Varnell, GA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes
Hot Rankings
The chance of earthquake damage in Varnell is about the same as Georgia average and is much lower than the national average. The risk of tornado damage in Varnell is lower than Georgia average and is about the same as the national average.
Earthquake Index, #61
| Varnell, GA | 0.16 |
| 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
| Varnell, GA | 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, #475
| Varnell, GA | 145.04 |
| 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 3,903 other weather extremes events within 50 miles of Varnell, GA 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: | 14 | Dense Fog: | 1 | Drought: | 41 |
| Dust Storm: | 0 | Flood: | 253 | Hail: | 1,153 | Heat: | 18 | Heavy Snow: | 41 |
| High Surf: | 0 | Hurricane: | 4 | Ice Storm: | 13 | Landslide: | 0 | Strong Wind: | 25 |
| Thunderstorm Winds: | 2,042 | Tropical Storm: | 11 | Wildfire: | 2 | Winter Storm: | 32 | Winter Weather: | 21 |
| Other: | 232 | ||||||||
Volcanos Nearby
No volcano is found in or near Varnell, GA.
Historical Earthquake Events
A total of 4 historical earthquake events that had recorded magnitudes of 3.5 or above found in or near Varnell, GA.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Depth (km) | Latitude | Longitude |
| 31.1 | 1964-02-18 | 4.4 | 15 | 34.8 | -85.5 |
| 16.9 | 1984-10-09 | 4.2 | 12 | 34.75 | -85.2 |
| 40.6 | 1979-08-13 | 3.7 | 5 | 35.24 | -84.38 |
| 47.3 | 1977-07-27 | 3.5 | 7 | 35.42 | -84.42 |
Historical Tornado Events
A total of 65 historical tornado events that had recorded magnitude of 2 or above found in or near Varnell, GA.
| Distance (miles) | Date | Magnitude | Start Lat/Log | End Lat/Log | Length | Width | Fatalities | Injuries | Property Damage | Crop Damage | Affected County |
| 11.4 | 1956-02-18 | 2 | 34°42'N / 85°17'W | 34°52'N / 84°56'W | 22.90 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Walker |
| 11.5 | 1961-03-08 | 2 | 34°54'N / 85°18'W | 34°56'N / 85°02'W | 15.20 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Catoosa |
| 14.0 | 1974-03-21 | 2 | 35°00'N / 84°45'W | 0.80 Mile | 300 Yards | 0 | 7 | 250K | 0 | Polk | |
| 15.4 | 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 |
| 16.3 | 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 |
| 17.7 | 1997-03-29 | 3 | 35°09'N / 84°54'W | 35°09'N / 84°54'W | 4.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 50 | 3.2M | 0 | Bradley |
| Brief Description: In Hamilton county...the tornado first touched down in the Tiftonia community just west of downtown Chattanooga around 1:10 am EDT. As the tornado moved due east across the southern part of the county, 50 homes were completely destroyed. Another 600 homes and one business were heavily damaged. Most of the damage was concentrated in the East Brainerd community. There, about half of the 180-unit Hickory Villa apartment complex was destroyed, and 18 of 23 townhomes of the Hickory Trace complex were destroyed. Two more apartment complexes, Hickory Valley and Ledford Apartments, were severely damaged. Around 20000 homes were without electricity after the storm. Most power had been restored by Monday morning. In Bradley county...the tornado destroyed 5 poultry farms, 4 homes, and 4 mobile homes. Another 45 homes, 16 mobile homes and 3 poultry farms were damaged. | |||||||||||
| 19.2 | 1997-03-29 | 3 | 35°03'N / 85°19'W | 35°03'N / 85°11'W | 8.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 44 | 45.0M | 0 | Hamilton |
| Brief Description: In Hamilton county...the tornado first touched down in the Tiftonia community just west of downtown Chattanooga around 1:10 am EDT. As the tornado moved due east across the southern part of the county, 50 homes were completely destroyed. Another 600 homes and one business were heavily damaged. Most of the damage was concentrated in the East Brainerd community. There, about half of the 180-unit Hickory Villa apartment complex was destroyed, and 18 of 23 townhomes of the Hickory Trace complex were destroyed. Two more apartment complexes, Hickory Valley and Ledford Apartments, were severely damaged. Around 20000 homes were without electricity after the storm. Most power had been restored by Monday morning. In Bradley county...the tornado destroyed 5 poultry farms, 4 homes, and 4 mobile homes. Another 45 homes, 16 mobile homes and 3 poultry farms were damaged. | |||||||||||
