EF1 Tornado — Evans, Georgia

2024-01-09 · near Bellville, Evans, Georgia

Event narrative

An official NWS storm survey confirmed a EF-1 tornado in Evans County. The tornado began in a very rural portion of southern Evans County near Bay Branch Church Road where it snapped one small tree and uprooted another. The tornado then continued toward the northeast where it snapped and uprooted more than a dozen pecan trees just north of County Road 43. The tornado strength was estimated to be EF-1 at this point, with maximum winds of 95 to 100 mph. The tornado continued to periodically snap and uproot trees as it moved near the intersection of County Road 43 and Level Road, and then near the intersection of Cleve Hagan and Perry Roads. As the tornado moved across the marshy area of Bull Creek, it seemed to increase in intensity. Once it reached just east of Perry Road and north of Bull Creek, it snapped and uprooted dozens of mostly pine trees across a large wooded area of a private residence. In this area it also uplifted the roof of a steel outbuilding and destroyed the garage door. Maximum wind speeds in this area were estimated to be near 100 mph. The tornado continued northeast, crossing near the intersection of Frances Road and Deer Run Trail, where it destroyed a small wooden storage building. The tornado ended in a filed on the east side of Deer Run Trail where it destroyed a pivot irrigation system.

Wider weather episode

A strong line of thunderstorms developed ahead of a strong cold front and moved through southeast Georgia in the afternoon hours. The strong line of storms produced damaging wind gusts, resulting in multiple trees down. A tornado event was even confirmed in Evans County.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (32.0787, -81.9503)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1159879. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.