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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Tallahassee FL
818 PM EST Wed Mar 6 2019 /718 PM CST Wed Mar 6 2019/

...FINAL NWS TALLAHASSEE DAMAGE SURVEY RESULTS FOR MARCH 3,2019 
TORNADO EVENT...

...12 CONFIRMED TORNADOES IN THE NWS TALLAHASSEE AREA OF
RESPONSIBILITY...

.SUMMARY...
This report contains survey reports on 11 tornadoes surveyed by
NWS Tallahassee and information on an additional tornado surveyed
by NWS Peachtree City that crossed into Quitman County, Georgia.

During the March 3, 2019 severe weather event, 12 tornadoes were
confirmed through field surveys within the NWS Tallahassee area of
responsibility. The strongest tornado was rated EF-3 in
Leon/Jefferson County, Florida. This was only the second F3 or
EF-3 to affect Leon County since 1945. 

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee would like to extend
our appreciation to the many emergency management, law
enforcement, and fire rescue personnel that assisted in these
field surveys over the last three days. 

.Quitman/Stewart/Webster County Tornado...

NWS Peachtree City surveyed track in Quitman County.

Rating:                 EF-2
Estimated Peak Wind:    125 mph
Path Length (Statute):  26.8 miles
Path Width (Maximum):   860 yards (nearly 1/2 mile)
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             03/03/2019 
Start Time:             5:03 PM EST /4:03 PM CST/
Start Location:         Chattahoochee River along AL/GA state line 
Lat/Lon:                31.94854 / -85.08325

End Date:               03/03/2019
End Time:               5:32 PM EST
End Location:           1.7 miles SW of Weston (Webster County)
End Lat/Lon:            31.96420 / -84.62905

Survey Summary: 

From NWS Peachtree City/Atlanta...

A strong/cycling tornado crossed into Georgia along the Chattahoochee
River, about 2-3 miles south of Lakepoint Resort State Park, causing
considerable tree damage along State Hwy 39 in northern Quitman county.
The tornado raced east with more trees snapped or uprooted along
Hwy 27, just south of CR 10. Based on the surveyable damage (mainly
trees), EF-0 to EF-1 damage was noted with max wind speeds estimated
around 100 mph. The tornado appeared to briefly weaken near Hwy 27,
but quickly re-intensified as it crossed the Quitman/Stewart county
line. 

Please refer to the complete NWS Peachtree City report for further
information on this tornado for counties in their area of
responsibility. 

...Walton County, Florida Tornado...

Rating:                 EF0
Estimated Peak Wind:    85 mph
Path Length /statute/:  12.12 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   400.0 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             03/03/2019
Start Time:             05:28 PM EST
Start Location:         6 S Mossy Head / Walton County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          30.6553 / -86.3155

End Date:               03/03/2019
End Time:               05:41 PM EST
End Location:           1 S De Funiak Springs / Walton County /
FL
End Lat/Lon:            30.7084 / -86.1244

Survey Summary:
An EF-0 tornado touched down on Eglin AFB property in Walton
County. The tornado produced scattered tree damage before exiting
the base near Pleasant Ridge Road. The tornado continued
northeast, crossing I-10 just west of the U.S. 331 exit, and then
dissipating just southwest of Defuniak Springs. Damage was
primarily confined to trees.

.Geneva County, Alabama Tornado...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    110 mph
Path Length /statute/:  5.23 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   300.0 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               1

Start Date:             03/03/2019
Start Time:             05:51 PM EST
Start Location:         2 NNE Fadette / Geneva County / AL
Start Lat/Lon:          31.0631 / -85.5213

End Date:               03/03/2019
End Time:               05:58 PM EST
End Location:           4 S Slocomb / Geneva County / AL
End Lat/Lon:            31.0565 / -85.6074