| 19.4 | 2010-10-26 | 2 | 35°07'N / 85°11'W | 1.00 Mile | 100 Yards | 0 | 6 | 200K | 0K | Hamilton | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: NWS storm survey determined an EF2 tornado with maximum wind speed of 125 mph and a length of 1.2 miles with a path width of 100 yards touched down in the vicinity of the Chickamauga Dam. Damage from the storm included a roof torn off an apartment complex, a cement plant demolished, several vehicles on Highway 153 damaged and numerous trees and powerlines downed. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front tracked through the region triggering scattered severe thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours. Storm reports contained mainly damaging thunderstorm wind, but an EF2 tornado formed in Hamilton County. Six people were injured. Tornadoes also formed in Bradley, Loudon and Marion Counties. | |||||||||||
| 20.5 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 35°06'N / 84°55'W | 35°14'N / 84°42'W | 15.40 Miles | 350 Yards | 1 | 100 | 250K | 0 | Bradley |
| 20.8 | 1995-04-21 | 2 | 35°03'N / 85°17'W | 10.00 Miles | 75 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0.1M | 0 | Hamilton | |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down over parts of suburban Chattanooga. The tornado most of its damage in a 16-block area. Overall 80 buildings were damaged. Of the 80 buildings damaged, 50 of them were homes and 30 of the buildings were businesses. Several apartments suffered roof damage and 43 persons were evacuated. | |||||||||||
| 20.8 | 1963-03-19 | 2 | 35°11'N / 84°54'W | 35°12'N / 84°51'W | 3.30 Miles | 150 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Bradley |
| 21.8 | 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 |
| 23.0 | 1973-03-16 | 2 | 34°34'N / 84°57'W | 2.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 5 | 250K | 0 | Gordon | |
| 23.1 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 35°11'N / 84°52'W | 35°13'N / 84°42'W | 9.70 Miles | 500 Yards | 2 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Bradley |
| 25.2 | 1965-04-15 | 3 | 35°11'N / 84°52'W | 35°18'N / 84°45'W | 10.40 Miles | 600 Yards | 0 | 50 | 2.5M | 0 | Bradley |
| 25.3 | 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 |
| 25.4 | 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 |
| 26.3 | 1986-02-06 | 3 | 35°14'N / 84°49'W | 35°14'N / 84°40'W | 5.00 Miles | 270 Yards | 0 | 5 | 2.5M | 0 | Bradley |
| 26.5 | 1973-12-13 | 2 | 35°11'N / 84°39'W | 0.80 Mile | 880 Yards | 0 | 3 | 250K | 0 | Polk | |
| 28.3 | 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 |
| 28.5 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 35°14'N / 84°42'W | 35°15'N / 84°40'W | 2.70 Miles | 350 Yards | 0 | 0 | 3K | 0 | Polk |
| 28.8 | 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 |
| 29.0 | 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 |
| 29.0 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 35°13'N / 84°42'W | 35°16'N / 84°38'W | 5.40 Miles | 500 Yards | 1 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Polk |
| 31.0 | 1986-02-06 | 3 | 35°14'N / 84°39'W | 35°18'N / 84°39'W | 2.00 Miles | 270 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Polk |
| 31.2 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 34°45'N / 85°31'W | 34°47'N / 85°28'W | 3.50 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dade |
| 32.3 | 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 |
| 32.8 | 1977-03-30 | 2 | 34°37'N / 84°30'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 4 | 250K | 0 | Gilmer | |
| 33.2 | 1986-02-06 | 3 | 35°18'N / 84°39'W | 35°17'N / 84°36'W | 3.00 Miles | 270 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Mcminn |
| 34.1 | 1988-05-09 | 2 | 34°46'N / 85°33'W | 34°45'N / 85°32'W | 1.00 Mile | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Dekalb |
| 34.3 | 1974-04-03 | 3 | 35°16'N / 84°38'W | 35°19'N / 84°33'W | 6.10 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 50 | 250K | 0 | Mcminn |
