Coweta County Gets Second Tornado in Three Days
The Weather Service has determined the severe storms that rolled through much of Georgia on Sunday, January 7th caused an F2 tornado in Coweta County around 6:40 PM. On Friday, another storm caused an F1 Tornado in the same general area.
Sunday’s tornado caused a four mile swath of damage 1/4 mile wide in the sparsely populated western part of the county. At least one home was destroyed. Wind speeds were estimated to be between 125 and 135 MPH, and many other homes and trees were damaged.
Friday’s tornado caused damage just west of Newnan along Highway 34. The tornado’s path was six miles long and 200 yards wide. Damage was less severe than Sunday’s storm, although barns, homes, and trees were damaged.
Much of the western half of metro Atlanta saw severe storms, heavy rain, and wind damage as the squall line preceding the cold front came through. State officials estimated a total of $2.5 million damage as a result of the storms. Gwinnett was largely spared any damage, mostly because by the time the storm got here, it was well after dark, and the storm’s intensity had lessened.
So is Newnan the next tornado alley? The fact that the two storms hit the same general location was probably coincidental, although both storms followed the same general path from southeast to northeast. I remember several years ago people were calling Cobb County tornado prone, after several storms caused damage in that area. And, Gwinnett has seen it’s share of tornado damage as well.
I do want to give a tip of the hat to Glenn Burns, David Chandley, and Brad Nitz over at WSB TV. The three provided outstanding coverage of Sunday’s storm through 8 PM, long after other stations had gone to their normal programming.
As far as upcoming weather goes, it will stay relatively warm through next weekend, but after that, a combination of colder temperatures and above normal precipitation could bring us our first taste of wintry weather the week of January 15th.
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