EF1 tornado in Oconee County, Georgia

A storm survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia, confirmed that an EF3 tornado touched down in extreme western Oconee county, just east of the Apalachee River near the intersection of U.S. Highway 441 and Tappin Spur Road. The tornado crossed U.S. 441 between county mile marker two and three, then continued on an almost due eastward track across the southern part of the county. The tornado lifted near the intersection of Hale Road and Colham Road, about two miles east-southeast of Salem, just shy of the Greene county line. The tornado path length was approximately five miles long, the maximum path width was estimated to be 1/2 mile, and maximum winds gusts were estimated to be 90 mph. Extensive damage to trees was observed along the path of the tornado. U.S. Highway 441 was completely closed for several hours as it was blocked from downed trees. The most extensive damage to trees occurred within the Georgia Nature Center, where several hundred trees were either blown down, uprooted, or topped along the path of the tornado. A vehicle was overturned on U.S. 441 as the tornado crossed the highway. Several homes along the path of the tornado sustained minor room damage and a mobile home was moved off its foundation. Also, at the Georgia Nature Center, two tent areas were destroyed and several solar panels were damaged.

A strong cold front accompanied and deep negatively tilted upper trough through the eastern U.S. from the 18th into the 19th. An unseasonably warm and unstable air mass developed in advance of the cold front during the late afternoon and early evening across north and central Georgia as warm, moist air rode northward into Georgia on a strong low-level jet. Afternoon temperatures in the 70s and dewpoints in the 60s, combined with strong shear and moderate instability, resulted in the development of numerous supercell thunderstorms from mid-afternoon until a few hours after midnight on the 19th. Ten tornadoes, ranging in scale from EF0 to EF3 tracked across several north and central Georgia counties. The worst tornadoes affected the east central Georgia counties of Jasper, Putnam, Hancock, and Jasper. A death was observed in Hancock county with an EF3 tornado and several injuries were reported from Putnam and Hancock counties. In addition to the tornadoes, very large hail occurred with several of the thunderstorms, including four-inch diameter hail in Coweta and Fayette counties just south of Atlanta. Numerous reports of golf ball and larger-sized hail were received. The event resulted in millions of dollars of damage and the destruction of several homes in north and central Georgia counties.