EF2 tornado in Wilcox County, Georgia

A National Weather Service survey team found that the large tornado that moved across Dougherty and Turner Counties moved into Wilcox County crossing County Line Road just west of Shady Lane. Damage was seen off Double Run Road and County Road 41 where a small farm building was completely destroyed. Windows were broken at two residences and several small trees were uprooted. Just northeast, significant damage occurred along Crawford Dairy Road between July Road and Loblolly Road. A metal structure was significantly damaged with the several anchored metal trusses completely pulled off the concrete foundation, resulting in a total collapse of the building. Additional farm outbuildings and barns around the property were severely damaged, and hundreds of pines were snapped or uprooted. Farther along Crawford Dairy Road, just before SR 233, several large, wooden, electrical transmission towers were snapped (near the base) or leaning. The width of the tornado around this location is estimated to be at least one half mile. Along American Legion Road, between Bayberry Lane and Elderberry Lane, a large semi-trailer was flattened and moved across a road. The southeast corner of a metal structure was completely destroyed with deep concrete footings ripped out of the ground. Numerous large trees were snapped as well around this location and a small home nearby sustained minor roof and siding damage. Further northeast along Willingham road, trees were snapped or uprooted. As the tornado went over Mount Olive Road, just south of Highway 280, several manufactured homes were completely destroyed with debris moved 50 to 100 yards away from the original foundations. Based on this damage, the tornado is believed to have briefly strengthened to around 135 MPH. A large house just up the hill from this location sustained minor roof damage. The tornado crossed Highway 280 leveling numerous trees and destroying several small wooden sheds and barns. From this point on, the tornado weakened considerably, with only some trees snapped or uprooted along Kingfisher Road, just west of Abbeville where the damage ended. [01/22/17: Tornado #2, County #2/2, EF2, Crisp-Wilcox, 2017:026].

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.