November 23, 2014 Severe Weather

A strong fall storm system developed over the mid section of the country during the morning hours of November 23^rd, 2014. Ahead of this feature, a warm front developed at the surface across the gulf coast and began moving northward through Georgia. This would provide the focus for widespread light rain north of the front and eventually the development of thunderstorms along and south of the front. The progression of this front would prove to be key in determining the extent of severe weather on this day and in fact the front moved much further north than models had projected setting the stage for a destructive afternoon and evening.

Surface Analysis 1 PM With Radar Analysis

What was certain for this event was that the wind pattern both at the surface and aloft was very conducive for severe weather development including tornadoes.  The limiting factor was going to be the amount of instability, or energy, needed to fuel thunderstorm development. In this case, the analysis showed what had been anticipated which was for most of the energy needed to remain across southern portions of the forecast area. Unfortunately, the 200mb wind pattern seen below allowed for a diffluent flow which was able to make up for the apparent lack of instability across portions of North Georgia. This was in addition to the previously mentioned warm front racing northward to take a position just south of Interstate 20.

200mb Pattern and Wind Speed	CAPE and Helicity

Also known were the low level winds which proved to be just as impressive as thought and more than capable of producing severe weather including tornadoes given enough energy to fuel the storms. 850mb winds were in excess of 50 kts and 925mb winds were in excess of 30 kts with adequate turning in the low levels to warrant a heightneded tornado risk.

850mb Wind Speed	925mb Wind Speed

These factors all combined to produce widespread severe weather across North and Central Georgia including 4 tornadoes and a straight line wind event over Troup County. The severe weather continued into the evening hours across east Georgia producing additional wind damage to many locations shown in the map below.

Local Storm Reports From November 23

Preliminary Tornado Information

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
929 PM EST SAT NOV 29 2014

...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 11/23/14 TORNADO EVENT...UPDATE #4

NWS PEACHTREE CITY HAS FINALIZED THAT FOUR TORNADOES TOUCHED DOWN WITH
THE STORM SYSTEM THAT PUSHED THROUGH GEORGIA ON SUNDAY NOVEMBER
23RD.

.STEWART COUNTY TO NEWTON COUNTY TORNADO...

RATING: EF-2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 130 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 118 MILES (SEMI-CONTINUOUS PATH)
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: TBD
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

START DATE:              NOV 23 2014
START TIME:              315 PM
START LOCATION:          3 WSW COFFINTON
START LAT/LON:           32.0002 / -85.0652

END DATE:                NOV 23 2014
END TIME:                530 PM
END LOCATION:            1 W MALCOLM WOODS
END_LAT/LON:             33.3989 / -83.8853

THIS LONG TRACK TORNADO BEGAN IN ALABAMA AND CROSSED INTO STEWART
COUNTY GEORGIA AS AN EF-1 TORNADO WITH WINDS OF 110 MPH. DAMAGE
CONSISTED OF SNAPPED HARDWOOD TREES AS THE TORNADO RAPIDLY MOVED
NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH STEWART COUNTY.

THE TORNADO REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY IN UPSON COUNTY NORTH OF
THOMASTON WHERE IT IMPACTED A RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION AT DEL RAY
ROAD AND TYLER LANE. NUMEROUS HARDWOOD TREES WERE SNAPPED. A SMALL
RESIDENTIAL LEASING OFFICE BUILDING WAS DESTROYED AT THIS LOCATION
AS THE EXTERIOR WALLS COLLAPSED AND WERE BLOWN AWAY...INDICATING
WINDS OF 130 MPH.

THE TORNADO MOVED NORTHEAST INTO LAMAR COUNTY WHERE IT PRODUCED
EF-1 DAMAGE. A METAL BUILDING ON OLD MILNER ROAD HAD ROOFING AND
SIDING PANELS BLOWN OFF. PINE TREES WERE SNAPPED IN NORTHEAST
LAMAR COUNTY AS WELL.

AS THE TORNADO MOVED THROUGH BUTTS COUNTY IT MAINTAINED ITS EF-1
INTENSITY...SNAPPING QUITE A FEW SOFTWOOD TREES AND PRODUCING ROOF
DAMAGE TO SOME OUTBUILDINGS. THE TORNADO PRODUCED SOME ADDITIONAL
SOFTWOOD TREE DAMAGE BEFORE LIFTING JUST AFTER CROSSING INTO
NEWTON COUNTY.

