EF1 tornado in Catoosa County, Georgia

A National Weather Service survey found that an EF1 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 110 mph and a maximum path width of 350 yards touched down on the south side of Fort Oglethorpe, near the Chickamauga Battlefield National Park Visitor Center, snapping several trees near the intersection of Post Road and Lafayette Road. The tornado strengthened quickly as it moved northeast and approached the industrial area of Fort Oglethorpe along Battlefield Parkway. Several businesses sustained structural damage, including a metal building structure along Howard Drive completely losing an exterior wall and part of its roof. It was in this area that a weather station at the Fort Oglethorpe Public Works Department measured a wind gust of 106 MPH. The tornado continued to the northeast, snapping or uprooting trees with a few homes sustaining roof and siding damage from Park Forrest Drive along Cloud Springs Road to Carrol Drive and Karen Drive. The tornado crossed I-75 around Scruggs Road, then crossed the Tennessee-Georgia state line between Scruggs Road and Georgia Highway 41. [04/12/20: Tornado #4, County #1/1, EF-1, Catoosa, 2020:010].

A powerful Spring storm system resulted in a Severe Weather / Tornado outbreak across much of the Southeast region, including north and central Georgia, beginning on Easter Sunday (April 12th) and lingering into the morning hours of April 13th. From the Storm Prediction Center (Day 1) convective outlook, just about the entire area was under an ENHANCED risk for severe weather with a MODERATE risk extending from the ArkLaMiss into western Georgia.

In addition, enhanced rainfall occurred over far north Georgia and in portions of central Georgia, with rainfall amounts ranging from 3 to 8 inches through the event. Significant flooding was in portions of the area with numerous reports of washouts and several reports of rescues.