EF1 Tornado — Talbot, Georgia

2025-05-03 · near Sardis, Talbot, Georgia

Event narrative

An EF1 tornado with maximum winds of 95 mph touched down in

northwest Talbot County on May 3 2025 at approximately

914 PM EDT. The tornado spun up within a super cell thunderstorm

as it was transitioning into a bowing line segment. Surrounding

weather stations and eyewitness reports suggest that the storm

may have ingested an outflow boundary from storms to the north

while the tornado was forming. The initial touch down occurred in

a wooded area east of Mountain Rd and between Hwy 116 and Rush

Creek. Shortly after touchdown the tornado moved into a more open

area where it downed multiple large oak trees and caused damage to

a window and chimney on a private residence. Tree and property

damage was sufficient in this area to warrant a EF1 rating with

estimated winds near 90 mph. The tornado then continued east and

appears to have weakened down to an EF0 as it passed through a

largely wooded area along the south side of Judge David Turner

Reservoir. Radar data indicates that the circulation likely

continued as the tornado moved east of the reservoir towards the

town of Woodland GA. Minor tree damage was found along Hawkins

Rd, indicating that the circulation was likely still in contact

with the ground as it approached the city at approximately

922 PM EDT. The tornado then tracked eastward through Woodland

intensifying back to an EF1 and causing significant damage to

trees and homes between 5th St and 6th St Numerous snapped and

topped oaks and pines were noted in this area along with damage

to approximately 10 residences. The most significant EF1 damage

was noted along 7th Ave, where porch roofs on several homes were

removed. This also appears to be where the tornado reached its

maximum intensity with winds near 95 mph. Thankfully no

significant injuries were reported in the city. Upon exiting

Woodland toward the northeast, the tornado weakened rapidly then

lifted somewhere in a wooded area just east of the Seaboard Coast

Railroad Line at around 924 PM EDT.

Wider weather episode

A QLCS moved through North and Central Georgia in the afternoon and evening hours of the 3rd. The line initially posed a robust wind threat with measured wind gusts of near 70 mph. As the line moved across central Georgia cells in the warm sector merged with the line initiating numerous quick spin-up tornadoes and requiring at least 10 tornado warnings. Many of the rotational signatures were shallow and only visible from the TATL radar.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (32.7767, -84.6532)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1267998. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.