During the weeks after an EF-3 tornado tore through Spaulding County, the National Weather Service in Peachtree City pored through the radar and field survey data and released their new findings on February 23.

The National Weather Service notes that at one moment in time three tornadoes were merging together, with four tornadoes on the ground at the same time as they spun through Meriwether County into Spalding County.

Meteorologist in Charge Keith Stellman says, “Upon inspection, there were multiple tornadoes on the ground simultaneously, crossing paths, and smaller tornadoes rotating within and around a larger circulation making for damage on the ground and from traditional survey methods very difficult to ascertain.” 

“The high resolution satellite imagery combined with the storm being fairly close to the FFC [Peachtree City] radar has enabled us to get a better idea of the damage on the ground and the damage gathered from the imagery back to identifiable radar circulations,” Stellman said.  “From these, we have found merging circulations in at least 3 locations and possibly up to 5 tornado tracks in NW Pike/SW Spalding in addition to straight line wind damage.”

The animating loop within the tweet below illustrates each tornado’s path within the overall circulation. All four tornadoes were bearing down on the southwest side of Griffin.

As a result, the final tornado damage paths indicated one long continuous path (orange) with other tornado damage paths converging near it.

Below is the updated Public Information Statement from the National Weather Service in Peachtree City.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA

510 PM EST THU FEB 23 2023

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 01/12/23 TORNADO EVENT - UPDATE # 11...

.UPDATE...

THIS UPDATE INCLUDES THE REANALYSIS OF THE TORNADOES WHICH OCCURRED IN

NORTHEASTERN MERIWETHER, NORTHWESTERN PIKE, AND SOUTHWESTERN

SPALDING COUNTY. A DETAILED EXAMINATION OF RADAR DATA IN CONCERT

WITH HIGH RESOLUTION AREAL IMAGERY SHOW THAT SEVERAL TORNADOES

ROTATING AROUND AND WITHIN A LARGER VORTEX CAUSED THE WIDESPREAD

DAMAGE IN THAT AREA NEAR GRIFFIN GA...OVER 2 MILES WIDE IN SOME CASES.

DUE TO THE AREA'S PROXIMITY TO THE TORNADOES, NWS METEOROLOGIST

WERE ABLE TO BETTER ANALYZE RADAR DATA TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUAL VORTICES

ROTATING AROUND THE LARGER CIRCULATION WHICH SPANNED WELL OVER 2 MILES.

THE RESULT WAS THAT AS MANY AS 4 TORNADOES

WERE ON THE GROUND SIMULTANEOUSLY IN SW SPALDING COUNTY...ROTATING AROUND

THE LARGER CIRUCLATION, MERGING TOGETHER IN SEVERAL CASES AND CROSSING PATHS.

IT WAS ALSO NOTED THAT NEAR AND SHORTLY AFTER TORNADOES MERGED, DAMAGE INCREASED.

THE PRESENCE OF 3 MERGERS WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE REANALYSIS.

ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT WIND SPEEDS IN THE EF3 STORM REACHED

AS HIGH AS 155MPH OR HIGH END EF3. THIS UPDATE ALSO CONFIRMED THE PRESENCE

OF 2 ADDITIONAL TORNADO TRACKS BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 14 IN THE EVENT THAT DAY

INCLUDING 10 WHICH RESULTED FROM THE SAME STORM/LARGER MESOCYLONE.

NO FURTHER UPDATES OR SURVEYS ARE ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

.OVERVIEW...

A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVED INTO NORTH AND CENTRAL

GEORGIA DURING THE AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EVENING ON THURSDAY,

JANUARY 12TH AND SPAWNED NUMEROUS TORNADOES, INCLUDING SEVERAL

THAT WERE LONG TRACK AND SIGNIFICANT. AHEAD OF THIS LINE, A FEW

SUPERCELLS ALSO SPAWNED TORNADOES IN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND

EASTERN GEORGIA. AS OF THIS WRITING, SURVEY INFORMATION IS STILL

BEING COMPILED AND WILL BE RELEASED IN COMING DAYS. THUS, THE

FINAL TORNADO COUNT IS STILL BEING DETERMINED. THE TOTAL NUMBER

OF TORNADOES WITH COMPLETED SURVEYS BELOW STANDS AT 10, WITH MORE TO

BE ADDED.

..STANDING ROCK TORNADO (NW TROUP COUNTY)...

RATING: EF2

ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 120 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 20.9 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 1600 YARDS

FATALITIES: 0

INJURIES: 0

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 03:08 PM EST

START LOCATION: 1 WSW WHITE PLAINS / CHAMBERS COUNTY / AL

START LAT/LON: 32.9871 / -85.4131

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 03:24 PM EST

END LOCATION: 1 SW WARES CROSSROADS / TROUP COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 33.0972 / -85.0874

SURVEY SUMMARY:

NWS METEOROLOGISTS HAVE SURVEYED DAMAGE IN NORTHEASTERN CHAMBERS

COUNTY AND DETERMINED IT WAS CONSISTENT WITH AN EF2 TORNADO. THE

START POINT WAS A BIT UNCERTAIN DUE TO SPORADIC TIMBER DAMAGE

AROUND FIVE POINTS, BUT APPEARS TO BE NEAR COUNTY ROAD 114 WEST OF

HIGHWAY 431 TO THE SOUTHWEST OF FIVE POINTS. NORTHEAST OF FIVE

POINTS, THE TORNADO INTENSIFIED, SNAPPING AND UPROOTING MANY TREES

ALONG COUNTY ROAD 267 AND CAUSING ROOF DAMAGE TO A BARN. THE

SWATH OF TIMBER DAMAGE BECAME ALMOST A MILE WIDE ALONG COUNTY

ROADS 281 AND 282 AND AT LEAST ONE RESIDENCE THERE SUFFERED ROOF

DAMAGE. THE TORNADO CONTINUED TO INTENSIFY AS IT CROSSED COUNTY

ROAD 268 WHERE LARGE SWATHS OF PINE TREES WERE SNAPPED. A

MANUFACTURED HOME WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND BLOWN DOWNSTREAM

NEAR COUNTY ROAD 278; THANKFULLY THE FAMILY WAS NOT HOME AT THE

TIME. MOST OF THE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE HAPPENED ALONG COUNTY ROAD

284. A COUPLE RESIDENCES SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT SHINGLE DAMAGE, ONE

HAD SIDING DAMAGE, AND A MANUFACTURED HOME HAD ITS PORCH RIPPED

OFF, IMPACTING ITS WALLS. ANOTHER MANUFACTURED BUILDING WAS BLOWN

OFF ITS FOOTINGS. ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT SWATH OF SNAPPED PINES WAS

OBSERVED ON COUNTY ROAD 283, SOME SNAPPED OFF ONLY A COUPLE FEET

OFF THE GROUND. THE TORNADO THEN CROSSED INTO GEORGIA, CONTINUING

TO SNAP TREES ALONG WEST POINT LAKE.

NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED ALONG THE END OF NORTH STATE LINE RD

AS THE TORNADO CROSSED THE LAKE. THE TORNADO BEGAN TO WEAKEN SOME

AS IT MADE ITS WAY INTO DEER POINT RD AND ROCK MILLS ROAD WHERE

TREE DAMAGE AND SOME DAMAGE TO SHINGLES AND GUTTERS OCCURRED FOR A

FEW HOMES. THE TORNADO CONTINUED EAST THROUGH MOSTLY WOODED

AREAS, DOING DAMAGE TO PINES AND CROSSING JUST NORTH OF A FEW

HOMES ALONG NEELY RD. WEAKENING CONTINUED AS IT CONTINUED NE WITH

ONLY MINOR TREE DAMAGE OCCURRING BEFORE THE TORNADO DISSIPATED

ALONG CAMERON MILL RD.

..COBB COUNTY TORNADO...

