was injured at one of the damaged homes when sheet rock and rafters fell on the couch where he was sleeping. Over three dozen outbuildings were also heavily damaged or destroyed. A carport was blown off one home northwest of Rockmart and five coal cars were completely blown off a railroad track in the Rockmart area and left lying on their side, while an 18-wheel truck trailer was also blown over in the same general area. Finally, minor damage was reported to the roof of the Rockmart Highschool and especially to the athletic fields. Hundreds of trees and dozens of power lines were blown down along the path of the tornado. A total of 700 residents were left without power for many hours following the storm. The tornado was determined to have a path length of approximately 3.0 miles with a path width of 50 to 100 yards. Overall tornado damage from the two tornadoes in Polk county netted: 30 homes with minor damage. 2 homes destroyed. 60 outbuildings heavily damaged or destroyed. Minor damage to the Rockmart Highschool and athletic facility. 700 customers without power. Extensive loss to timber in the area | |||||||||||
| 36.4 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 34°30'N / 85°03'W | 34°34'N / 84°58'W | 6.60 Miles | 150 Yards | 6 | 25 | 2.5M | 0 | Gordon |
| 36.5 | 1973-05-27 | 3 | 33°43'N / 84°30'W | 0.50 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Fulton | |
| 36.9 | 1991-03-29 | 2 | 33°45'N / 84°46'W | 33°46'N / 84°43'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25.0M | 0 | Douglas |
| 36.9 | 1970-01-29 | 2 | 34°00'N / 83°54'W | 0.50 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Gwinnett | |
| 37.1 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 34°36'N / 84°56'W | 34°46'N / 84°46'W | 14.90 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 15 | 2.5M | 0 | Murray |
| 37.7 | 1954-12-05 | 2 | 33°42'N / 84°26'W | 0.50 Mile | 50 Yards | 1 | 40 | 25K | 0 | Fulton | |
| 38.1 | 1977-04-04 | 3 | 34°10'N / 85°12'W | 34°15'N / 85°05'W | 8.80 Miles | 400 Yards | 1 | 15 | 2.5M | 0 | Floyd |
| 39.0 | 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°13'N / 85°11'W | 34°16'N / 85°08'W | 4.00 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Floyd |
| 39.0 | 1976-05-28 | 2 | 33°53'N / 83°57'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Gwinnett | |
| 39.1 | 1972-01-10 | 3 | 33°41'N / 84°21'W | 33°42'N / 84°18'W | 3.30 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | De Kalb |
| 39.7 | 1973-12-13 | 3 | 34°18'N / 83°52'W | 34°18'N / 83°42'W | 9.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 21 | 2.5M | 0 | Hall |
| 39.7 | 1972-01-10 | 3 | 33°40'N / 84°24'W | 33°41'N / 84°21'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 9 | 250K | 0 | Fulton |
| 40.0 | 1967-12-18 | 2 | 34°13'N / 85°12'W | 34°14'N / 85°09'W | 3.30 Miles | 27 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Floyd |
| 40.0 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 34°46'N / 84°46'W | 34°48'N / 84°42'W | 4.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 1 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Murray |
| 41.0 | 1978-05-08 | 2 | 33°39'N / 84°19'W | 33°41'N / 84°18'W | 2.70 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | De Kalb |
| 41.5 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 34°49'N / 84°21'W | 34°51'N / 84°19'W | 3.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 2 | 2.5M | 0 | Fannin |
| 42.6 | 1957-11-18 | 2 | 34°28'N / 85°16'W | 34°33'N / 85°02'W | 14.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Chattooga |
| 42.8 | 1978-05-08 | 2 | 33°37'N / 84°23'W | 33°39'N / 84°19'W | 4.50 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Clayton |
| 43.5 | 1992-11-22 | 3 | 34°34'N / 83°56'W | 34°41'N / 83°48'W | 10.00 Miles | 867 Yards | 1 | 7 | 2.5M | 0 | Lumpkin |
| 44.4 | 1989-04-04 | 2 | 34°25'N / 83°46'W | 34°22'N / 83°40'W | 7.50 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Hall |
| 45.7 | 1967-11-22 | 2 | 33°44'N / 85°03'W | 33°44'N / 84°55'W | 7.80 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Carroll |
