HELEN — The preliminary numbers are in for the tornado that struck a portion of northern White County on St. Patrick’s Day.
The National Weather Service in Peachtree City released the preliminary report that states, “Two supercell thunderstorms moved across far Northeast Georgia on the evening of March 17. The southern storm moved across Union County into White County, producing a brief EF-1 tornado with maximum winds of 105 mph and traveled five miles across northern White County, mostly in the Chattahoochee Wildlife Management Agency.”
The storm started at 9:31 p.m., 6.3 miles north/northwest of Helen and traveled five statute miles, ending at 9:36 p.m., about 2.6 miles north/northwest of Helen, according to the preliminary NWS report. The maximum width was 630 yards, and the estimated peak wind was 105 mph.
“The tornado began at the Upper Chattahoochee River Campground just south of the White/Union County border and traveled southeast across the WMA,” the preliminary report states.
The tornado also struck Top of Georgia Airstream Park, an RV resort with a dozen or more Airstream RVs on Ga. 75 north of Helen, resulting in damage.
“Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted in the resort, damaging or destroying four buildings and one unoccupied RV,” the report states. “Other large trees narrowly missed other occupied RVs. Opposite the RV resort, nearly an entire stand of a few hundred trees were uprooted or snapped along the ridge face. This area received the maximum winds of 105 mph and maximum path width of 600 yards, or one-third mile.”
The NWS preliminary report stated the tornado gradually weakened as it traveled southeast downing trees, including on the road to Anna Ruby Falls before dissipating just northwest of Unicoi State Park.
“In total, approximately 1,000 trees were downed along the path of the storm,” the preliminary report states.
Information contained in the NWS report is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the events.