.MONROE COUNTY TORNADO...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 107 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 20.5 MILES (SEMI-CONTINUOUS PATH)
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 70 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

START DATE:              NOV 23 2014
START TIME:              440 PM EST
START LOCATION:          2 NW DYAS
START LAT/LON:           32.8818 / -84.0179

END DATE:                NOV 23 2014
END TIME:                501 PM EST
END LOCATION:            JULIETTE
END_LAT/LON:             33.1068 / -83.8002

THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN SOUTHWEST MONROE COUNTY AND PRODUCED
TREE DAMAGE ALONG ITS PATH AS IT SKIPPED NORTHEAST THROUGH MONROE
COUNTY. IT REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY AS IT CROSSED REEDY CREEK
ROAD WHERE SEVERAL HARDWOOD TREES WERE SNAPPED...A BARN
COLLAPSED... AND METAL SHEETING WAS PEELED FROM THE ROOF OF
ANOTHER BARN. A SHED WAS DESTROYED AND A TREE WAS UPROOTED ONTO A
HOUSE IN SMARR. AFTER DOWNING MORE TREES THE TORNADO LIFTED IN
JULIETTE.

.HOUSTON COUNTY TO PULASKI COUNTY TORNADO...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 100 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 6.4 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 50 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

START DATE:              NOV 23 2014
START TIME:       &nnbsp;      510 PM EST
START LOCATION:          2 NNE SUGAR HILL
START LAT/LON:           32.3152 / -83.6336

END DATE:                NOV 23 2014
END TIME:                513 PM EST
END LOCATION:            3 E KLONDIKE
END_LAT/LON:             32.3419 / -83.5307

THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ON HIGHWAY 26 NEAR LOGGINS ROAD WHERE IT
RIPPED SHINGLES OFF A HOME AND DESTROYED AN ABOVE-GROUND POOL. IT
REACHED ITS PEAK INTENSITY ALONG PITTS ROAD WHERE A A TIED-DOWN
DOUBLE-WIDE WAS PUSHED OFF ITS FOUNDATION AND ITS ROOF WAS PEELED
OFF. ON EAST FLOURNOY ROAD A SHED WAS OVERTURNED...TREES WERE
SNAPPED...AND A BOAT WAS TOSSED OVER A HUNDRED FEET INTO A COTTON
FIELD. WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT OF A HOUSE AT THIS LOCATION.
ADDITIONAL TREE...SHED...AND FENCE DAMAGE OCCURRED BEFORE THE
TORNADO LIFTED NEAR HIGHWAY 129 IN PULASKI COUNTY.

.2ND STEWART COUNTY TORNADO...

RATING: EF-1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 104 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 0.5 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 100 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

START DATE:              NOV 23 2014
START TIME:               327 PM EST
START LOCATION:    1.5 SW LUMPKIN START
LAT/LON:                     32.0315 / -84.8078

END DATE:                NOV 23 2014
END TIME:                 332 PM EST
END LOCATION:      1 SW LUMPKIN
END_LAT/LON:         32.0378 / -84.8046

THIS TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN IN IN CENTRAL STEWART COUNTY JUST
SOUTHWEST OF THE CITY OF LUMPKIN AND TRACKED A BRIEF HALF A MILE
BEFORE LIFTING. IT PRODUCED MAINLY TREE DAMAGE ALONG ITS PATH AS
IT SKIPPED NORTHEAST THROUGH THE COUNTY. IT REACHED ITS PEAK
INTENSITY TWO TIMES AS IT TRACKED ALONG GREEN GROVE ROAD...ONCE AS
IT TOUCHED DOWN AND ANOTHER TIME JUST BEFORE LIFTING PRODUCING
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 100 MPH.

EF SCALE: THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE CLASSIFIES TORNADOES INTO THE
FOLLOWING CATEGORIES.

EF0...WEAK......65 TO 85 MPH
EF1...WEAK......86 TO 110 MPH
EF2...STRONG....111 TO 135 MPH
EF3...STRONG....136 TO 165 MPH
EF4...VIOLENT...166 TO 200MPH
EF5...VIOLENT...>200MPH

NOTE:
THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO
CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENTS AND PUBLICATION IN NWS
STORM DATA.