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Public Information Statement
National Weather Service Peachtree City GA
151 PM EDT Wed Mar 31 2021

...NWS Damage Survey for March 25-26, 2021 Tornado and Severe 
Weather Event...

.Update #5... Updated to include Cartersville Tornado...

.Overview...

Throughout the day and evening of March 25th into the 
early morning of March 26th, several supercells moved into north 
and central Georgia bringing a few tornadoes, including a long-
track, violent tornado through Newnan, GA, as well as straight-
line wind damage, large hail, and widespread flooding.

The most damaging tornado originated from a supercell 
thunderstorm that first spawned a long-tracked EF2 tornado in Clay
and Randolph Counties in Alabama just before 11:00 PM EDT (10:00 
PM CDT). The tornado lifted near the state line, but another 
tornado quickly redeveloped around 11:37 PM in western Heard 
County west of Franklin and continued almost 39 miles east-
northeast through Coweta and Fayette County with maximum winds up 
to 170 mph occurring over southwest and southern parts of Newnan. 

A significant downburst occurred early in the day as a strong storm 
moved out of Alabama and collapsed over the eastern portion of 
Cedartown in Polk County. During the evening hours of Thursday March 25th, 
2 additional tornadoes briefly spun up in Bartow County.


.Heard, Coweta, and Fayette County Tornado...

Rating:                 EF4
Estimated Peak Wind:    170 mph
Path Length /statute/:  38.9 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   1850.0 yards
Fatalities:             1
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             03/25/2021
Start Time:             11:37 PM EDT
Start Location:         1 NNE Texas / Heard County / GA
Start Lat/Lon:          33.2533 / -85.1895

End Date:               03/26/2021
End Time:               12:30 AM EDT
End Location:           3 SE Tyrone / Fayette County / GA
End Lat/Lon:            33.4455 / -84.5624

Survey Summary:
A violent, EF4 tornado that tracked 39 miles across Heard, Coweta
and Fayette Counties first formed near Redland Dr north of GA- 34
around 11:37 PM with only minor damage to trees. The tornado 
traveled east-northeast gradually gaining intensity and producing 
more widespread damage to trees and power poles on GA- 34 1.3 
miles west of Franklin. The tornado grew in size and strength as 
it entered Franklin and crossed the Chattahoochee River with winds
around 130 mph and a path width around 850 yards or 1/2 mile. 
Damage in Franklin was extensive with several homes heavily 
damaged or destroyed. Two homes had roofs blown off completely, 
and a large stand of pine trees was completely snapped or uprooted
on the north side of Franklin. A large wall and roof of a large 
industrial building on Mary Johnson Dr were ripped off. The 
tornado continued east-northeast south of GA-34 and crossed into 
Coweta County around 11:54 PM. 

The tornado gained strength as it moved along JD Walton Rd north 
Smokey Rd, then traveled along Smokey Rd with trees falling on 
some homes. Intensity increased to EF2 levels again near the 
Mountain Creek and Woodlawn Farms neighborhoods near where Smokey 
Rd intersects Fields Rd and Holbrook Rd. Winds quickly increased 
further to over 150 mph (EF3 intensity) near Timberland Trail 
south of Smokey Rd. Many homes had major damage and one home had 
all but the back wall collapse. The family survived with no 
injuries by taking shelter in their bathtub. The tornado crossed 
Smokey Rd and Belk Rd and reached its maximum intensity of 170 mph
as it entered the western city limits of Newnan. One home at the 
end of Fairview Dr had all exterior and interior walls removed. 
Four homes along Arlington Ct north of Lagrange St were destroyed 
with one having all exterior and interior walls removed but 
leaving a yellow vehicle nearly untouched in the garage. The path 
width at this point was approximately 1850 yards or just over 1 
mile. 

As the tornado moved east of Boone Dr it directly struck Newnan 
High School and surrounding athletics fields causing broken 
windows and doors and extensive roof and structure damage. The 
original high school building was built in 1888 with brick walls 
and sturdy stone and woodwork, yet the only wall failure was to a 
portion of the second-story brick wall near the front of the main 
campus building. While the tornado did appear to weaken from this 
point onward, it continued into the southern part of downtown and 
passed directly over the county Justice Center and adjacent 
administrative building which houses the courts, 911 facility and 
many other government functions. Extensive roof and window damage 
and some interior wind and water damage occurred at the facility. 
Numerous homes continued to receive damage from winds and falling 
trees as it moved east-northeast, crossing E Broad St and Grieson 
Trail with 120-135 mph max winds. 

The tornado became weak as it crossed I-85 and only caused minor 
damage to trees and businesses on the southern end of Ashley Park 
and a cancer treatment hospital. However, the tornado 
reintensified near the Windsong and White Oak neighborhoods near 
Shenandoah Blvd and White Oak Dr just east of the Newnan city 
limit, with max winds of 120 mph. As it continued east-northeast, 
it weakened again but still produced damage to trees and power 
lines, some falling on homes as it crossed Sullivan Rd and Lora 
Smith Rd and passed over the Thomas Crossroads area. In 
neighborhoods south of Andrew Baily Rd north of GA-34, several 
homes had damage from falling trees. The tornado weakened further 
with more sporadic damage to several trees as it crossed Fisher 
and Minix Rd into Fayette County. 

After the tornado crossed into Fayette County and northern 
Peachtree City, it snapped a few trees near MacDuff Parkway where 
homes were being constructed. Portable restrooms and other light 
construction materials were blown away or blown down. A few trees 
were downed on CSX railroad near Senoia Rd and along GA-74 near 
Kedron Dr. Large trees blocked the entrance to the Kedron Hills 
neighborhood at Loring Ln and Peachtree Parkway. The tornado 
finally lifted near Astoria Ln at the northeast end of Kedron 
Hills in Peachtree City around 12:30 AM, making the total path 
length 39 miles and lasting 53 minutes.