| 34.7 | 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 |
| 35.2 | 1994-04-15 | 3 | 35°19'N / 85°00'W | 35°26'N / 84°29'W | 15.00 Miles | 880 Yards | 1 | 7 | 5.0M | 0 | Hamilton, Meigs, Bradley And Mcminn |
| Brief Description: The tornado first touched in northern Hamilton County near the town of Grasshopper and moved northeast crossing into Meigs County just south of Birchwood. One man was killed in Birchwood when his mobile home collapsed on top of him. Two others were injured in the same area. In Hamilton County, eight homes, three mobile homes, one church, and 17 barns were damaged or destroyed. The tornado continued across southern Meigs County passing near the towns of East View and Brittsville. Three persons were injured in the county. About 25 mobile homes and six barns were damaged or destroyed. The tornado then clipped the northern part of Bradley County. Two persons were injured in the county. Ten mobile homes and 17 homes were damaged. Numerous trees were knocked down as well. The tornado then crossed into McMinn County where it moved through the towns of Lamontville, Riceville, Georgetown, and Englewood. The tornado was not on the ground during the entire trip in McMinn County, but was on the ground for much of its lifetime. When the tornado went through the town of Riceville, the local elementary school lost the roof off its concession stand and the bleachers were damaged. Numerous trees were knocked down in the county as well. One person was injured in McMinn County. M57H | |||||||||||
| 35.9 | 1994-06-26 | 2 | 35°20'N / 85°19'W | 2.00 Miles | 100 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0 | Sequatchie | |
| Brief Description: A tornado touched down near Lewis Chapel. A church and a mobile home and another mobile home were destroyed. Two other homes were damaged. Several trees were blown down as well. | |||||||||||
| 36.1 | 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 |
| 36.4 | 2009-04-10 | 2 | 34°29'N / 85°22'W | 34°29'N / 85°21'W | 0 | 0 | 900K | 0K | Chattooga | ||
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that a brief EF2 tornado had touched down approximately one mile southeast of Summerville and tracked less than one mile almost due east. The tornado was determined to have a maximum path width of 200 yards with maximum winds estimated to be 120 mph. Considerable damage was noted in the Summerville area. Over 30 homes were damaged along with 10 businesses. Most of the damage to these structures was determined to be minor. The majority of the damage occurred on Commerce Street. The brick wall of a car care center collapsed, the roof was shifted and lifted from a lumber warehouse, and windows were blown out of a barbecue restaurant. All of these events occurred on Commerce Street. At the intersection of Cleghorn and Scoggin Streets nearby, a single-wide mobile home was completely destroyed. Although the mobile home was anchored, the metal frame was ripped from the foundation and the home was tossed on its side. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A vigorous upper closed low was moving from the mid-south and Mississippi valley region into the mid-Atlantic and southeast U.S. A strong cold front accompanied the upper system. A strong low-level jet in advance of these weather systems transported warm, moist Gulf air northward into the region. With strong dynamics, hence shear, combined with an unusually moist, unstable atmosphere, the atmosphere was primed for a major weather outbreak. One round of thunderstorms passed through north Georgia during the early morning hours. A few minor severe weather events accompanied this system in northwest Georgia. Partial clearing followed the morning convection, allowing temperatures to soar into the mid 70s across much of north and central Georgia in advance of the main weather system. Scattered to numerous discrete supercell thunderstorms developed during mid-afternoon in northwest Georgia and progressed east and southeast across the remaining portions of the county warning area during the evening hours. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes lingered into the early morning hours of the 11th across the southern counties of central Georgia. During the eight hour period from 5 pm EDT on April 10th to 1 am EDT on April 11th, a total of 14 tornadoes were confirmed to have touched down in north and central Georgia causing millions in damages. While some injuries were observed, no deaths were observed. | |||||||||||
