Overview
During the late morning and afternoon of December 17th, 2019, multiple tornadoes impacted counties in Georgia and Alabama. The strongest of these tornadoes was an EF-2 that struck portions of Irwin and Ben Hill counties near Fitzgerald and Mystic in southern Georgia. The storm that spawned this strong EF-2 tornado had previously generated 3 tornadoes in locations spanning from SE Alabama into Mystic Georgia. The animated image below begins just before it spawned the first tornado in Houston county in Alabama.
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| Region wide overview of the tornadoes that struck portions of the Tallahassee National Weather Service Forecast Area. |
Animation of the tornadic supercell that spawned four tornadoes from Houston county Alabama into Irwin/Ben-Hill county Georgia. |
Tornado Information
Tornado - Mystic/Fitzgerald Highway
Irwin/Ben Hill County, Georgia
| Date |
December 17, 2019 |
| Time |
11:35 AM EST |
| EF Rating (Max) |
2 |
| Est. Peak Winds |
125 mph |
| Path Length |
19.2 miles |
| Max Width |
400 yards |
| Injuries/Deaths |
0 |
|
Summary: A supercell thunderstorm moved across Irwin and Ben Hill counties during the midday hours on December 17th. A tornado touched down in central Irwin county and tracked nearly 20 miles before lifting east of Ashton in Ben Hill county. Despite significant damage to dozens of homes there were no injuries or fatalities associated with the storm.
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Track Map
 
Downloadable KMZ File
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Tornado - Northeast Colquitt
Miller County, Georgia
| Date |
December 17, 2019 |
| Time |
9:27 AM EST |
| EF Rating (Max) |
1 |
| Est. Peak Winds |
110 mph |
| Path Length |
6.57 miles |
| Max Width |
200 yards |
| Injuries/Deaths |
0 |
|
Summary: An EF1 tornado touched down along Phillipsburg Road north of Colquitt and moved northeastward across the northeast portions of the county before lifting just past Kelley Road. Damage to barns, farm equipment, and trees was noted and consistent with estimated winds near 110 mph.
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Track Map
Downloadable KMZ File
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Tornado - Chancey Mill Creek
Early County, Georgia
| Date |
December 17, 2019 |
| Time |
7:30 AM EST |
| EF Rating (Max) |
0 |
| Est. Peak Winds |
80 mph |
| Path Length |
0.39 miles |
| Max Width |
50 yards |
| Injuries/Deaths |
0 |
|
Summary: A brief EF0 tornado touched down near Rock Hill Road and Chancey Mill Road southwest of Blakely. A few trees were snapped and blown down in different directions, and a small dual-pol debris signature was noted on KEOX radar. Max winds were estimated around 80 mph.
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Track Map
Downloadable KMZ File
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Tornado - Decatur Road
Houston County, Alabama
| Date |
December 17, 2019 |
| Time |
7:52 AM EST |
| EF Rating (Max) |
0 |
| Est. Peak Winds |
75 mph |
| Path Length |
2 miles |
| Max Width |
75 yards |
| Injuries/Deaths |
0 |
|
Summary: A small EF-0 tornado briefly touched down just east of Highway 231 and crossed Decatur Rd near Madrid, AL. Damage was limited to only a few large limbs blown off softwood trees and some minor damage to a farm structure that was confined to a few roof panels.
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Track Map
Downloadable KMZ File
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Tornado - West Newton
Baker County, Georgia
| Date |
December 17, 2019 |
| Time |
10:00 AM EST |
| EF Rating (Max) |
0 |
| Est. Peak Winds |
70 mph |
| Path Length |
0.2 miles |
| Max Width |
75 yards |
| Injuries/Deaths |
0 |
|
Summary: A supercell thunderstorm moved across the central and eastern portions of Baker county during the late morning hours on December 17th. A brief tornado touched down in eastern Baker county west of the town of Newton. The track length was less than a quarter mile long, with the storm continuing eastward to cause thunderstorm wind damage in the town of Newton.
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Track Map
Downloadable KMZ File
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The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:
EF0
Weak
65-85 mph |
EF1
Moderate
86-110 mph |
EF2
Significant
111-135 mph |
EF3
Severe
136-165 mph |
EF4
Extreme
166-200 mph |
EF5
Catastrophic
200+ mph |
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Photos & Video
Mystic, GA Tornado
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| Damage at Grace Christian Academy (photo by Walter Goff) |
Home Damage in Mystic, GA (Emileigh Forrester, WALB) |
Widespread tree damage and twisted metal. (Matthew Stu Reid) |
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