RATING: EF1

ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 110 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 1.5 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 150 YARDS

FATALITIES: 0

INJURIES: 0

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 03:30 PM EST

START LOCATION: 2 NNE SWEETWATER CREEK STATE PARK / DOUGLAS COUNTY / GA

START LAT/LON: 33.7830 / -84.6071

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 03:33 PM EST

END LOCATION: 2 WNW SIX FLAGS OVER GEORGIA / COBB COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 33.7867 / -84.5823

SURVEY SUMMARY:

AS A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED THROUGH THE

WEST ATLANTA METROPOLITAN AREA AND INTO SOUTHWEST COBB COUNTY, A

BRIEF TORNADO SPUN UP NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF OAK RIDGE RD AND

OAK RIDGE PKWY SW, WHICH IS ABOUT A HALF-MILE TO THE NORTH OF I-

20. THE TORNADO IMMEDIATELY CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE 18 WHEELER TRUCK

PARTS & CHROME BUILDING, CAUSING A PORTION OF AN EXTERIOR WALL TO

COLLAPSE. A DOOR WAS OPEN ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE BUILDING,

PROVIDING A FAILURE POINT AS TORNADO WINDS ENTERED THE BUILDING.

THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS IVY POINTE ROW SW AND IVY

LOG DR SW, WHERE SEVERAL LARGE AND TALL TREES WERE SNAPPED AND

CAUSED DAMAGE TO ROOFS AND WALLS OF HOMES. THE TORNADO THEN

TURNED EAST-NORTHEAST, BRINGING DOWN ADDITIONAL TREES ONTO IVY

LOG DR SW, MAPLE LOG PL SW, AND POPLAR LOG PL SW. TWO HOMES ON

POPLAR LOG PL SW SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE AS LARGE TREES FELL ON

THE HOME, REMOVING PORTIONS OF THE ROOF AND WALLS, WHICH WERE

THEN TOSSED BY THE TORNADO WINDS. THE TORNADO THEN TURNED EAST-

SOUTHEASTWARD, UPROOTING SEVERAL TREES ON HEMBREE LN SW AND BLAIR

BRIDGE RD SW, ONCE AGAIN FALLING ON HOMES AND CAUSING STRUCTURAL

DAMAGE. THE TORNADO CONTINUED ONTO WILLIAM RD, SNAPPING AND

UPROOTING ABOUT A DOZEN TREES BEFORE FINALLY LIFTING AND

DISSIPATING OVER MYRA LN SW. NO OTHER NOTABLE DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED

BEYOND THIS POINT. THERE WERE LOCATIONS ALONG THE TRACK OVER

WHICH IT APPEARS THE TORNADO LIFTED JUST ENOUGH TO BRING TALLER,

LARGER TREES DOWN ONTO HOMES, BUT LEAVE OBJECTS ON THE GROUND

MOSTLY UNDISTURBED. MAXIMUM WINDS BASED ON DAMAGE IS ESTIMATED TO

BE 110 MPH WHICH EQUATES TO AN EF1 RATING.

..TROUP COUNTY (LAGRANGE) TORNADO...

RATING: EF2

ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 120 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 12.3 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 1060 YARDS

FATALITIES: 0

INJURIES: 4

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 03:34 PM EST

START LOCATION: 3 NE CANNONVILLE / TROUP COUNTY / GA

START LAT/LON: 32.9927 / -85.0735

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 03:47 PM EST

END LOCATION: 1 ENE MOUNTVILLE / TROUP COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 33.0428 / -84.8720

SURVEY SUMMARY:

RE-CYCLING FROM A PARENT SUPERCELL TRACKING FROM CHAMBERS COUNTY

(ALABAMA) INTO TROUP COUNTY (GEORGIA), THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN

JUST SOUTH OF CALLAWAY AIRPORT, SNAPPING SEVERAL TREES ALONG

PEGASUS PKWY. DAMAGE QUICKLY PICKED UP JUST TO THE NORTHEAST

APPROACHING WHITESVILLE ROAD (JUST NORTH OF I-85) WHERE SEVERAL

ONE-STORY METAL BUILDINGS HAD SIGNIFICANT ROOF DAMAGE, ALONG WITH

THEIR GARAGE DOORS AND WINDOWS BLOWN IN. NUMEROUS TREES IN THIS

AREA WERE EITHER SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. SEVERAL POWER POLES ALONG

ORCHARD HILL ROAD WERE BROKEN OFF NEAR THE TOP. MAXIMUM WINDS IN

THIS AREA WERE DETERMINED TO BE IN THE 90-100 MPH RANGE (EF-1).AS

THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEAST, A LARGE WAREHOUSE BUILDING AT

THE VAUGHAN XPRESS TRANSPORTATION FACILITY SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT

DAMAGE. ABOUT 1/4 OF THE LARGE WAREHOUSE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED

WITH SEVERAL METAL BOLT ANCHORS STRETCHED OR RIPPED UP OUT OF THE

CONCRETE PAD. WINDS WERE ESTIMATED BETWEEN 110-120 MPH AT THIS

TIME AND AS IT CROSSED I-85, A LARGE NUMBER OF TREES WERE SNAPPED

(SOME NEAR THE BASE) OR UPROOTED. WIDESPREAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE

BY THIS STRONG TORNADO CONTINUED ACROSS THE BALDWIN PARK

COMMUNITY. IN THIS LOCATION, MORE THAN 30 HOMES HAD SIGNIFICANT

DAMAGE; ONE AND TWO-STORY HOMES LOST MAJOR PARTS OF THE ROOF AND

UPPER LEVEL FLOORS ALONG WITH AT LEAST PARTIAL-COLLAPSE OF

EXTERIOR WALLS. DEBRIS WAS THROWN FOR HUNDREDS OF YARDS. WINDS IN

THIS AREA LIKELY MAXED OUT AROUND 120 MPH, MAKING THIS AN EF-

2 TORNADO. THE TORNADO CONTINUED EAST-NORTHEAST, CUTTING DOWN

TREES ACROSS UPPER BIG SPRINGS ROAD, I-185, AND STEWART ROAD

(EAST OF I-185). THERE'S A FAIRLY RURAL/WOODED AREA BETWEEN

STEWART ROAD AND THE NEXT ROAD (PARMER ROAD) ABOUT 2 MILES APART

BUT DAMAGE PICKED BACK UP ALONG HWY 109/GREENVILLE ROAD (MOSTLY

TREES SNAPPED/UPROOTED). THE TORNADO THEN RIPPED THROUGH THE TOWN

OF MOUNTVILLE, SNAPPING AND UPROOTING MULTIPLE MEDIUM TO LARGE

TREES ALONG TRIPPE AND COLLEGE STREETS. A COUPLE MORE TREES WERE

UPROOTED ALONG WOOD ROAD, BUT LITTLE TO NO DAMAGE WAS SEEN BEYOND

THIS AREA. SEEING THIS AND WHAT WAS ON RADAR, THIS FAIRLY LONG-

TRACK TORNADO FINALLY LIFTED JUST BEFORE THE MERIWETHER COUNTY

LINE.

..MERIWETHER/NORTHWEST PIKE TORNADO...

RATING: EF2

ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 120 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 24.45 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 1500 YARDS

FATALITIES: 0

INJURIES: 0

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 03:45 PM EST

START LOCATION: 2 ENE MOUNTVILLE / MERIWETHER COUNTY / GA

START LAT/LON: 33.0517 / -84.8527

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 04:17 PM EST

END LOCATION: 1 NW HOLLONVILLE / PIKE COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 33.1762 / -84.4712

SURVEY SUMMARY:

AS THE TROUP COUNTY TORNADO LIFTED SOUTHEAST OF LAGRANGE JUST WEST

OF THE TROUP-MERIWETHER COUNTY LINE, ANOTHER LONG-TRACK AND

POWERFUL TORNADO FORMED JUST EAST OF THE COUNTY LINE NEAR KEITH RD

0.9 MILES NORTH OF GA109. THE TORNADO INITIALLY TRAVELED NORTH

THEN TURNED TO A EAST-NORTHEAST DIRECTION CROSSING WILBUR KEITH RD

AND PINEY WOODS RD DOWNING HUNDREDS OF TREES. THE TORNADO

BROADENED AND INTENSIFIED AS IT APPROACHED GA100 WITH A DIAMETER

OF 0.9 MILES AND WINDS OVER 100 MPH UPROOTING AND SNAPPING OVER

1000 TREES. A HOME ON FORREST RD HAD ITS ENTIRE ROOF BLOWN OFF

WHERE MAX WINDS WERE ESTIMATED AT 120 MPH AND FIRST REACHED EF- 2

INTENSITY. THE TORNADO CONTINUED AT 100 TO 120 MPH INTENSITY AS IT

CONTINUED EAST-NORTHEAST INTO NEIGHBORHOODS SOUTH OF ALLIE RD

ALONG MOUNT PILGRAM RD WHERE SEVERAL HOMES WERE DAMAGED OR

DESTROYED BY TREES FALLING ON THEM. ONE DOUBLE-WIDE MANUFACTURED

HOME ON GROUND HOG DR HAD ITS ROOF BLOWN OFF AND WAS SHIFTED 20

YARDS OFF ITS FOUNDATION, BREAKING THE HOME IN HALF. THE TORNADO

CONTINUED EAST-NORTHEAST ALONG ALLIE RD CROSSING US27. JUST EAST

OF US27 A VERY LARGE STAND OF TREES WERE SNAPPED AND A LARGE

RECENTLY-CONSTRUCTED TWO-STORY BARN WAS DESTROYED. JUST EAST OF

THIS LOCATION, TWO SINGLE-WIDE MOBILE HOME COMPLETELY DESTROYED.

