Remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur trigger 10 Georgia tornadoes
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. - A barrage of 10 tornadoes ripped across North and Middle Georgia last Thursday as the remnants of Tropical Storm Arthur swept through the region, weather officials confirmed.
The National Weather Service released preliminary damage survey results Tuesday, detailing a complicated meteorological path that mirrored a notorious historical storm.
Weather Service assessment
What we know:
The National Weather Service in Peachtree City confirmed that 10 tornadoes touched down during the late afternoon and evening hours last Thursday. The tornadoes erupted from the same storm system as it slid through Crawford, Monroe, Jones, Baldwin, Putnam, and Greene counties. Four other tornadoes were tracked in Muscogee, Schley, and Sumter counties, along with a massive severe downburst west of Americus.
Preliminary ratings show four tornadoes reached EF1 strength with winds up to 95 mph, while six were rated EF0. Investigators faced a highly complex tracking process due to the nature of the storm, noting the setup was similar to but weaker than the 2023 Griffin tornado.
While no direct injuries or deaths occurred during the tornadoes, two people died and two were injured in Putnam County the morning after the storm when a tree fell onto a vehicle. Officials plan to classify those casualties as indirect results of the storm because the tornado likely weakened the tree.
Pending storm data
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet completed the full written assessment of the tornado outbreak. Emergency managers are still analyzing aerial footage and ground survey support data to finalize the statistics. The exact timeline for the final publication in the National Weather Service Storm Data remains unconfirmed, and all current tracking data is subject to change.
Outbreak statistics
By the numbers:
- 95 mph: The highest estimated peak wind speed, recorded during the 13.37-mile tornado that cut through Crawford and Monroe counties.
- 2,150 yards: The maximum width of the severe downburst that tore past Americus early Friday morning.
- 10.14 miles: The path length of the EF1 tornado that crossed through Jones, Baldwin, and Putnam counties.
- 0: The number of direct fatalities and injuries reported during the exact timeframe of all 10 tornado touchdowns.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the National Weather Service Peachtree City bureau, who explained how we got it through preliminary damage surveys and collaboration with county emergency management agencies.