The tornado briefly touched down at the North Cargo Bay on the north side of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in south Fulton County. It picked up 8 to 10 cargo bins ranging in weight from 250 lbs to 500 lbs. Three to four of these bins landed on the roof of a neighboring building that was approximately 60 feet tall. Just prior to lifting the tornado snapped two trees and took down the fence along the road. The path of the tornado was approximately 200 yards in length and 50 yards wide. A picture of the tornado was taken from the airport fire station looking north prior to touchdown, and it was also observed by the Atlanta Tower Supervisor moving through the cargo area where debris was observed being tossed around. The tower also noted that the tornado extended from the ground to the cloud.
This large cargo bin was thrown onto the roof of a building by the tornado. | A large cargo bin was thrown into this FedEx truck, causing significant damage. |
The NWS determined that a brief EF-0 tornado occurred along a line of showers and isolated thunderstorms in DeKalb County on the evening of Thursday, May 4th. The tornado first formed near Forest Glen Circle where it broke numerous large tree branches and uprooted a few trees. The tornado continued to the northeast where it crossed Interstate 285 causing additional tree damage along North Decatur Road and Greenridge Circle. The tornado lifted shortly after crossing Greenridge Circle.
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These trees were uprooted by the tornado. | The tornado damaged this tree as well. |