Survey Summary:
The tornado touched down about 3.5 miles south of Slocomb, AL and
proceeded east northeast and impacted multiple single family
homes and a few manufactured homes. Most of the damage was roof
damage, but a few manufactured homes were shifted off their
anchor points. The most significant damage happened about a half
of a mile northwest of the intersection of Mozell Rd and Cotton
Box Rd.  At this location the tornado passed over a single family
home and the 110 mile per hour winds estimated at this location
gained entry into the garage and removed the entire garage roof
and some parts of the roof over the house. Immediately behind the
house and along the path of the tornado a manufactured home was
lifted off its anchor points and rotated about 10 to 15 feet from
its original location. The damage at these locations was
consistent with a high end EF-1 tornado and winds were estimated
to be around 110 mph at this point. The tornado continued to move
east from its strongest point and eventually crossed the
intersection of Grant Rd. and County Rd 103 where EF-1 damage was
found to manufactured homes and single family homes. The tornado
then crossed Old Chipley Rd where it impacted a barn with EF-
1 damage. Finally the tornado moved just east-southeast and
appeared to have lifted just east of County Rd 49 after causing
low end EF-1 damage to some larger trees.

...Washington/Jackson County, Florida Tornado...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    100 mph
Path Length /statute/:  5.27 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   300.0 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             03/03/2019
Start Time:             06:33 PM EST
Start Location:         3 E Sunny Hills / Washington County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          30.6928 / -85.4779

End Date:               03/03/2019
End Time:               06:38 PM EST
End Location:           1 SSW Steele City / Jackson County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            30.7158 / -85.3944

Survey Summary:
An EF-1 tornado touched down about 5 miles to the west of Alford,
FL in Washington County. It proceeded northeast with multiple
structures damaged throughout Washington County, mostly uplift of
tin roofing material. Many freshly snapped trees were also seen
in Washington County. At one residence, all of the tin roofing
material was thrown across the street into the neighbors yard as
all as a completely shredded trampoline, a dog pin that was
100 feet to the northeast and a collapsed garage door. The
highest degree of damage was at a house near the county border
with Jackson County where much of the tin was ripped from the
roof, a small barn tumbled about 50 feet to the northeast as well
as a metal canopy moving about 75 feet to the northeast. The
tornado continued to move into Jackson County, FL and lifting
about 1.5 miles north of Alford, FL. In Jackson County, the main
damage was also to the tin roofing material with at least one
double wide seeing all of the wood, shingles and tin removed from
a quarter of the house. At another residence, a small outbuilding
was lifted, flipped over and landed up against the house,
completely destroyed. A few snapped and uprooted trees were also
noted in Jackson county. 

...Miller County, Georgia Tornado...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    100 mph
Path Length /statute/:  4.26 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   150.0 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               1

Start Date:             03/03/2019
Start Time:             07:02 PM EST
Start Location:         2 SSW Boykin / Miller County / GA
Start Lat/Lon:          31.0734 / -84.7113

End Date:               03/03/2019
End Time:               07:10 PM EST
End Location:           1 S Babcock / Miller County / GA
End Lat/Lon:            31.0904 / -84.6442

Survey Summary:
An EF1 tornado with maximum winds of 100 mph initially touched
down west of US-27 in Miller County near Brinson Road. Damage
west of US-27 included a center pivot irrigation system
overturned.  One home in the area was blown off cinder blocks.
Another home had roof damage where a corner of the roof was
peeled off. A portion of the wall of this home was blown out. The
tornado crossed US-27 and east of the highway destroyed a small
modular home. This home had tie-downs to a cinder block
foundation. The home was blown 60 ft to the south and destroyed.
The occupant suffered serious injuries. As the tornado continued
moving eastward, several trees were snapped or uprooted, with
another pivot irrigation system overturned. The tornado lifted
before Babcock Lake Road. 

...Decatur County, Georgia Tornado...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    90 mph
Path Length /statute/:  4.59 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   150.0 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             03/03/2019
Start Time:             07:18 PM EST
Start Location:         3 ENE Bethany / Decatur County / GA
Start Lat/Lon:          30.8766 / -84.6863

End Date:               03/03/2019
End Time:               07:24 PM EST
End Location:           2 SW Bainbridge / Decatur County / GA
End Lat/Lon:            30.8859 / -84.6106

Survey Summary:
An EF1 tornado with maximum winds of 90 mph initially touched
down southwest of Bainbridge along GA-253, or Spring Creek Road.
Damage in the area was mainly limited to large pines snapped. A
tree fell on a home along the road. The tornado lifted before
reaching the Flint River with straight-line wind damage observed
south of Bainbridge. 

