F3 tornado — Grady County, Georgia

F3 tornado in Grady County, Georgia

Tornado February 14, 2000 · Grady County, Georgia

Rating

8.5 mi

Path length

300 yd

Path width

Deaths

Injuries

$3.5M

Damage as recorded

$3.0M

Crop damage

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The path drawn at its surveyed width of 300 yards (0.17 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F3 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F3 meant severe damage: whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned; the scale paired it with winds of 158–206 mph, figures later judged too high, especially toward the top of the scale, and revised downward in the Enhanced Fujita scale. Ratings then, as now, came from the damage.

What the National Weather Service wrote

A strong tornado tore through northern Grady County, then crossed into extreme northwest Thomas County. Fifteen homes were destroyed and numerous damaged. Fifteen persons were injured, mostly from flying debris. Six fatalities were confirmed by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency: four deaths in mobile homes and two in a woodframe home. Scores of pecan trees were uprooted, pine trees snapped and power lines toppled. Farmers suffered major losses to irrigation equipment, trailers and shelters. Eight chicken houses were flattened, killing a half million chickens. Grady County was declared a federal disaster area. Reported by the Grady County EMA.

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5132157. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

F3 tornado in Grady County, Georgia

What the National Weather Service wrote

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

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