EF1 tornado in Bleckley County, Georgia

A National Weather Service survey team found that an EF1 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 95 MPH and a maximum path width of 100yards occurred in eastern Bleckley County northeast of Cochran. The tornado began just west of Churchwell Road where it downed several trees and a fence as well as lifting much of the roof off of a small barn. The tornado continued northeast downing more trees on Butts Road then increased in strength as it snapped 20 to 30 large trees and power poles in a small subdivision on Emergency Road 445A off of Highway 26. The tornado weakened but still damaged an abandoned fire station on Emergency Road 450R at Highway 26 before ending around Cary Salem Road. [01/21/17: Tornado #14, County #1/1, EF1, Bleckley, 2017:015].

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.