Report on Tornadoes from NWS Peachtree City Survey Teams

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
1015 PM EDT WED AUG 27 2008

...PRELIMINARY REPORT ON AUGUST 26 2008 SEVERE WEATHER EVENT...

*** CORRECTED PATH LENGTHS...INJURY REPORTS...COMBINING OF TWO PATHS
AND THE NUMBER OF TORNADOES ***

A DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN
PEACHTREE CITY HAVE CONFIRMED THAT AT LEAST 6 TORNADOES AFFECTED
NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA ON TUESDAY.

THE ORDER OF TORNADOES BELOW IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

TORNADO NO. 1 (RATED EF0 - 70 MPH):
MONROE COUNTY/1210 PM EDT...

TORNADO WAS OBSERVED ON THE GROUND NEAR PLANT SCHERER AND LAKE
JULIETTE. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED AS THE PATH WAS THROUGH AN AREA WHERE
TREES HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY CLEAR-CUT. PATH LENGTH ABOUT 1/4 MILE AND
WIDTH AROUND 50 YARDS.

TORNADO NO. 2 (RATED EF1 - 90 MPH WINDS):
HALL COUNTY/1225 PM EDT...

DAMAGE OCCURRED ALONG 1 MILE LONG AND 200 YARD WIDE PATH NEAR MOUNT
VERNON ROAD APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF DOWNTOWN
GAINESVILLE OR 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MURRAYVILLE.  SCORES OF TREES
WERE KNOCKED DOWN...WITH MINOR ROOF DAMAGE TO 20 HOMES.

TORNADO NO. 3 (RATED EF1 - 90 MPH WINDS):
HALL COUNTY/338 PM EDT...

DAMAGE OCCURRED ALONG A 3/4 MILE LONG AND 100 YARD WIDE PATH
APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE SOUTHWEST OF OAKWOOD.  TWENTY TO THIRTY TREES
WERE KNOCKED DOWN. MINOR ROOF DAMAGE WAS DONE TO 5 TO 10 HOMES.
OAKWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALSO RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE.

THE TORNADO LIFTED AND TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN AT 345 PM.  DAMAGE THEN
OCCURRED ALONG A 2.25 MILE LONG AND 200 YARD WIDE PATH APPROXIMATELY
2.5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF DOWNTOWN GAINESVILLE OR 2.25 MILES NORTHEAST
OF OAKWOOD.  DOZENS OF TREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN. MINOR ROOF DAMAGE
OCCURRED TO 10 TO 15 HOMES IN THE EL RANCHO ESTATES SUBDIVISION.
LYMAN HALL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALSO RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE.

NOTE...THE TWO PATHS DESCRIBED ABOVE WERE ORIGINALLY THOUGHT TO
BE TWO SEPARATE TORNADOES.  UPON FURTHER REVIEW OF THE DATA...THESE
PATHS WERE DETERMINED TO BE COLLINEAR AND...THEREFORE...THESE WILL BE
CONSIDERED TWO SEGMENTS OF THE SAME TORNADO.  THIS DECREASES THE
TORNADO COUNT IN HALL COUNTY FROM FOUR TO THREE FOR THIS EVENT.

TORNADO NO. 4 (RATED EF1 - 90 MPH WINDS):
HALL COUNTY/420 PM EDT...

DAMAGE OCCURRED ALONG A 3/4 MILE LONG AND 100 YARD WIDE PATH IN
GILLSVILLE.  SCORES OF TREES WERE KNOCKED DOWN. 3 HOMES RECEIVED
ROOF DAMAGE...AND 1 HOME WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED WITH HALF OF ITS ROOF
REMOVED.

TORNADO NO. 5 (RATED EF1 - 100 MPH WINDS):
JACKSON COUNTY/430 PM EDT...

DAMAGE OCCURRED ALONG A PATH 1.25 MILES LONG AND 100 YARDS
WIDE...MAINLY IN THE CITY OF COMMERCE.  THE TORNADO INITIALLY
TOUCHED DOWN NEAR BROCKTON LOOP ROAD ABOUT 3 MILES EAST-NORTHEAST OF
ARCADE AT 430 PM...THEN LIFTED AND TOUCHED DOWN AGAIN IN COMMERCE AT
446 PM. 10 TO 15 HOMES RECEIVED MINOR ROOF DAMAGE. 1 MOBILE HOME WAS
DESTROYED AND 2 TO 3 ADDITIONAL MOBILE HOMES WERE DESTROYED BY
TREES. 30-40 TREES TOTAL WERE DOWNED. THERE WERE 2 KNOWN INJURIES.

TORNADO NO. 6 (RATED EF0 - 80 MPH WINDS):
WILKES COUNTY/655 PM EDT...

DAMAGE OCCURRED ALONG A PATH 5 MILES LONG AND UP TO 100 YARDS WIDE
FROM 3 MILES NW OF TIGNALL AT THE INTERSECTION OF BUNCH RD AND
MALLORYSVILLE RD...TO HENRY HILL RD...3 MILES NE OF NORMAN...LIFTING
AT 707 PM. A SWATH OF TREES WERE DOWNED ALONG THE ENTIRE TRACK. AN
ANCHORED SINGLE-WIDE MOBILE HOME WAS BLOWN 6 FEET OFF ITS FOUNDATION
ALONG BOYD RD. ANOTHER HOME ALONG GA HWY 17 HAD SEVERAL SHINGLES
BLOWN OFF ITS ROOF.