EF1 Tornado — Carroll, Georgia

2008-02-26 · near Carrollton, Carroll, Georgia

Event narrative

A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia and the Carrollton County Emergency Management Director confirmed that yet another tornado touched down in eastern Carroll county spawned by the same squall line of thunderstorms that just a few minutes earlier had resulted in an EF3 tornado in western Carroll county. This tornado was rated an EF1, touching down three miles east of Carrollton and tracking to a point five miles east of Carrollton. The path length was two miles long with a maximum path width of 100 yards. Maximum wind speeds with the tornado were estimated at 90 mph. A total of 24 structures sustained minor damage. The majority of the damage was in the form of roof and siding damage to homes. Numerous trees and power lines were also blown down along this tornado track as well. A man was injured when a tree limb went through his automobile and impaled his body.

Wider weather episode

A deep upper trough was moving from the mid-south toward the southeast U.S. early on the 26th. A strong cold front accompanied the upper system. A squall line of thunderstorms developed after midnight on the 25th across Mississippi and Alabama and reached the Georgia/Alabama border around 5 am EST. The line of thunderstorms intensified and bowed out just as it was moving in Georgia during the early morning hours. Wind gusts in excess 60 mph affected many counties as these thunderstorms rolled through the area during the early morning hours, causing extensive wind damage to trees, power lines, and some structures from the west and northwest side of Atlanta toward the Alabama border. In addition, two tornadoes, one an EF3, developed along the stronger part of the line as it moved through Carroll county before daybreak causing extensive damage along their paths.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.5800, -85.0279)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 80379. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.