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Displaying AFOS PIL: PNSTAE Product Timestamp: 2019-12-19 16:00 UTC
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131 NOUS42 KTAE 191602 CCA PNSTAE ALZ065>069-FLZ007>019-026>029-034-108-112-114-115-118-127-128-134- GAZ120>131-142>148-155>161-191945- Public Information Statement...updated path width to 400 yards National Weather Service Tallahassee FL 11 AM EST Thu Dec 19 2019 /10 AM CST Thu Dec 19 2019/ ...EF-2 TORNADO CONFIRMED IN IRWIN COUNTY GEORGIA... ...BASED ON NEW TRACK ANALYSIS PATH WIDTH INCREASED TO 400 YARDS... ...NWS DAMAGE SURVEY FOR 12/17/19 TORNADO EVENT... .OVERVIEW... A supercell thunderstorm moved across Irwin and Ben Hill counties during the midday hours on December 17th. A tornado touched down in central Irwin county and tracked nearly 20 miles before lifting east of Ashton in Ben Hill county. Despite significant damage to dozens of homes there were no injuries or fatalities associated with the storm. Rating: EF-2 Estimated Peak Wind: 125 mph Path Length /statute/: 19.2 miles Path Width /maximum/: 400 yards Fatalities: 0 Injuries: 0 Start Date: Dec 17 2019 Start Time: 1135 am EST Start Location: 8.8 miles west of Ocilla, GA Start Lat/Lon: 31.5926/-83.3990 End Date: Dec 17 2019 End Time: 1209 pm EST End Location: 2.5 miles east of Ashton, GA End Lat/Lon: 31.6982/-83.1050 The initial touchdown occurred in an un-reachable area of Irwin County approximately nine miles west of Ocilla. The survey team relied on radar data to estimate the touchdown location. The first area the damage assessment team could access was along Ponderosa Road just north of Wood Rd. where dozens of pine trees were snapped and a farm had several outbuildings damaged. Damage...consisting of snapped trees, destroyed outbuildings and damaged irrigation machinery...then continued along a widening path heading east-northeast toward the Mystic community. Damage was significant in Mystic. Several homes suffered serious roof loss and a couple brick buildings were nearly destroyed. Debris including concrete chunks was thrown hundreds of yards into a nearby field. There were hundreds of snapped and uprooted trees of all kinds in the area. Damage was well into the EF-2 range here and the damage path widened to near 400 yards. Continuous damage...mainly downed trees and damaged barns...persisted along a wide path as the tornado continued moving east-northeast. The next area of significant damage was noted in a neighborhood south of Fitzgerald, Georgia at the intersection of Vo Tech and Old Whitley Crossing Roads. More than a dozen homes suffered major roof damage here with several experiencing complete loss. A couple RVs were rolled over and heavily damaged. The tornado continued moving northeast eventually crossing into Ben Hill county along Highway 319. Several more homes suffered roof damage, many barns were destroyed and hundreds of trees were snapped. The last evidence of damage was to a barn and trees along Partridge Road approximately 2.5 miles east of the Ashton community. The National Weather Service would like to express our thanks to the Emergency Management Agencies in Ben Hill and Irwin counties. Their assistance was critical to the successful completion of this survey and their preparedness work and alerting systems contributed to there being no casualties with this storm 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 event and publication in NWS Storm Data. $$ Johnstone/DiCatarina/Bunker