THE RESIDENTS OF ONE OF THE HOMES WAS AT THE HOSPITAL WHEN THE

TORNADO STRUCK AND RETURNED HOME EARLY NEXT MORNING TO FIND IT IN

SHAMBLES. HERE, MAXIMUM WINDS WERE ALSO RATED AT EF- 2 INTENSITY

(120 MPH). THE TORNADO BEGAN TO WEAKEN EAST OF THIS POINT AND IT

TRACKED A BIT MORE NORTHEAST IN DIRECTION, CROSSING ROCKY MOUNTAIN

RD AND MALCOM RD BEFORE IT TRAVELED ALONG CALLAWAY RD DOWNING

SEVERAL HUNDRED MORE TREES AS IT MOVED NEAR THE ALPS COMMUNITY.

WHILE THE TORNADO REMAINED WEAK EAST OF THIS AREA, THE OVERALL

STORM REMAINED EXTREMELY STRONG AND THE TORNADO DID NOT DISSIPATE,

CONTINUING EAST PARALLELING HWY 362 CAUSING SPORADIC TREE DAMAGE

BEFORE CROSSING THE FLINT RIVER INTO NW PIKE COUNTY CROSSING RIVER

RD AND LIFTING AROUND THE KINGS BRIDGE ROAD. HERE WINDS WERE ONLY

75-80 MPH DOWNING SEVERAL TREES AS FAR AS COULD BE SEEN FROM

PUBLIC ROADWAYS. MORE RECENT ANALYSIS OF RADAR DATA AND AREAL

SATELLITE IMAGERY CONFIRMED THAT THIS PARTICULAR CIRCULATION

CONTINUED EAST INTO PIKE COUNTY WHILE 2 OTHER TORNADOES WERE

SPINNING UP TO THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST OF THIS WEAKENING

CIRCULATION.

..PIKE/SPALDING/HENRY COUNTY TORNADO...

RATING: EF3

ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 155 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 32.80 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 2200 YARDS

FATALITIES: 0

INJURIES: 18

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 04:10 PM EST

START LOCATION: 1 W HOLLONVILLE / PIKE COUNTY / GA

START LAT/LON: 33.1654 / -84.4785

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 04:45 PM EST

END LOCATION: 4 SW FINCHERVILLE / HENRY COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 33.3734 / -84.0014

SURVEY SUMMARY:

NEW HIGH RESOLUTION AREAL IMAGERY IN CONCERT WITH A REANALYSIS OF

RADAR DATA, AREAL SURVEYS AND GROUND SURVEYS IT HAS BEEN

DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE TORNADOES ON THE GROUND

SIMULTANEOUSLY IN SOUTHWEST SPALDING AND NORTHWESTERN PIKE

COUNTIES AS WELL AS CROSSING TORNADO PATHS. THE TORNADOES WERE

PART OF A LARGER MESOCYCLONE WHICH CAN BE TRACED WEST ALL THE WAY

BACK TO THE SELMA ALABAMA TORNADO. OUR ANALYSIS DETERMINED THAT

THIS TORNADO WOULD BECOME THE DOMINANT CIRCULATION WHICH IMPACTED

GRIFFIN AND MUCH OF SPALDING COUNTY AND SOUTHERN HENRY COUNTY.

THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN IN NORTHWEST PIKE COUNTY ALONG HWY

362 WEST OF IRISH HILL DRIVE WHERE A FEW TREES WERE SNAPPED AND

UPROOTED AND QUICKLY INCREASED IN INTENSITY TO EF1 AS IT CROSSED

KINGS BRIDGE ROAD, HUFF CREEK RD AND SCOTT ROAD WHERE NUMEROUS

TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. AS THE STORM CROSSED BLANTON

MILL ROAD MORE SEVERE DAMAGE WAS NOTED BOTH ON THE GROUND AND

AREAL SURVEY AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT EF2 DAMAGE WAS PRESENT IN

THE AREA AROUND NUNNALLY RD AND BETHANY ROAD WHERE WIDESPREAD

SNAPPING OF TREES OCCURRED AND A FEW STRUCTURES WERE SEVERELY

DAMAGED. HOWEVER, THE UPDATED ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT THIS AREA ALSO

EXPERIENCED CROSSING TORNADO PATHS BOTH FROM THIS TORNADO AND

ANOTHER WHICH STRUCK THE AREA APPROXIMATELY 2 MINUTES LATER. THE

COMBINATION OF THE 2 PATHS LIKELY RESULTED IN MORE INTENSE DAMAGE

INDICATORS. AS THE STORM CONTINUED NORTH INTO SOUTHERN SPALDING

COUNTY, THE CIRCULATION BRIEFLY WEAKENED CAUSING ONLY SPORADIC

LOW END EF0 DAMAGE NORTHWARD ALONG SCOTT BARCH ROAD. IT SHOULD

ALSO BE NOTED THAT THIS CIRCULATION WOULD PASS INTO SOUTHERN

SPALDING COUNTY ALONG SCOTT BARCH ROAD JUST 2 MINUTES AHEAD OF

ANOTHER EF1 TORNADO TO CROSS ITS PATH COMING IN FROM THE WEST.

THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTH CROSSING SCOTT BARCH ROAD AND

UPROOTING TREES IN AN AREA SOUTH OF BLANTON MILL ROAD. PER BOTH

RADAR DATA AND DAMAGE ON THE GROUND THE TORNADO WOULD PIVOT

WITHIN THE LARGER MESOCYCLONE IN AN AREA NORTH OF BLANTON MILL

AND BEGIN ITS TRACK EAST CROSSING ROVER ZETELLA ROAD DESTROYING A

BARN. IT WAS NEAR THIS POINT THE TORNADO AND THE WIND DAMAGE

WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE AS THE TORNADO WAS INTENSIFYING

