EF1 Tornado — Montgomery, Georgia

2024-05-09 · near Kibbee, Montgomery, Georgia

Event narrative

An EF1 tornado with maximum winds of 90mph touched down on

Thursday May 9, 2024 at 1:39PM EDT in an unpopulated area

northwest of Higgston GA along hwy 227 where a few trees were

downed along both sides of the hwy. The tornado tracked

southeastward through a mostly wooded unpopulated area before

reaching the community of Higgston. Trees were snapped along Saw

Mill Road to the west of Higgston. The tornado reached

EF1 intensity as it reached Hwy 15 and Azalea Dr where numerous

trees were snapped including several onto homes, outbuildings and

cars in that area. The tornado continued eastward along Hwy

280 snapping and uprooting trees crossing the Montgomery and

Toombs county line continuing to parallel Hwy 280 to the south.

Wider weather episode

Several waves of severe thunderstorms moved through the area from the evening hours of the 8th through the early afternoon hours of the 9th. Initial convection ahead of the first line was able to tap into ample shear to produce tornadic thunderstorms in Northwest GA. This threat transitioned more into a wind event as the first line moved through the morning of the 9th. This line continued southward into the metro causing sporadic wind damage. Thunderstorms weakened as they moved south of I20, however another line of severe made its way out of AL/TN, producing further wind damage in the North. The initial line slowly moved into the southern portion of the CWA where conditions were not as worked over and shear was stronger. Storms re-strengthened, with several producing brief tornados.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (32.2466, -82.5416)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1186086. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.