Home / Georgia / Walker

F1 tornado in Walker County, Georgia

Tornado May 2, 1997 · Walker County, Georgia

Rating

10.0 mi

Path length

100 yd

Path width

Death

Injuries

$100K

Damage as recorded

EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 100 yards (0.06 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What F1 means. This tornado was rated on Fujita’s original scale, used until 2007. F1 meant moderate damage: roofs badly stripped, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, windows broken; the scale paired it with winds of 73–112 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

The tornado touched down just southwest of Chickamauga in the Ridgecrest Acre mobile home park. Touchdown was noted to be at the intersection of Georgia Highway 136 and 193. Three mobile homes were completely destroyed, and a total of 28 homes/ mobile homes had damage varying from moderate to being totally destroyed. Homes were moved off their foundations and numerous trees were either snapped or uprooted.

Began near Chickamauga (34.8000, -85.3700).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5593918. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

Tornadoes near your address

See every tornado that passed near a place you know, measured to its path.