EF1 Tornado — Washington, Georgia

2019-03-03 · near Oconee, Washington, Georgia

Event narrative

A National Weather Service survey found that an EF1 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 90 mph and a maximum path width of 200 yards occurred in Washington County. The tornado touched down in the small community of Oconee in Washington County near the confluence of Oconee Road and Kaolin Lane. The tornado moved east along Kaolin Road, downing and snapping a number of trees. Shingles were removed from the roof of a home on Kaolin Road where a shed was toppled and heavily damaged. A large tree fell onto a home near the intersection of Kaolin Road and Highway 272. Several trees were snapped or uprooted as the tornado continued east across Highway 272, dissipating just east of the highway. No injuries were reported. [03/03/19: Tornado #10, County #1/1, EF1, Washington, 2019:015].

Wider weather episode

A powerful storm system moved across the mid-south and southeast United States producing widespread severe weather and numerous tornadoes. In middle Georgia, significant damage from fourteen separate tornadoes was observed. Thousands of trees were snapped or uprooted and numerous homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. Across central Georgia, incredibly, no deaths were reported, with only around a dozen minor injuries.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (32.8477, -82.9564)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 810588. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.