RAPIDLY. THE TORNADO WOULD QUICKLY REACH PEAK INTENSITY OF 150-

155 MPH AND SEVERAL HOMES WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED ALONG KENDALL

DRIVE AND WEST ROAD. 2 HOMES IN PARTICULAR WERE NOTED TO BE

COMPLETELY DESTROYED DOWN TO THE FOUNDATION HOWEVER FURTHER

INSPECTION OF THE HOMES REVEALED THAT THE WALLS WERE NOT ANCHORED

FULLY ANCHORED INTO THE CONCRETE THUS A HIGHER RATING COULD NOT

BE DETERMINED FROM THOSE HOMES. THE RESIDENT OF ONE OF THOSE

HOMES RODE OUT THE STORM IN HIS BATHTUB, HOWEVER THE BATHTUB AND

ALL PLUMBING FIXTURES WERE TORN AWAY FROM THE SLAB AND TOSSED

INTO THE NEARBY WOODS. THE SURVIVOR OF THE HOME WAS MIRACULOUSLY

UNINJURED AND GOT OUT TO HELP NEIGHBORS. FURTHER WEST ALONG

KENDALL DRIVE SEVERAL HOMES WERE ALSO COMPLETELY DESTROYED WITH

SEVERAL OTHERS SUFFERING MAJOR DAMAGE THUS THE EF3 RATING. THE

DAMAGE ALONG WEST ROAD IN PARTICULAR GARNERED A SLIGHT UPGRADE IN

THE WIND SPEED TO HIGH END EF3 DAMAGE PER A REANALYSIS. MAJOR

TO SEVERE DAMAGE WAS ALSO NOTED ALONG MALOY ROAD, HWY 16, AREAS

AROUND GRIFFIN HIGH SCHOOL, THE CLUB AT SHOAL CREEK AND NORTH

PINE HILL ROAD. AS THE TORNADO APPROACHED HWY 19, PER UGA

FACULTY, THE UGA FACILITY AT DEMPSEY FARM RECORDED A WIND SPEED

OF 81.1 MPH BEFORE THE ANEMOMETER/WIND COMBO INSTRUMENT BLEW OFF

THE TOWER. THE TORNADO CONTINUED ENE THROUGH THE COMMUNITY OF

EXPERIMENT TO THE NW OF THE TOWN OF GRIFFIN CROSSING HWY 92 WHERE

NUMEROUS BUSINESS AND HOMES SUFFERED DAMAGE EITHER FROM WIND OR

FALLEN TREES CONSISTENT WITH EF0 THROUGH EF1 DAMAGE. A WEATHER

INSTRUMENT ON THE SOUTH END OF THE TORNADO SWATH AT THE UGA

GRIFFIN CAMPUS RECORDED A 73.9 MPH WIND GUST AS THE STORM PASSED

BY. DAMAGE IN THE AREA WAS CONSISTENT WITH EF0 TYPE WIND DAMAGE.

THE TORNADO STRUCK A HOBBY LOBBY BUILDING IN AN AROUND EXPERIMENT

ST AND HWY 92 WHICH SUFFERED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE ROOF, AND

EXTERIOR WALLS ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE. DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING WAS

CONSISTENT WITH EF2 WINDS OF APPROXIMATELY 130 MPH. THE TORNADO

CONTINUED NORTHEAST THROUGH THE NORTHSIDE OF GRIFFIN WITH MOSTLY

EF0-EF1 TYPE WIND DAMAGE. POCKETS OF MORE SEVERE DAMAGE WERE

NOTED ALONG NORTHSIDE DRIVE AND MCINTOSH ROAD CONSISTENT WITH

HIGH END EF1 DAMAGE. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEAST CROSSING

SMOAK ROAD AND N. MCDONOUGH ROAD WHERE IT WAS NOTED BOTH ON THE

GROUND AND FROM THE AIR THAT THE CIRCULATION WEAKENED AND THE

DAMAGE BECOME MORE SPORADIC IN NATURE PARTICULARLY THE AREA FROM

AMELIA RD EASTWARD TO I75 IN SOUTHERN HENRY COUNTY. ONCE THE

CIRCULATION CROSSED I75 INTENSITY OF THE TORNADO INCREASED TO

A MID TO HIGH END EF1 WITH DAMAGE IN THE CITY

OF LOCUST GROVE. THE TORNADO CROSSED LG GRIFFIN ROAD WHERE IT

IMPACTED NUMEROUS HOMES IN A SUBDIVISION AND SNAPPED OR UPROOTED

TREES. THE STORM CROSSED STANLEY K TANGER ROAD AND THROUGH ANOTHER

NEIGHBORHOOD AFFECTING SEVERAL HOMES INCLUDING SOME HIGH END EF1

DAMAGE. AS THE STORM CROSSED HWY 23 NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED OR

UPROOTED AND A NEW TDS APPEARED ON RADAR. THE TORNADO CONTINUED

NE ACROSS JACKSON ST, GROVE PARK DRIVE, SKYLAND DR, S. UNITY GROVE

ROAD AND S OLA GROVE ROAD SNAPPING AND UPROOTING TREES AS WELL AS

CAUSING EF0 OR IN SOME CASES EF1 DAMAGE TO HOMES. THE STORM CONTINUED

ENE SNAPPING AND UPROOTING TREES THROUGH PEAKSVILLE ROAD

WHERE IT SHORTLY THERE AFTER BECOME LESS DEFINED AND EVENTUALLY

MERGED WITH THE CIRCULATION/TORNADO ONGOING TO THE SOUTH IN THE

JENKINSBURG AREA. ACCORDING TO SPALDING COUNTY OFFICIALS,

APPROXIMATELY 1465 HOMES WERE AFFECTED IN THE CITY OF GRIFFIN AND

754 WERE AFFECTED IN THE COUNTY WITH AT LEAST 250+ SUFFERING MAJOR

DAMAGE OR DESTROYED WITH ASSESSMENTS STILL ONGOING. ADDITIONAL

NUMBERS FROM PIKE AND HENRY COUNTY WILL BE ADDED TO THE TOTAL WHEN

ASSESSMENTS ARE COMPLETED. THE EXACT WIDTH OF THE TORNADO EVEN WITH

THE HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGERY IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE AND A BEST

ESTIMATE WILL BE USED AS A RESULT OF THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF OTHER

TORNADO PATHS. ADDITIONALLY, EF0 AND EF1 DAMAGE RESULTING FROM

BOTH STRONG INFLOW INTO THE LARGE MESOCYLONE AND STRONG OUTFLOW ON

THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE CIRCULATION ALSO MAKE IT A CHALLENGE TO

SEPARATE TORNADO WIND DAMAGE FROM VERY STRONG STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMGE.

..NORTHWEST PIKE / SOUTHWEST SPALDING TORNADO #2...

RATING: EF2

ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 130 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 9.26 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 1000 YARDS

FATALITIES: 0

INJURIES: 0

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 04:13 PM EST

START LOCATION: 2 NW HOLLONVILLE / SPALDING COUNTY / GA

START LAT/LON: 33.1959 / -84.4845

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 04:22 PM EST

END LOCATION: 2 NNW ROVER / SPALDING COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 33.2345 / -84.342

SURVEY SUMMARY:

NEW HIGH RESOLUTION AREAL IMAGERY IN CONCERT WITH A REANALYSIS OF

RADAR DATA, AREAL SURVEYS AND GROUND SURVEYS IT HAS BEEN

DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE TORNADOES ON THE GROUND

SIMULTANEOUSLY IN SOUTHWEST SPALDING AND NORTHWESTERN PIKE

COUNTIES AS WELL AS CROSSING TORNADO PATHS. THE TORNADOES WERE

PART OF A LARGER MESOCYCLONE WHICH CAN BE TRACED WEST ALL THE WAY

BACK TO THE SELMA ALABAMA TORNADO. THIS PARTICULAR TORNADO WAS

SPINNING UP IN EXTREME SW SPALDING COUNTY NEAR HOLONVILLE ROAD AND

THE FLINT RIVER AS THE EF2 TORNADO CROSSING MERIWEATHER COUNTY

INTO NW PIKE WAS WEAKING AND WINDING DOWN. THE PARTICULAR TORNADO

FIRST SHOWED A DEBRIS SIGNATURE ON RADAR IN A MARSHY AREA NEAR THE

FLINT RIVER EAST OF HOLONVILLE ROAD. AREAL SATELLITE IMAGERY AND

NEWLY ACQUIRED INFORMATION FROM A HOMEOWNER ALONG HUFF CREEK ROAD

CONFIRM THE TRACK CONTINUED EAST JUST NORTH OF HUFF CREEK ROAD

SNAPPING AND UPROOTING HUNDREDS OF TREES. THE TORNADO CROSSED

HANCOCK ROAD AS A HIGH END EF 1 BEFORE REACHING BLANTON MILL ROAD

WHERE SEVERAL OUTBUILDINGS WERE DESTROYED, A HOME WAS DAMAGED AND

HUNDREDS OF TREES WERE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED. AS THE TORNADO

