Storm Data and Unusual Weather Phenomena - CIG

OUTSTANDING STORMS OF THE MONTH1. TORNADO CAUSES DAMAGE IN NORTHEAST GEORGIAEarly on the morning of March 20, 1998, a surface low pressure system was located in central Kentucky withit’s associated cold front draped southward through Tennessee, Northwest Georgia and Alabama. Severethunderstorms developed ahead of the cold front and a tornado spawned from one of the cells. The funneltouched down at 6:25 AM LST in Hall County near the town of Murrayville, Georgia (About 10 miles NNEof Gainesville, GA). The tornado track was 13 miles long and up to 200 yards wide at some points. Severalpermanent homes, mobile homes, automobiles and poultry farms were damaged or destroyed. The tornadoalso severely damaged an elementary school and a high school in Hall County. The tornado caused 12fatalities (11 occurred in mobile homes), 171 injuries and 20 million dollars in property damage.Below: Neighborhood residents search through therubble for personal belongings.(Hall and White County Photographs courtesy of JimCook Jr., The Times, Gainesville, Georgia)Above: The twisted remains of the North Hall HighSchool auditorium. If the tornado struck anhour later, the classrooms would have been fullof students and the death toll could have beenmuch higher.Below: One of the destroyed permanent homes alongwith two severely damaged automobiles.5