EF1 Tornado — Stewart, Georgia

2017-01-02 · near Barges, Stewart, Georgia

Event narrative

The Stewart County Emergency Manager along with state Emergency Management officials found a path of damage associated with a brief EF-1 tornado in far southern Stewart County using ground and aerial surveys. The tornado touched down south of Sardis Road destroying a good portion of 2 commercial chicken houses off of Freeman Road. The Tornado traveled just over a half mile to the northeast toppling a large irrigation sprinkler system and snapping or uprooting several large trees before lifting just south of Sardis Road. Maximum wind speed was estimated at 95 MPH and the maximum path width was 200 yards. [01/02/17: Tornado #1, County #1/1, EF1, Stewart, 2017:001].

Wider weather episode

A strong mid-level short wave swept across the southeastern U.S. during the afternoon and overnight interacting with an unseasonably warm and moderately unstable atmosphere across central Georgia. Widespread thunderstorms resulted in scattered reports of damaging winds and an isolated tornado. High rainfall amounts also produced isolated flash flooding.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (31.9536, -84.6755)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 669406. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.