| 38.5 | 2009-04-10 | 2 | 35°21'N / 85°22'W | 5.00 Miles | 175 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0K | Sequatchie | |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: An F2 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 120 mph occurred around 2 miles south of Dunlap. The tornado initially touched down along Frank Tate Road with a maximum wind speed of 90 mph (EF-1) and a width of 100 yards. The tornado continued in a northeast path and increased in size to an EF-2 with a maximum wind speed of 120 mph and a width of 175 yards. Several large hardwood trees were snapped off near the trunk base with extensive damage occurring in a concentrated path. The tornado continued its northeast movement and finally weakened to a EF-1 with a maximum wind speed of 100 mph as it dissipated at the foothill of Signal Mountain. A school and several homes suffered minor to moderate wind damage along the nearly 5 mile of the tornado. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A cold front tracked across east Tennessee during the afternoon and evening hours. The resulting squall line triggered numerous thunderstorm wind damage reports along with large hail. Three tornadoes were also reported. One person was injured. | |||||||||||
| 39.3 | 1963-03-11 | 2 | 35°00'N / 85°43'W | 35°09'N / 85°32'W | 14.70 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 6 | 250K | 0 | Marion |
| 39.8 | 1952-02-29 | 2 | 35°18'N / 84°40'W | 35°27'N / 84°28'W | 15.30 Miles | 587 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Mcminn |
| 40.1 | 1992-11-22 | 2 | 34°40'N / 85°41'W | 34°45'N / 85°35'W | 7.00 Miles | 73 Yards | 0 | 4 | 0K | 0 | Dekalb |
| 40.2 | 1974-04-03 | 4 | 34°57'N / 84°18'W | 34°58'N / 84°13'W | 5.10 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 0 | 2.5M | 0 | Fannin |
| 40.5 | 1964-08-12 | 2 | 35°22'N / 85°24'W | 0.80 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 6 | 25K | 0 | Sequatchie | |
| 40.8 | 1965-04-15 | 3 | 34°42'N / 85°42'W | 34°42'N / 85°35'W | 6.60 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 250K | 0 | Dekalb |
| 40.9 | 2007-11-14 | 2 | 35°03'N / 85°41'W | 35°02'N / 85°39'W | 2.00 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 9 | 2.5M | 0K | Marion |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Nine injuries resulted from the EF2 rated tornado which heavily damaged the roof of the Kimball Baptist Church as well as damaging several vehicles in the church parking lot. The tornado also destroyed several modular homes between Main Street and Interstate 24. Peak wind speed was estimated at 130 mph with a path width of 200 yards. Path length was 2 miles. EPISODE NARRATIVE: High shear with moderate instability in the warm sector ahead of strong late Fall cold front. The Event was characterized by a few wind damage reports and an EF 2 tornado (Marion County) all across Southeast Tennessee. | |||||||||||
| 40.9 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 41.4 | 2010-10-25 | 2 | 34°39'N / 85°45'W | 34°44'N / 85°33'W | 10.00 Miles | 300 Yards | 0 | 0 | 500K | 0K | Dekalb |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: An EF-2 tornado with peak winds up to 115 mph continued it's track from Jackson into DeKalb County producing it's worst damage near the intersection of County Road 134 and 131. At this location, a cinder-block foundation shed was completely destroyed. The tornado continued northeast lifting much of a roof and portions of a brick exterior of a home along County Roady 886. It also destroyed a 20 by 20 foot shed. As the tornado moved into the town of Ider, it destroyed the bleachers and scoreboard at the Ider High School football field. The bleachers were solid concrete and were reinforced with 1/2 inch thick rebar. Additional damage was observed along Highway 75 as the tornado tracked into Dade County, Georgia. EPISODE NARRATIVE: A quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) produced three tornadoes in northeast Alabama, including one EF-2 which tracked through portions of Jackson and DeKalb Counties. Severe weather began as early as late evening on the 24th and lasted through the pre-dawn hours on the 25th. Two people were also injured by lightning in Colbert County. | |||||||||||