| 45.9 | 2008-05-11 | 2 | 33°37'N / 84°16'W | 33°36'N / 84°13'W | 3.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 7.5M | 0K | Clayton |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that an EF2 tornado with maximum winds of 130 mph touched down in far northeast Clayton county, approximately four miles northeast of Morrow, and tracked on the ground for nearly 19 miles from northeast Clayton into northern Henry, southern Rockdale, and into western Newton county before finally lifting. Within Clayton county the tornado path was about 2.75 miles long with a maximum path width of 100 yards. Shortly after touchdown, the tornado caused extensive and significant damage within a 2.5 square mile area of the Ellenwood community. There were 185 private dwellings damaged, 53 of which were destroyed or left uninhabitable. At least 500 residents were displaced from their homes. Numerous trees and power lines were also down in the area. By far, the worst damage caused by this tornado occurred within Clayton county as the tornado weakened as it tracked further east into Henry, Rockdale, and Newton county. Despite the extensive damage, no injuries were reported. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A stationary front was draped across north Georgia early on May 10th with an active northwest flow aloft. Meanwhile...a vigorous short wave aloft was approaching the area from the southern plains. The stationary front provided the focus for two rounds of showers and thunderstorms, one early in the morning on the 10th and another in the afternoon. The activity tracked east-southeast with the upper flow aloft, mainly across north Georgia during the early morning and across central Georgia during the afternoon. An isolated strong supercell also tracked across the southern part of central Georgia during the evening. After a lull of convective activity for about four hours, intense multicell thunderstorms tracked into the area from Alabama after midnight and before dawn on the 11th. As these thunderstorms tracked across west central and central Georgia, 15 tornadoes were identified by subsequent surveys making this the most significant tornado outbreak to affect the area since the Katrina-associated tornadoes on August 29, 2005. Millions of dollars of property damage were reported as many homes were destroyed from these tornadoes from the western and southern suburbs of Atlanta southeastward across Macon, Dublin, and other counties in east central and southeast Georgia. Many of these counties were eligible for disaster assistance from the federal government. In addition to the tornadoes and thunderstorm winds that caused extensive damage in dozens of counties across north and central Georgia during the early morning hours of May 11th, strong gradient winds developed on the back side of the strong cold front that moved through the area as low pressure intensified across the mid-Atlantic region. The strong winds combined with wet ground resulted in dozens of trees being blown down in some north Georgia counties. There were also two deaths as a result of downed trees in Barrow and Gwinnett county, all non-thunderstorm-related winds. | |||||||||||
| 46.0 | 1973-03-31 | 2 | 33°32'N / 84°20'W | 33°45'N / 83°56'W | 27.40 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250.0M | 0 | Clayton |
| 46.6 | 1973-03-16 | 2 | 34°30'N / 85°15'W | 34°35'N / 85°10'W | 7.60 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Chattooga |
| 47.0 | 1952-02-29 | 2 | 34°07'N / 83°40'W | 0.20 Mile | 17 Yards | 0 | 5 | 25K | 0 | Jackson | |
| 48.1 | 1989-10-01 | 2 | 33°42'N / 83°57'W | 2.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Rockdale | |
| 48.6 | 1989-10-01 | 2 | 33°36'N / 84°11'W | 33°36'N / 84°05'W | 3.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Henry |
| 49.2 | 1978-04-18 | 2 | 33°56'N / 85°17'W | 33°56'N / 85°13'W | 4.10 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Polk |
| 49.3 | 1974-04-03 | 2 | 33°40'N / 85°21'W | 33°54'N / 84°55'W | 29.60 Miles | 150 Yards | 1 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Haralson |
| 49.5 | 1989-10-01 | 2 | 33°36'N / 84°05'W | 33°37'N / 84°04'W | 1.00 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Rockdale |
| 49.5 | 1989-11-15 | 2 | 33°31'N / 84°36'W | 33°33'N / 84°35'W | 4.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 7 | 2.5M | 0 | Fulton |
* The information on this page is based on the global volcano database, the U.S. earthquake database of 1638-1985, and the U.S. Tornado and Weather Extremes database of 1950-2010.