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EF1 tornado in Clayton County, Georgia

Tornado March 1, 2021 · Clayton County, Georgia

EF1
Rating
0.7 mi
Path length
100 yd
Path width
$250K
Damage as recorded
EF0EF1EF2EF3EF4EF5Unrated

The path drawn at its surveyed width of 100 yards (0.06 mi) — zoom in and the swath grows to true scale. Other tornadoes recorded nearby that day are shown faint.

What EF1 means. On the Enhanced Fujita scale, EF1 is moderate damage: roofs badly stripped, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, windows broken, consistent with estimated gusts of 86–110 mph. The rating comes from a survey of the worst damage after the storm, not from a wind measurement, so it says as much about what the tornado hit as about how strong it was.

What the National Weather Service wrote

A National Weather Service survey determined that an EF1 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 90 MPH and a maximum path width of 100 yards briefly touched down in Clayton County. Damage was first surveyed along Bethsaida Road near the intersection with Lakefield Forrest Drive where several trees were uprooted or snapped and several power lines were blown down. The tornado moved southeast reaching its maximum intensity as it crossed West Fayetteville Road snapping or uprooting numerous trees, including several which fell onto homes along Bethaven Road and Zebulon Court. The tornado continued southeast along Bethaven Road, lifting before it reached the intersection of Bethaven road and Monarch Drive. [3/1/21: Tornado #1, County #1/1, EF-1, Clayton, 2021:005].

The wider storm

Strong low-level shear and marginal instability ahead of a strong cold front sweeping through the region combined to produce a few strong to severe thunderstorms, and an tornado, across parts of north Georgia.

Began near Riverdale (33.5670, -84.4528).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 941123. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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