CONTINUED EAST TOWARD NUNNALLY ROAD IT WAS NOTED THAT THE TORNADO

WHICH WOULD BECOME THE GRIFFIN TORNADO HAD CROSSED APPROXIMATELY 2

MINUTES PRIOR AND AS THIS TORNADO APPROACHED THAT AREA. DAMAGE IN

THE NUNNALLY ROAD AREA IS CONSISTENT WITH MULTIPLE CIRCULATIONS

CROSSING THIS REGION. ALSO AS THIS EF1 TORNADO REACHED THE

NUNNALLY/BETHANY ROAD AREA, A STRONG SURGE IN WIND CAN BE SEEN ON

RADAR ROTATING ENE AROUND THE LARGER MESOCYCLONE AND CATCHING THIS

TORNADO IN THIS REGION. THE PARTICULAR TORNADO WOULD BE NOT ONLY

BECOMING PART OF THAT WIND SURGE BUT ALSO MERGE WITH AN EF1

TORNADO SINKING ESE OUT OF SPALDING COUNTY APPROXIMATELY AT THE

SPALDING/PIKE COUNTY LINE IN AND AROUND THE YARBOROUGH MILL ROAD

REGION. THIS TORNADO WOULD BECOME THE DOMINATE CIRCULATION PER

RADAR ANALYSIS THUS THIS TRACK IS CONTINUED ENE. AS THE EF1

TORNADO MERGES FROM THE WNW, THIS TORNADO INCREASES TO MAX

INTENSITY OF EF2 IN AND AROUND THE YARBOROUGH MILL ROAD AND

CRYSTAL CREEK DRIVE AREA WHERE SEVERAL STRUCTURES WERE SEVERELY

DAMAGED OR DESTROYED IN ADDITION TO HUNDREDS OF TREES SNAPPED AND

UPROOTED. PER DAMAGE ANALYSIS FROM IMAGERY, THIS MERGING WHICH

OCCURRED LIKELY RESULTED IN THE INCREASED INTENSIFICATION OF THE

TORNADO TO EF2 IN THIS REGION. THE TORNADO CONTINUED EASTWARD

TOWARD A LARGE ROCK QUARRY ALONG ROVER ZETELLA ROAD. THE TORNADO

SNAPPED TREES UP TO THE ROCK QUARRY HOWEVER, IT APPEARS THAT DUE

TO THE SIZE OF THE QUARRY, THE TORNADO REDEVELOPED ON THE N SIDE

OF THE QUARRY ALONG ROVER ZETELLA ROAD AND CONTINUED EAST BEFORE

RESUMING A NORTHWARD PATH. NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED

WET OF CANDLER ROAD NORTH ACROSS NORTH ROVER ROAD,AGAPE AVENUE

AND BETHEL LANE. NUMEROUS HOMES SUSTAINED EVERYTHING FROM MINOR TO

MODERATE DAMAGE IN THIS AREA CONSISTENT WITH EF0 TO EF1 WINDS.

THIS PARTICULAR TORNADO CONTINUED NORTH TOWARD THE STRONGER EF3

TORNADO OCCURRING SIMULTANEOUSLY ULTIMATELY ABSORBING THIS TORNADO

INTO THE CIRCULATION IN THE AREA AROUND MALOY ROAD. DUE TO THE

SCOPE OF THE DAMAGE AND THE WIDTH, THE EXACT LOCATION AND THE

DAMAGE ATTRIBUTION (WHICH TORNADO CAUSED WHICH DAMAGE) BECOMES

DIFFICULT TO DISCERN EVEN WITH THE IMAGERY. AS A RESULT, THE EXACT

WIDTH IS AN ESTIMATE DUE TO THE CHALLENGES OF DETERMINING WHERE

ONE TORNADO DAMAGE SWATH ENDED AND WHERE ANOTHER ONE STARTED. THE

ONE THING THAT CAN BE CERTAIN IS THAT THE VORTICES/TORNADOES DID

MERGE NEAR OR JUST AFTER THE EF3 DAMAGE OCCURRED.

..SOUTHWEST SPALDING COUNTY TORNADO...

RATING: EF1

ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 105 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 2.66 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 300 YARDS

FATALITIES: 0

INJURIES: 0

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 04:16 PM EST

START LOCATION: 3 SW ZETELLA / SPALDING COUNTY / GA

START LAT/LON: 33.2147 / -84.4352

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 04:20 PM EST

END LOCATION: 2 S ZETELLA / SPALDING COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 33.2075 / -84.392

SURVEY SUMMARY:

NEW HIGH RESOLUTION AREAL IMAGERY IN CONCERT WITH A REANALYSIS OF

RADAR DATA, AREAL SURVEYS AND GROUND SURVEYS IT HAS BEEN

DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE TORNADOES ON THE GROUND

SIMULTANEOUSLY IN SOUTHWEST SPALDING AND NORTHWESTERN PIKE

COUNTIES AS WELL AS CROSSING TORNADO PATHS. THE TORNADOES WERE

PART OF A LARGER MESOCYCLONE WHICH CAN BE TRACED WEST ALL THE WAY

BACK TO THE SELMA ALABAMA TORNADO.OUR ANALYSIS DETERMINED THAT

THIS TORNADO SPUN UP NEAR THE CENTER OF THE MAIN MESOCYCLONE AS IT

CROSSED THE FLINT RIVER IN SW SPALDING COUNTY.THE FIRST EVIDENCE

OF A TORNADO TOUCHING DOWN APPEAR ALONG BLANTON MILL ROAD WHERE

SEVERAL TREES WERE UPROOTED. THIS TORNADO WOULD BECOME CAUGHT

WITHIN THE LARGER CIRCULATION AND SWING SE AROUND THE

CENTER THROUGH MOSTLY WOODED OR SWAMPY AREAS OF SW SPALDING COUNTY.

NUMEROUS TREES WERE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED IN A PATH THAT THAT

TRACKS ESE UNTIL IT REACHES SCOTT BARCH ROAD. IT IS IN THIS AREA

IT CROSSES THE PATH OF A TORNADO WHICH PASSES APPROXIMATELY 2

MINUTES EARLY MOVING NEON THE EASTERN PERIPHERY OF THE LARGER

MESOCYCLONE. LOW END EF1 DAMAGE OCCURRED TO A BARN IN THIS AREA,

HOWEVER, IT COULD HAVE OCCURRED WITH THE FIRST TORNADO. NUMEROUS

TREES ARE UPROOTED OR SNAPPED IN THIS AREA AS WELL. THE TORNADO

CONTINUED ESE CROSSING FLAT CREEK CAUSING MID RANGE EF1 DAMAGE TO

TREES. IT IS NOTED PER AREAL IMAGERY AND RADAR DATA THAT AS THE

TORNADO APPROACHED YARBOROUGH RD AND SHACKLEFORD RD IT BECOME

ABSORBED/MERGED WITH A LARGER STRONGER CIRCULATION/TORNADO MOVING

TO THE NE. DAMAGE ON THE GROUND IN THIS AREA IS INDICATIVE OF

TORNADOES APPROACHING FROM 2 DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. THE PARTICULAR

CIRCULATION IS TERMINATED AT THIS POINT AS THE LARGER MORE

DOMINANT TORNADO CONTINUES NE TOWARD A ROCK QUARRY ALONG ROVER

ZETELLA ROAD. IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT EF2 DAMAGE OCCURRED

SHORTLY AFTER THESE 2 TORNADOES MERGED NEAR ROAD BUT

WILL BE ATTRIBUTED TO THEMORE DOMINATE CIRCULATION.

..NORTHWEST PIKE / SOUTHWEST SPALDING TORNADO #3...

RATING: EF1

ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 105 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 6.03 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 800 YARDS

FATALITIES: 0

INJURIES: 0

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 04:17 PM EST

START LOCATION: 3 W WILLIAMSON / PIKE COUNTY / GA

START LAT/LON: 33.1958 / -84.4144

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 04:24 PM EST

END LOCATION: 2 N ROVER / SPALDING COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 33.2373 / -84.3346

SURVEY SUMMARY:

NEW HIGH RESOLUTION AREAL IMAGERY IN CONCERT WITH A REANALYSIS OF

RADAR DATA, AREAL SURVEYS AND GROUND SURVEYS IT HAS BEEN

DETERMINED THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE TORNADOES ON THE GROUND

SIMULTANEOUSLY IN SOUTHWEST SPALDING AND NORTHWESTERN PIKE

COUNTIES AS WELL AS CROSSING TORNADO PATHS. THE TORNADOES WERE

PART OF A LARGER MESOCYCLONE WHICH CAN BE TRACED WEST ALL THE WAY

BACK TO THE SELMA ALABAMA TORNADO. THIS PARTICULAR EF1 TORNADO

FORMED ON THE SOUTHERN EXTENT OF THE LARGER MESOCYCLONE IN CLOSE

PROXIMITY TO THE EF2 TORNADO TO THE NORTH. THIS TORNADO FORMED

IN AN AROUND THE NUNNALLY ROAD AND DUNBAR SCHOOL ROAD AREA

SNAPPING AND UPROOTING TREES. IT WOULD CONTINUE ENE CROSSING

HUTCHINSON RD AND BETHANY ROAD SNAPPING AND UPROOTING TREES.

