EF1 tornado in Harris County, Georgia

A National Weather Service survey team determined that an EF1 tornado with maximum winds of 100 MPH and a maximum path width of 400 yards occurred in southern Harris County. The damage began just northwest of Fortson where several homes between Daniel Drive and Gail Drive sustained significant roof damage. The tornado moved northeast where numerous trees were snapped or uprooted along West Bonacre Road and Grey Smoke Trail. Around Grey Smoke Loop several homes had roof damage and large trees were uprooted. As the tornado approached the town of Cataula more large trees were snapped or uprooted. The tornado then continued moving northeast across mainly wooded areas before ending around State Highway 208 west of Waverly Hall in the Turntime Crossroads area. [01/21/17: Tornado #2, County #1/1, EF1, Harris, 2017:003].

Throughout the weekend of the 21st and 22nd, persistent southwesterly upper-level flow brought a series of strong short waves across the region. The atmosphere over central Georgia was unseasonably warm and unstable with strong low and mid-level shear. The first short wave generated a wave of severe thunderstorms across central and south Georgia through the morning and into the afternoon of the 21st that produced numerous tornadoes. Twenty three tornadoes were confirmed in the WFO Peachtree City warning area with 27 total tornadoes confirmed in the state of Georgia, both records for the number of tornadoes in a single day. A second, stronger short wave swept through during the late morning and afternoon of the 22nd bringing another round of severe weather to central and south Georgia. Additional tornadoes confirmed brought the 2-day total to 27 for the WFO Peachtree City warning area and 41 for the state of Georgia, both a record number for a 2 day period.