A weekend survey in North Hall has led officials with the National Weather Service and Hall County Emergency Management Agency [EMA] to determine that a tornado touched down in the area during the early morning hours on Friday.
Storm surveys were conducted Saturday in the area of Nopone Road, Clarkes Bridge Road and Glade Farm Road, and led officials to the conclusion that an EF-1 tornado touched down in that location a day before.
"What that means is, basically, that there was a path approximately 2.5 miles long, around 300 yards wide, with maximum winds around 90 miles per hour," explained Hall County EMA Director Casey Ramsey.
Casey said the determination was made in part by observing the damage left behind by the tornado, as well as speaking with local residents who were in the area when the system touched down.
A tornado warning from the National Weather Service was initially posted at 5:50 a.m. Friday, with a set window predicting up to 10 minutes of severe weather. Casey said the EF-1 died out much more quickly than that, noting: "It lasted for only about 3 minutes."
Authorities said after the storm cleared out that no injuries were had been reported.
Most structures in the affected area were largely undamaged by the storm, although Casey said not every building was left unscathed.
"The most significant damage was the Dewberry Church property, where the steeple was blown off and a tree went through the fellowship hall," he said. "But as far as other homeowners, most of the damage was mostly contained to their property...several trees down, and there were some properties where they had some shingles removed, and maybe some damage to the sides of the structure."
Casey said the weather activity provided another opportunity for the county to tout its alert system, noting that alerts were sent to 636 people "whose address fell within the warning polygon created by the NWS," and whom had previously opted in to the service.
For those who had not signed up for the county's alert, Casey said outdoor weather sirens helped notify locals about the dangerous conditions.
“Throughout the assessment process...we were told by numerous residents that they were warned by various methods that included the Citizen’s Alert System and NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] weather radios,” he continued. “That is a true testament for having multiple means of receiving weather notifications and we are grateful that our citizens have properly prepared themselves and no one was injured.”
Any Hall County citizens who would like to sign up for weather alerts, among other kinds, can do so by following this link.