...Gadsden County, Florida Tornado...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    100 mph
Path Length /statute/:  2.12 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   275.0 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             03/03/2019
Start Time:             07:41 PM EST
Start Location:         2 WSW Greensboro / Gadsden County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          30.5648 / -84.5978

End Date:               03/03/2019
End Time:               07:45 PM EST
End Location:           1 SE Greensboro / Gadsden County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            30.5579 / -84.5639

Survey Summary:
This EF-1 tornado touched down just west of Pat Thomas Highway,
FL Route 267, and just north of Cox Lane. The tornado flipped a
single-wide mobile home upside down. On the opposite side of the
highway, a couple of large pine trees snapped, one of which
crashed through the roof of a home narrowly crushing a couple
that were in bed at the time. Fortunately, no one was injured.
The tornado continued east southeast roughly paralleling the CSX
tracks. An aerial survey showed trees snapped along the route.
Ground surveys showed damage to homes along Jim Williams road.
The tornado reached its greatest strength at this point, snapping
a few small utility poles, removing about half the roof of one
home and damaging a couple of others. The tornado lifted just
beyond the end of this road.

...Tift County, Georgia Tornado...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    95 mph
Path Length /statute/:  0.72 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   180.0 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             03/03/2019
Start Time:             07:49 PM EST
Start Location:         1 NE Omega / Tift County / GA
Start Lat/Lon:          31.3552 / -83.5746

End Date:               03/03/2019
End Time:               07:52 PM EST
End Location:           2 NE Omega / Tift County / GA
End Lat/Lon:            31.3594 / -83.5634

Survey Summary:
An EF-1 tornado briefly touched down at the edge of a farm
damaging snapping and uprooting trees along the path. Some were
peach trees. When the tornado crossed Urbana Road, it blew out
part of  the foundation of a large garage causing the associated
wall to bow outward. There was significant  shingle damage to the
roof of this building. A bit further from the road, the tornado
moved a large trailer, filled with air conditioning units and
estimated to weigh 7000 lb in total, about 3 feet. The metal roof
of the structure sheltering this and other vehicles was
partially uplifted. The tornado lifted just beyond the edge of
the property line.

...Grady County /Cairo, GA/ Tornado...

Rating:                 EF2
Estimated Peak Wind:    120 mph
Path Length /statute/:  2.69 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   800.0 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               2

Start Date:             03/03/2019
Start Time:             07:54 PM EST
Start Location:         2 SW Cairo / Grady County / GA
Start Lat/Lon:          30.8619 / -84.2321

End Date:               03/03/2019
End Time:               08:00 PM EST
End Location:           1 ENE Cairo / Grady County / GA
End Lat/Lon:            30.8823 / -84.1936

Survey Summary:
An EF-2 tornado, with maximum winds of 120 mph, tracked 2.7 miles
across Grady County in the Cairo area. The tornado touched down
on Monrovia Nursery, downing 100s of potted plants and numerous
trees in the forest. The tornado continued to track
northeastward, downing numerous trees, many of which fell on
homes causing structural damage. In one of the harder hit areas,
the roof was torn off of a single family home and a carport was
destroyed. The tornado eventually lifted northeast of Hwy 84. Two
injuries were sustained from the storm.

...Wakulla County, Florida Tornado...