EF1 DAMAGE TO SEVERAL STORAGE BUILDINGS AND HOMES OCCURRED AS THE

TORNADO CROSSED W. WILLIAMSON ROAD JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE ROCK

QUARRY ALONG ROVER ZETELLA ROAD. THIS TORNADO WOULD CONTINUE EAST

AND PASS TO THE SOUTH OF THE ROCK QUARRY SNAPPING AND UPROOTING

TREES BEFORE CROSSING ROVER ZETELLA ROAD NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF

N. ROVER ROAD. A SMALL BARN WAS DESTROYED AND NUMEROUS TREES

WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED.IT WAS NEAR THIS POINT THE TORNADO

WOULD BEGIN A MORE NORTH TO NORTHEASTWARD PATH AS IT BECAME MORE

WRAPPED UP INTO THE LARGER MESOCYCLONE AND MORE DOMINATE TORNADO

DEVELOPING AND OCCURRING TO THE NORTH NEAR HWY16. THIS EF1 WOULD

CROSS EMANUEL WAY, WILDER WAY, MALOY ROAD AND DELRAY CIR CAUSING

DAMAGE TO NUMEROUS HOMES AND UPROOTING TREES. 2 LARGE STORAGE

BINS JUST EAST OF WILDER WAY AND SAINT LUKE DR WERE COMPLETELY

DESTROYED. TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED AS THE TORNADO

CONTINUED NORTH INTO THE LARGER CIRCULATION WHERE IT WOULD MERGE

JUST SOUTH OF HWY16 TO THE NE OF PRINCESS CIRCLE. AREAL

SATELLITE IMAGERY AND RADAR DATA CONFIRMS THE NORTHWARD MOVING

TORNADO INTO THE MORE DOMINATE EF3 TORNADO WITH TREES SNAPPED AND

UPROOTED TO THE NORTH INTO AN AREA OF TREES SNAPPED AND UPROOTED

TO THE EAST. DUE TO THE SCOPE OF THE DAMAGE AND THE WIDTH OF ALL

OF THE TORNADOES IN THIS AREA, THE EXACT LOCATION AND THE DAMAGE

ATTRIBUTION (WHICH TORNADO CAUSED WHICH DAMAGE) BECOMES DIFFICULT

TO DISCERN EVEN WITH THE IMAGERY. AS A RESULT, THE EXACT WIDTH IS

AN ESTIMATE DUE TO THE CHALLENGES OF DETERMINING WHERE ONE

TORNADO DAMAGE SWATH ENDED AND WHERE ANOTHER ONE STARTED. THE

ONE THING THAT CAN BE CERTAIN IS THAT THE VORTICES/TORNADOES DID

MERGE NEAR OR JUST AFTER THE EF3 DAMAGE OCCURRED.

..WARREN/MCDUFFIE COUNTY TORNADO...

RATING: EF1

ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 110 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 16.4 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 150 YARDS

FATALITIES: 0

INJURIES: 0

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 04:15 PM EST

START LOCATION: MAYFIELD / WARREN COUNTY / GA

START LAT/LON: 33.3622 / -82.8032

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 04:39 PM EST

END LOCATION: 2 NNE MESENA / MCDUFFIE COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 33.4897 / -82.565

SURVEY SUMMARY:

A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SURVEY TEAM CONFIRMED AN EF-1 TORNADO

WITH PEAK WINDS OF 110 MPH THAT TRACKED FROM THE BORDER OF WARREN

AND HANCOCK COUNTY TRAVELING JUST TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF

WARRENTON. THE TORNADO PASSED TO THE SOUTH OF CAMAK IN EASTERN

WARREN COUNTY AND TO THE WEST OF THOMSON IN WESTERN MCDUFFIE

COUNTY. THE TOTAL TORNADO PATH WAS 16.42 MILES, WITH ABOUT 14.40

MILES IN WARREN COUNTY AND 2.02 MILES IN MCDUFFIE COUNTY. THE

TORNADO STARTED NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF MAYFIELD RD AND RIVERVIEW

FARMS RD. IT TRACKED ENE UPROOTING TREES AND PICKED UP STRENGTH AS

IT APPROACHED ATLANTA HWY WHERE A GROVE OF LARGE PINES WERE

SNAPPED OR UPROOTED WITH EF-1 INTENSITY. THE TORNADO CROSSED OLD

CAMEK RD NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF LITHONIA CHURCH RD SNAPPING AND

UPROOTING A NUMBER OF LARGE PINE TREES BEFORE CAUSING MINOR

STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AS IT APPROACHED THE INTERSECTION OF WASHINGTON

HWY AND CALVIN DR. THE GEORGIA STATE PATROL (GSP) AVIATION

DIVISION USED A HELICOPTER TO PICK UP THE TRAIL NEAR CAMAK, JUST

EAST OF CHURCH STREET, AND MOVED TOWARD THE NORTHEAST. EF-0 DAMAGE

TO TREES WAS SEEN FROM THE HELICOPTER EXTENDING FROM CAMAK RD TO

THE INTERSECTION OF WIRE ROAD AND OTIS JONES ROAD. A SECOND NWS

SURVEY TEAM DETERMINED THE TORNADO STRENGTHENED AGAIN TO EF-1

INTENSITY AS IT APPROACHED MESENA ROAD AND CONTINUED NORTHEAST

ACROSS THE COUNTY LINE TO FOSTER SPROUSE ROAD. IN THIS AREA, A

COUPLE OF HOMES HAD ROOF AND FASCIA DAMAGE, A METAL WORK SHED AND

OUTDOOR KITCHEN WERE DESTROYED, AND A SWATH OF LARGE AND HEALTHY

PINE TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. AS THE TORNADO CROSSED

FOSTER SPROUSE ROAD, IT CONTINUED TO SNAP AND UPROOT TREES, ONE OF

WHICH FELL ON A HOUSE. THE TORNADO THEN WEAKENED AS IT CROSSED

UNION CHURCH ROAD AND DISSIPATED BEFORE REACHING WEST BYPASS.

..SPALDING/BUTTS/NEWTON/JASPER TORNADO...

RATING: EF2

ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 130 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 31.98 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 1400 YARDS

FATALITIES: 2

INJURIES: 10

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 04:27 PM EST

START LOCATION: 3 N ORCHARD HILL / SPALDING COUNTY / GA

START LAT/LON: 33.2252 / -84.2021

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 05:01 PM EST

END LOCATION: 4 S MANSFIELD / JASPER COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 33.464 / -83.7343

SURVEY SUMMARY:

RADAR DATA, AREAL SURVEYS AND GROUND SURVEYS CONFIRM THAT A LONG

TRACK EF2 TORNADO OCCURRED BEGINNING A FEW MILES EAST OF GRIFFIN

GA THROUGH BUTTS, NEWTON AND INTO JASPER COUNTIES. THE TORNADO

WAS PART OF A LARGER MESOCYCLONE WHICH CAN BE TRACED WEST ALL THE

WAY BACK TO THE SELMA ALABAMA TORNADO WHICH SPAWNED NUMEROUS

TORNADOES DURING ITS LIFECYCLE. THIS PARTICULAR TORNADO FIRST

TOUCHED DOWN IN AN AREA AROUND CROUCH ROAD AND WILD PLUM ROAD

SNAPPING AND UPROOTING TREES. THE TORNADO STRUCK A RINNAI

BUILDING CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE ROOF, WINDOWS AND OUTSIDE WALLS.

THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEAST SNAPPING AND UPROOTING TREES

QUICKLY INTENSIFYING AS IT CROSSED HWY 19 BECOMING AND EF2.