Surveys near the western portion of the track have concluded that the 
EF2 tornado in Alabama weakened as it approached the GA/AL state line. 
The tornado then lifted as it crossed County Road 296 in AL.  
The parent storm wasundergoing a recycling process as it crossed 
into GA and a new tornado formed and touched down as it crossed 
Redland Road west of Franklin GA, approximately
4.5 miles east of its last damage point in Alabama.


.Cedartown Downburst...

Rating:                 TSTM/Wind
Estimated Peak Wind:    105 mph
Damage Areas /statute/: 5.5 square miles  
Fatalities: 0 
Injuries: 0

Start Date:             03/25/2021
Start Time:             12:32 PM EDT
Start Location:         1 SSE Cedartown / Polk County / GA
Start Lat/Lon:          33.9948 / -85.2466

End Date:               03/25/2021
End Time:               12:38 PM EDT
End Location:           2 E Cedartown / Polk County / GA


Survey Summary:
Damage surveys and close examination of radar data confirm that a
signifacant downburst occurred near Cedartown GA beginning at
approximately 12:32 PM on Thursday March 25, 2021 resulting in
widespread wind damage on the East and Southeast side of town. 
The center of the downburst was located in a heavily wooded area 
east of Main Street and south of HWY 278.  Numerous
downed trees south of HWY 27 along Tuck Street are snapped or
blown down and facing south away from the downburst area. Numerous
trees were snapped or uprooted along East Point Road north of HWY
278 and are facing north or northwest away from the center of the
downburst. Forward momentum of the storm and strong winds
continued east and southeast of HWY 27, snapping and uprooting 
trees along Lees Chapel Road, Friendly Baptist Road, and Coaling 
Road in a east or northeast direction. Numerous homes in the 
area sustained wind damage to their roofs due to downed trees 
and or shingle damage from the strong winds. A second smaller 
downburst occurred north of this area, to 
the west of Cedartown High School and north of East Avenue. Trees 
were uprooted facing east-northeast throughout the school
property and several air conditioning systems were moved on the
roof of the admin building. In addition, numerous trees were
uprooted or snapped in the Northview Cemetery facing southeast
away from the second downburst location. A detailed examination
of radar data confirms a MARC (Mid Altitude Radial Convergence)
signature present at the time of the storm, which is 
indicative of storms capable of producing a strong downburst.


.Southern Bartow County Tornado...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    95 mph
Path Length /statute/:  1.68 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   125.0 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               0

Start Date:             03/25/2021
Start Time:             09:08 PM EDT
Start Location:         1 NW Taylorsville / Bartow County / GA
Start Lat/Lon:          34.092 / -84.9943

End Date:               03/25/2021
End Time:               09:10 PM EDT
End Location:           2 NE Taylorsville / Bartow County / GA
End Lat/Lon:            34.1025 / -84.9679

Survey Summary:
A tornado briefly touched down during the evening of Thursday
March 26, 2021 on the Northwest side of Taylorsville GA in
southern Bartow County. Trees were uprooted near a small school
along Euharlee St and a large tree fell onto a small cabin on the
eastern side of the road. The tornado continued across an open
field where it flipped a large center pivot irrigation system. 
The tornado then hit a tree line along Euharlee Creek where numerous
trees were snapped and uprooted. The storm continued east-northeast 
along the creek, where it continued to snap and uproot trees before
lifting as it approached Old Alabama Road. Radar data suggests
the storm that produced this tornado was anticyclonic, which
sometimes happens in unstable environments but it is rare for
such storms produce tornadoes. However, in this case it did 
produce one briefly.

.Cartersville Tornado...

Rating:                 EF1
Estimated Peak Wind:    95 mph
Path Length /statute/:  2.85 miles
Path Width /maximum/:   200 yards
Fatalities:             0
Injuries:               5

Start Date:             03/25/2021
Start Time:             11:55 PM EDT
Start Location:         2 SE Cassville / Bartow County / GA
Start Lat/Lon:          34.213 / -84.833

End Date:               03/26/2021
End Time:               12:00 AM EDT
End Location:           3 E Cassville / Bartow County / GA
End Lat/Lon:            34.2397 / -84.7971

Survey Summary:
An EF1 tornado briefly touched down in Cartersville GA in Bartow
County on Thursday March 25, 2021.  The tornado first touched
down as it crossed Hwy 41 on the north side of town uprooting a
few pine trees onto powerlines.  The storm tracked NE crossing
Oakridge Dr uprooting trees onto and next to homes in the
neighborhood along that street.  The tornado intensified to its
maximum intensity as it crossed onto Greenacre Lane and Ridgedale
Rd where numerous trees were snapped or uprooted onto and around
homes.  In addition, several homes had shingles or portions of
their roof peeled back.  The storm continued NE crossing Grassdale Rd
and along Old Grassdale road where a gas station's windows and
doors were blown out and portions of a wall were blown out
blowing insulation into a nearby treeline.  In addtion, numerous
trees were snapped or uprooted onto or near homes in that vicinity.
The storm then hit a large metal warehouse peeling large portions 
of its metal roof and throwing the panels hundreds of yards to the NE 
of the building or over the northeastern edge of the warehouse.  The
storm then crossed Peeples Valley Rd snapping and uprooting trees
on both sides before moving into a largely wooded area and
lifting before reaching Interstate 75.


&&

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.

$$