Rating:                 EF0
Estimated Peak Wind:    75 mph
Path Length /statute/:  18.41 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   300.0 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             03/03/2019
Start Time:             08:03 PM EST
Start Location:         3 NNW Smith Creek / Wakulla County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          30.2218 / -84.6646

End Date:               03/03/2019
End Time:               08:26 PM EST
End Location:           3 SSW Bethel / Wakulla County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            30.2187 / -84.3569

Survey Summary:
An EF-0 tornado touched down in the Apalachicola National Forest
in far western Wakulla County producing a TDS on the TLH radar.
Aerial survey confirmed that damaged was isolated to a few trees.
The tornado did flip a small shed-sized metal canopy on Revadee
Spears Road. There was some minor damage to a commercial sign on
U.S. Route 319 just north of Linzy Store Road. Across the
highway, a lone tree was snapped on the south end of the Walmart
parking lot. No damage was found any further east. 

...Leon/Jefferson County Tornado...

Rating:                 EF3
Estimated Peak Wind:    140 mph
Path Length /statute/:  6.5 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   700.0 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               2

Start Date:             03/03/2019
Start Time:             08:18 PM EST
Start Location:         2 W Baum / Leon County / FL
Start Lat/Lon:          30.4934 / -84.1262

End Date:               03/03/2019
End Time:               08:25 PM EST
End Location:           1 N Lloyd / Jefferson County / FL
End Lat/Lon:            30.5004 / -84.0184

Survey Summary:
A EF-3 tornado, with maximum winds of 140 mph, that tracked
6.5 miles across far Eastern Leon County and into extreme Western
Jefferson County. This tornado initially touched down near the
intersection of US-90 and Crump Road in eastern Leon County.
Damage in this area was limited primarily to snapped trees. The
tornado intensified after moving east of US-90 and destroyed an
outbuilding Wadesboro Rd just west of Baum Road. After crossing
Baum Road, the tornado reached peak intensity in the vicinity of
Steeds Run. In this area two homes were destroyed. Damage with
both homes was consistent with a low-end EF-3 tornado. All
exterior walls were collapsed and some of the debris was blown
well off the foundation. Additionally, cars located near a home
were lofted and moved from a parked position in front of the
home. Maximum winds in this area were estimated at 140 mph. The
tornado continued moving east and began to weaken. Even so,
damage in far Eastern Leon County on Jefferson Rd South near
Driftwood Circle was still significant with multiple power poles
snapped and numerous trees snapped or uprooted. The tornado
continued moving east and crossed into Jefferson County near
Tradition Way.  Numerous pine trees in this area were snapped
between 6 and 10 feet above the ground. The tornado crossed SR-
59 and weakened considerably and ultimately lifted just north of
Willie Road. 

From a historical perspective, this is the second tornado rated F3
or EF3 in Leon County since 1945. Accordingly, this makes the March
3rd tornado the 2nd strongest tornado to affect Leon County since 
1945. 

...Henry County, Alabama and Clay County, Georgia Tornado...

Rating:                 EF0
Estimated Peak Wind:    80 mph
Path Length /statute/:  9.59 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   75.0 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             03/06/2019
Start Time:             05:39 PM EST
Start Location:         2 SE Shorterville / Henry County / AL
Start Lat/Lon:          31.5459 / -85.0784

End Date:               03/06/2019
End Time:               05:52 PM EST
End Location:           1 NNE Zetto / Clay County / GA
End Lat/Lon:            31.603 / -84.9315

Survey Summary:
The tornado touched down in Henry County Alabama in an area just
south of Shorterville on Henry County Route 47 between Bennett
Mill Creek and Route 188. There were several softwood trees
uprooted in this area. The tornado proceeded northeast across the
Chattahoochee River into Clay County Georgia. The damage in Clay
County Georgia began on Route 39/ Washington Street near the
intersection of Blakely and Blufton Highways. There were several
softwood trees uprooted in this area, as well as some roofing
material removed from the roadway. Additional softwood trees were
uprooted at several points between the aforementioned
intersection to a point just north of Route 37/ Edison Highway
along Wesely Chapel Road. In addition, Center Line Irrigation was
also downed near the previously mentioned location.  

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 200 mph
EF5...Violent...>200 mph

NOTE:
The information in this statement is preliminary and subject to
change pending final review of the events and publication in NWS
Storm Data.

$$

Wool/McD/Fieux/Dobbs/Nash/Franck/Godsey