WIDESPREAD TREE DAMAGE WAS NOTED ALONG S. MCDONOUGH ROAD AND

WALNUT GROVE ROAD NORTH OF HWY 16. A WELL BUILT HOME SUSTAINED

SIGNIFICANT ROOF AND STRUCTURE DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH HIGH END

EF2 WINDS. THE TORNADO CONTINUED NORTHEAST CROSSING HIGH FALLS

ROAD, N. WALKERS MILL ROAD, YAMACRAW ROAD SNAPPING AND UPROOTING

TREES CONSISTENT WITH EF1 DAMAGE. AS THE TORNADO CONTINUED

NORTHEAST, IT BECAME THE DOMINANT CIRCULATION WITHIN THE LARGER

MESOCYCLONE AS THE PREVIOUS GRIFFIN TORNADO BEGAN TO OCCLUDE

WITHIN THE LARGE CIRCULATION. THE TORNADO CROSSED JACKSON ROAD

AND PARALLELED JENKINSBURG ROAD BEFORE CROSSING I75 NEAR

JENKINSBURG ROAD. SNAPPED AND UPROOTED TREES WERE NOTED ALONG

BOTH SIDES OF I75 WHERE THE TORNADO CROSSED. AS THE STORM BECAME

THE DOMINANT CIRCULATION WITHIN THE MESOCYCLONE, THE WIND FIELD

EXPANDED AND THE DAMAGE BECAME FAIRLY CONSISTENT WITH HIGH END

EF1 TO LOW EF2 THEREAFTER. THE TORNADO CROSSED LOCUST ROAD, DEAN

PATRICK ROAD AND ENGLAND CHAPEL ROAD WERE NUMEROUS TREES WERE

SNAPPED AND UPROOTED. SOME HOME DAMAGE WAS NOTED IN THE AREA AS

WELL, PARTICULARLY AS IT APPROACHED SHILOAH ROAD. SEVERAL HOMES

WERE DAMAGED ALONG PLAZA DR AND SMITH DR. THE TORNADO CONTINUED

NE CROSSING HWY 23 STRIKING A LARGE WAREHOUSE. SEVERE ROOF AND

EXTERIOR WALL DAMAGE WAS NOTED AS DEBRIS WAS SPREAD ACROSS THE

HIGHWAY AND TO THE NE OF THE HWY. AS THE TORNADO CROSSED THE

HIGHWAY IT STRUCK A TRAIN ON THE TRACKS AND OVERTURNED 3 RAIL

CARS JUST WEST WALTER MOORE RD. THE STORM CONTINUED NORTHEAST

CROSSING WOLF CREEK ROAD SNAPPING AND UPROOTING TREES NEAR

SEVERAL HOMES CONSISTENT WITH EF1 WIND DAMAGE. THE TORNADO

CONTINUED NORTHEAST CROSSING RISING STAR CHURCH ROAD AND BROWN

ROAD SNAPPING AND UPROOTING TREES. AS THE STORM CONTINUED

NORTHEAST BEYOND THIS POINT, THE REMNANT CIRCULATION WHICH LAST

PRODUCED DAMAGE NEAR LOCUST GROVE REGENERATED A NEW TORNADO A

LITTLE OVER A MILE TO THE NORTHWEST ALONG FINCHERVILLE ROAD. THE

TWO TORNADOES WOULD CONTINUE TO THE NE NEARLY PARALLEL THROUGH

THE JACKSON LAKE AREA. THIS PARTICULAR TORNADO CONTINUED

NORTHEAST AND WOULD INTENSIFY TO EF2 AS IT CROSSED HWY 36 NORTH

OF KEYS FERRY ROAD AND HALEY ROAD. THE FATALITY AND CRITICAL

INJURY DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TORNADO OCCURRED ALONG HALEY

ROAD WHEN A TREE FELL ONTO A VEHICLE INJURING THE DRIVER AND

FATALLY WOUNDING A PASSENGER. EF2 DAMAGE WAS NOTED EAST OF

HWY36 ALONG HALEY ROAD, POCAHONTAS ST. CHICKASAW LANE AND SEVERAL

NEIGHBORHOODS ALONG THE LAKE. THE TORNADO CROSSED INTO SOUTHERN

NEWTON COUNTY CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE ALONG PARKER ROAD, RAY ROAD,

MALCOM RD, QUARRY CT, PEBBLE RIDGE DR, HUNTERS TRACE, CAMPBELL RD

AND HWY 212 AS IT ENTERED JASPER COUNTY NEAR THE FRANKS

RESTAURANT. EF1 TO LOW END EF2 DAMAGE WAS INTERMITTENT ALONG

YANCY RD, DALLAS TR, GEM LANE, LEE S COVE, ALCOVY N. DR, RAINBOW

DR AND COUNTY LINE ROAD. THE BEAR CREEK MARIAN WAS DESTROYED

AND SEVERAL CAMPERS WERE DESTROYED. THE STORM CONTINUED NE

CROSSING HENDERSON MILL ROAD SNAPPING AND UPROOTING TREES, COUNTY

LINE TRAIL AND HWY 11 BEFORE WEAKENING AND LIFTING AS IT

APPROACHED MARGERY LAKE. A SECOND FATALITY WAS RESULTED THE

FOLLOWING DAY WHEN A LINEMAN WAS KNOCKED OUT OF A BUCKET TRUCK IN

JASPER COUNTY AFTER BEING STRUCK BY A LARGE TREE BRANCH WHILE

ATTEMPTING TO RESTORE POWERLINES. THE FATALITY, IS CONSIDERED

INDIRECT BUT WILL BE TIED TO THIS PARTICULAR TORNADO.

WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE CAN BE SEEN VIA AREAL SURVEY AND GROUND

SURVEY THROUGHOUT NORTHERN BUTTS, SOUTHERN NEWTON AND WESTERN

JASPER COUNTIES AND SURVEYING THIS PARTICULAR STORM WAS A

CHALLENGE TO DISCERN WHERE THE TORNADO ACTUALLY ENDED AND WHERE

THE SEVERE WIND DAMAGE STARTED. THE PATH WIDTH IS AN

APPROXIMATION BASED ON THE MOST SEVERE DAMAGE SWATHS WHICH WERE

SURVEYED HOWEVER, STRONG INFLOW WINDS OCCURRED FOR MUCH OF THE

LIFECYCLE OF THIS TORNADO MAKING A VERY WIDE SWATH OF DAMAGE ALONG

ITS 30+ MILE LONG PATH.

..BUTTS COUNTY TORNADO...

RATING: EF1

ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 90 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 5.16 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 150 YARDS

FATALITIES: 0

INJURIES: 0

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 04:35 PM EST

START LOCATION: 4 SW MCKIBBEN / BUTTS COUNTY / GA

START LAT/LON: 33.2502 / -84.1095

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 04:38 PM EST

END LOCATION: 1 NE MCKIBBEN / BUTTS COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 33.2848 / -84.0312

SURVEY SUMMARY:

RADAR AND GROUND SURVEY CONFIRM THAT A EF1 TORNADO BRIEFLY

TOUCHED DOWN WEST OF I75 ALONG WINDY LANE. THE TORNADO WAS PART

OF A LARGER MESOCYCLONE WHICH CAN BE TRACED WEST ALL THE WAY BACK

TO THE SELMA ALABAMA TORNADO WHICH SPAWNED NUMEROUS TORNADOES

DURING ITS LIFECYCLE. THIS PARTICULAR TORNADO SPUN UP QUICKLY

ALONG WINDY LANE BEFORE STRIKING A LARGE WAREHOUSE ALONG MIDWAY

DRIVE. SECTIONS OF THE ROOF WERE TORN OFF AND THROWN

NORTHEASTWARD INTO THE PARKING LOT AND NEARBY WOODS. THE

TORNADO SNAPPED A FEW TREES BEFORE CROSSING I75 JUST SOUTH OF HWY

16 BEFORE CROSSING MATTIE THOMASON ROAD, COLWELL ROAD AND

PARALLELING HWY 16 SNAPPING AND UPROOTING TREES ALONG BOTH SIDES

OF THE HIGHWAY. THE TORNADO LIFTED AFTER CROSSING JOE LANE ROAD

AND AROUND HIGH FALLS ROAD. A BRIEF TDS CAN BE SEEN ON RADAR

SHORTLY AFTER THE TORNADO HIT THE WAREHOUSE WEST OF I75.