| 41.8 | 1974-04-08 | 3 | 35°26'N / 84°37'W | 2.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Mcminn | |
| 42.1 | 1968-05-29 | 2 | 34°18'N / 85°06'W | 0.80 Mile | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Floyd | |
| 43.6 | 1963-03-19 | 2 | 35°27'N / 84°39'W | 35°29'N / 84°36'W | 3.60 Miles | 200 Yards | 0 | 1 | 25K | 0 | Mcminn |
| 43.6 | 1988-05-09 | 2 | 34°50'N / 85°54'W | 34°46'N / 85°33'W | 14.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 0 | 25K | 0 | Jackson |
| 44.1 | 1953-05-02 | 4 | 35°31'N / 84°47'W | 35°31'N / 84°45'W | 2.30 Miles | 33 Yards | 4 | 8 | 250K | 0 | Meigs |
| 44.5 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 44.6 | 1980-04-28 | 2 | 35°15'N / 84°20'W | 35°16'N / 84°17'W | 3.30 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 1 | 250K | 0 | Monroe |
| 45.1 | 1953-05-02 | 4 | 35°31'N / 84°45'W | 35°32'N / 84°43'W | 1.90 Miles | 33 Yards | 0 | 0 | 0K | 0 | Mcminn |
| 45.2 | 1965-04-15 | 3 | 34°42'N / 85°45'W | 34°42'N / 85°42'W | 3.00 Miles | 50 Yards | 0 | 2 | 250K | 0 | Jackson |
| 46.7 | 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 |
| 46.9 | 2008-02-06 | 4 | 34°40'N / 85°50'W | 34°45'N / 85°41'W | 11.00 Miles | 660 Yards | 1 | 12 | 0K | 0K | Jackson |
| Brief Description: EVENT NARRATIVE: Representatives from the National Weather Service and the Jackson County Emergency Management Agency conducted a storm survey of damage that occurred in Jackson County, Alabama early in the morning of February 6, 2008. The damage was determined to originate from a strong tornado, which at its peak had winds of at least 180 MPH, giving it a rating of EF-4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The most significant damage occurred at the corner of County Road 60 and 177, between the Rosalie and Pisgah communities in eastern Jackson County. This is also approximately the location where one fatality occurred. Trees along the tornado path were snapped and in some cases shredded, several houses were swept from their foundations, and a large section of a chicken house collapsed. Several large hay bales (weighing 2,500 pounds) were blown apart or tossed around. EPISODE NARRATIVE: The WFO Huntsville County Warning Area experienced the worst tornado outbreak in 19 years on February 6, 2008. While the number of observed tornadoes was low (4), the area experienced two EF-4 tornadoes, the first time the area has witnessed more than one devastating tornado on the same day since 1974. This event was part of a large tornado outbreak which spanned both February 5th (Super Tuesday) and 6th (Wednesday). A series of tornadic supercell thunderstorms swept across the Mid-South and Southeast states ahead of a potent cold front. | |||||||||||
| 47.5 | 1989-11-15 | 2 | 34°15'N / 85°27'W | 34°22'N / 85°20'W | 8.00 Miles | 500 Yards | 0 | 1 | 2.5M | 0 | Floyd |
| 48.1 | 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 |
| 48.4 | 1970-07-19 | 2 | 34°12'N / 84°54'W | 0.50 Mile | 20 Yards | 0 | 2 | 25K | 0 | Bartow | |
| 48.6 | 1952-02-29 | 3 | 34°30'N / 85°42'W | 34°32'N / 85°40'W | 3.30 Miles | 400 Yards | 0 | 12 | 0K | 0 | Dekalb |
| 48.8 | 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 |
| 49.2 | 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. | |||||||||||
| 49.9 | 1983-05-19 | 3 | 34°29'N / 85°41'W | 1.20 Miles | 473 Yards | 0 | 3 | 2.5M | 0 | Dekalb | |
| 49.9 | 1997-03-28 | 2 | 35°28'N / 85°33'W | 35°29'N / 85°27'W | 6.00 Miles | 440 Yards | 0 | 0 | 100K | 0 | Sequatchie |
| Brief Description: The tornado started in the Savage Gulf State Natural area and went about 6 miles. It damaged 5 structures...including a grocery store in the Savage Gulf State Natural Area. The Tennessee Nitrate Technologies were completely destroyed near the junction of RT 111 and RT 8. The tornado dissipated on Mc Carver Loop Road. Tornado path length and width are approximations. | |||||||||||
* 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.