EF1 tornado in Dade County, Georgia

A storm survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia, confirmed that an EF1 tornado, which began in DeKalb county Alabama, crossed into Dade county approximately two miles southwest of Rising Fawn. The tornado then tracked east-northeast, lifting approximately two miles east of Rising Fawn near the eastern most extension of Holder Loop Road. The maximum path width was determined to be 150 yards with maximum wind gusts estimated at 100 mph. Considerable damage to trees and property was noted along the path of the tornado. Thirty homes sustained minor roof damage either from the strong wind or downed trees. Two barns were destroyed and a mobile home lost nearly all of its roof. Nearly 200 trees were uprooted, snapped, or blown over along the path of the tornado.

October 25th began a 3-day long period of active convective weather for north and central Georgia. The culprit was a developing intense upper-level low and associated surface low located across the northern plains, which moved slowly east toward the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley region by the 27th. Record low surface pressures were observed with this system in Wisconsin on the 26th. A strong cold front developed from the surface cyclone southward into the Arklatex region by the 26th. Deep southerly flow in advance of the system brought unseasonably warm, moist air well northward across the eastern U.S. Even though the parent system was well north of Georgia, strong dynamics, a strong low-level jet, and the warm, unstable air mass provided a near perfect environment for scattered to numerous thunderstorms. The slow movement of the system resulted in three consecutive days of strong to severe thunderstorms across north and central Georgia.

On the 25th, a leading vigorous short wave was tracking across the southern states. This short wave resulted in severe thunderstorms and several tornadoes from east Texas eastward to Georgia. Two tornadoes were confirmed with this event in northwest Georgia on the 25th, including an EF1 in southern Dade county. These tornadoes were part of a quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) or line of severe thunderstorms that moved across north Georgia during the early morning hours. The line dissipated by late morning across east and central Georgia. However, individual strong to severe thunderstorms redeveloped once again during afternoon heating across east central and southeast Georgia producing large hail and damaging wind gusts. No tornadoes were observed with the second round of activity, however.

Unusually for October, this event ended up being one of the most significant severe weather outbreaks for the year.