..BUTTS/NEWTON TORNADO...

RATING: EF1

ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 95 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 9.93 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 500 YARDS

FATALITIES: 0

INJURIES: 0

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 04:49 PM EST

START LOCATION: 3 SSW FINCHERVILLE / BUTTS COUNTY / GA

START LAT/LON: 33.3649 / -83.9775

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 04:57 PM EST

END LOCATION: 1 NW NORTH ALCOVY / NEWTON COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 33.4371 / -83.8297

SURVEY SUMMARY:

RADAR DATA, AREAL SURVEYS AND GROUND SURVEYS CONFIRM THAT THE

CIRCULATION WHICH WAS THE LONG TRACK EF3 TORNADO THROUGH GRIFFIN

GA REGENERATED A TORNADO IN NW BUTTS COUNTY AFTER CROSSING OUT OF

HENRY COUNTY. THIS TORNADO WAS PART OF A LARGER MESOCYCLONE

WHICH CAN BE TRACED WEST ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE SELMA ALABAMA

TORNADO WHICH SPAWNED NUMEROUS TORNADOES DURING ITS LIFECYCLE.

THIS PARTICULAR TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED WEST OF FINCHERVILLE RD

SNAPPING AND UPROOTING NUMEROUS TREES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD

AND IN THE FOREST LAND TO THE WEST AND EAST. THE STORM CONTINUED

NORTHEAST CROSSING KEYS FERRY ROAD WHERE MUCH OF THE WIND DAMAGE

BECAME INTERTWINED WITH THE LONG TRACK TORNADO TO THE SOUTH OF

IT. DAMAGE WAS NOTED NEAR PARKER RD AND HWY 36, HWY 162 AND HWY

36 AND ALONG HWY 36 JUST SOUTH OF THE YELLOW RIVER BRIDGE. THE

TORNADO PARALLELED HWY 36 SNAPPING AND UPROOTING TREES FROM

MALCOM RD AND HWY 36 THROUGH STEWART CHURCH ROAD, HEATHERSTONE

WAY AND THE INTERSECTION OF HWY 212 AND HWY 36 WHERE A BARN WAS

DESTROYED, SEVERAL TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED, AND A LARGE

SECTION OF ROOF WAS REMOVED FROM A CAR WASH. SEVERE TREE DAMAGE

AND DAMAGE TO A GREENHOUSE AND A FEW HOMES WERE NOTED ALONG

STEWART CHURCH ROAD. AREAL SURVEY CONFIRMS THE TORNADO DID NOT

LAST LONG AFTER CROSSING HWY 212 AND LIFTED AS IT APPROACHED THE

ALCOVY RIVER. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE DAMAGE FROM THIS

TORNADO IS VERY CLOSE TO AND POSSIBLY BUTTING UP AGAINST THE

DAMAGE AREA DEFINED BY THE LONG TRACK TORNADO WHICH CROSSED

THROUGH THE JACKSON LAKE AREA. AS A RESULT, THE DAMAGE AREA FROM

BOTH IN SOME CASES IS NEARLY 2.5 MILES ACROSS WITH SWATHS OF MORE

SEVERE DAMAGE WHERE THE CIRCULATION OF THE ACTUAL TORNADO CAN BE

TRACKED. COMBINED WITH THE SEVERE WINDS AND INFLOW WINDS,

SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS NOTED ALL ACROSS THIS REGION OF NORTHERN

BUTTS, SOUTHERN NEWTON AND WESTERN JASPER COUNTIES AND MUCH OF

THE JACKSON LAKE AREA.

.WILCOX TORNADO #1...

RATING: EF1

ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 100 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 3.1 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 100 YARDS

FATALITIES: 0

INJURIES: 0

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 07:00 PM EST

START LOCATION: 7 NNW ABBEVILLE / WILCOX COUNTY / GA

START LAT/LON: 32.0660 / -83.3810

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 07:05 PM EST

END LOCATION: 8 N ABBEVILLE / WILCOX COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 32.1040 / -83.3520

SURVEY SUMMARY:

THIS TORNADO QUICKLY TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF US HWY

129 AND PRIMROSE LN, WHERE IT CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO A

HOMESTEAD ALONG THE ROAD. THE DAMAGE INCLUDED SEVERAL LARGE TREES

UPROOTED, A SILO MOVED AND TWISTED OFF IT'S ORIGINAL LOCATION

STRAINING SEVERAL METAL BRACERS, A BARN AND 2 SHEDS THAT WERE

DESTROYED, AND MODERATE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO A HOME WITH SEVERAL

STRUCTURAL PILLARS AND COLUMNS DISPLACED. THE TORNADO THEN

CROSSED EAST OF THE HIGHWAY AND MOVED INTO AN INACCESSIBLE AREA

NEAR THE OCMULGEE RIVER. FROM THERE, RADAR DATA WAS USED TO

ESTIMATE THE REST OF THE PATH. MINOR DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON THE EAST

SIDE OF THE OCMULGEE RIVER, BUT ANY CONTINUED PATH WAS

INCONCLUSIVE.

.WILCOX TORNADO #2...

RATING: EF0

ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 80 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 2.3 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 200 YARDS

FATALITIES: 0

INJURIES: 0

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 07:03 PM EST

START LOCATION: 7 ESE PINEVIEW / WILCOX COUNTY / GA

START LAT/LON: 32.0860 / -83.3920

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 07:07 PM EST

END LOCATION: 8 E PINEVIEW / WILCOX COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 32.1040 / -83.3610

SURVEY SUMMARY:

THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ALONG GA HWY 233, JUST SOUTHWEST OF US

HWY 129 NEAR THE CEDAR CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH AND CEMETERY, WHERE A

COUPLE DOZEN TREES WERE SNAPPED AND UPROOTED ALONG A NORTHEASTERN

PATH. ONCE THE TORNADO CROSSED EAST OF US HWY 129, IT MOVED INTO

AN INACCESSIBLE AREA NEAR THE OCMULGEE RIVER. FROM THERE, RADAR

DATA WAS USED TO ESTIMATE THE REST OF THE PATH. MINOR DAMAGE WAS

FOUND ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE OCMULGEE RIVER, BUT ANY CONTINUED

PATH WAS INCONCLUSIVE.

.CRISP/DOOLY STRAIGHT-LINE THUNDERSTORM WIND DAMAGE...

PEAK WIND /E/: 80 MPH

PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 8.5 MILES

PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 4000 YARDS

FATALITIES: 0

INJURIES: 0

START DATE: 01/12/2023

START TIME: 06:35 PM EST

START LOCATION: 3.5 N CORDELE / CRISP COUNTY / GA

START LAT/LON: 32.0200 / -83.7920

END DATE: 01/12/2023

END TIME: 06:47 PM EST

END LOCATION: 9 ESE VIENNA / DOOLY COUNTY / GA

END LAT/LON: 32.0390 / -83.6470

SURVEY SUMMARY:

A SURVEY TEAM WAS SENT TO EXAMINE DAMAGE ALONG THE CRISP AND

DOOLY COUNTY LINE, WHERE A MESOCYCLONE WAS OBSERVED ON RADAR. THE

SURVEY TEAM FOUND A WIDE SWATH OF DAMAGE, INCLUDING DOZENS OF

TREES DOWN AND 3 SHEDS/CARPORTS DESTROYED, PRIMARILY ALONG AND

EAST OF US HWY 41 BETWEEN CORDELE AND VIENNA AND ALONG COUNTY LIN

RD EAST OF INTERSTATE 75, BUT DAMAGE WAS WIDELY SPREAD OUT AND

UNIDIRECTIONAL. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A BRIEF, WEAK TORNADO FORMED

WITHIN THE BROADER WIND SWATH, BUT NO DISCERNIBLE PATH WAS FOUND.

&&

EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE

FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:

EF0...WEAK......65 TO 85 MPH

EF1...WEAK......86 TO 110 MPH

EF2...STRONG....111 TO 135 MPH

EF3...STRONG....136 TO 165 MPH

EF4...VIOLENT...166 TO 200 MPH

EF5...VIOLENT...>200 MPH

NOTE:

THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO

CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENTS AND PUBLICATION IN

NWS STORM DATA.

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