Atlanta Tornado: March 14, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008 Filed in: Severe Wx
EF-2 tornado rips through downtown Atlanta...
Alleged Photo of Atlanta Tornado
Westin Peachtree Hotel
Centennial Olympic Park
Fulton Cotton Mill
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Personal Account:
I was sitting on my couch catching up on episodes of LOST (which I've unfortunately gotten sucked into)... saw a flash of lightening in the distance and immediately had a strange feeling. I didn't recall that we were supposed to have severe weather until the next day... but that feeling in my gut stayed with me.
I started following the storm on radar as the lightening became really intense. I saw the velocity couplet and knew things were about to get interesting. Being the sensible person I am, I went outside!
The air was disconcertingly still. Just lots of lightening and thunder... no rain... no wind... nothing. Suddenly very large hail started to fall. The air continued to feel unnaturally still. Not good.
Then came the roar above. It sounded like it was really windy high above the trees, but nothing at ground level yet. It got louder and the tops of the trees started to really move. Intense and very scary... I knew what was happening. I just felt it in my gut. Curiosity and awe kept me frozen in place.
I live in a 1940's bungalow with no basement (no foundation built on piles). My center hallway closet was probably the best place to be, but I didn't go there. I just stood with my kitchen door open, watching everything going on outside. I just couldn't move.
The tornado touched down just two miles south of my location.
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http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/html/atltor31408.shtml
* * *
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/html/pns32308.txt
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
500 AM EDT SUN MAR 23 2008
...REPORT FOR MARCH 14TH CITY OF ATLANTA TORNADO...
...UPDATE TO INCREASE DAMAGE RATING NEAR DOWNTOWN TO EF2 AND SPECIFY
TOTAL NUMBER OF FATALITIES AND INJURIES...
A DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST
OFFICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS CONFIRMED THAT AN EF2 TORNADO TRACKED
THROUGH THE HEART OF THE CITY OF ATLANTA BETWEEN 938 AND 950 PM EST
ON FRIDAY...MARCH 14TH.
THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF SIMPSON AND
BURBANK STREETS IN THE VINE CITY NEIGHBORHOOD AT APPROXIMATELY 938
PM. THE TORNADO THEN TRACKED DUE EAST OVER THE CENTER OF THE
GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER /ABOUT 100 YARDS NORTH OF THE GEORGIA
DOME WHERE AN SEC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT WAS TAKING PLACE/...ACROSS
THE CNN/OMNI HOTEL COMPLEX AND PHILLIPS ARENA /WHERE AN NBA
BASKETBALL GAME WAS UNDERWAY/...OVER THE EQUITABLE BANK TOWER...
ACROSS I-85/75 AT THE EDGEWOOD EXIT...AND THEN INTO THE COTTON MILL
LOFTS ACROSS FROM OAKLAND CEMETERY. FROM THIS POINT...THE TORNADO
WEAKENED BUT CAUSED SPOTTY TREE AND ROOF DAMAGE INTO EXTREME WESTERN
DEKALB COUNTY NEAR THE JUNCTION OF BRAEBURN AND JOSEPHINE STREETS...
WHERE IT LIFTED.
THE TORNADO HAD A TOTAL PATH LENGTH OF SIX MILES AND A MAXIMUM PATH
WIDTH OF 200 YARDS. MAXIMUM WIND SPEEDS WERE ESTIMATED NEAR 130
MPH...WHICH IS A HIGH END EF2 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE. AS IT
MOVED ACROSS THE GWCC/CNN/OMNI COMPLEX...THE TORNADO WIDTH WAS ABOUT
100 YARDS WIDE AND PRODUCED LOW END EF2 WINDS OF ABOUT 120 MPH.
AT LEAST 50 HOMES WERE DAMAGED BY THE TORNADO...AS WERE SEVERAL
MULTI-STORY TOWERS AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS NEAR AND EAST OF THE
CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC PARK. WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT OF MANY OF THE
TOWERS...AT ALL HEIGHTS. DAMAGE IN RESIDENTIAL AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS
RANGED FROM ROOFING MATERIALS BLOWN FROM HOMES AND BUSINESSES TO
TREES FALLING ON STRUCTURES AND VEHICLES. THE COTTON MILL LOFTS
EXPERIENCED THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WITH THE ROOF BLOWN OFF AND
EXTERIOR WALLS OF THE TOP /FOURTH/ FLOOR BLOWN INWARD. TWO SECTIONS
OF THE FOURTH FLOOR COLLAPSED ALL THE WAY INTO BASEMENT OF THE
BUILDING...TRAPPING SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE COMPLEX.
ONE FATALITY OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT ACROSS DECATUR STREET NEAR
THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR MARTA STATION WHEN A BRICK AND STUCCO WALL
COLLAPSED ON THE VICTIM. THIRTY NON-LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES ALSO
OCCURRED...MANY FROM BROKEN OR FALLING GLASS.
THE NWS IS GRATEFUL TO THE ATLANTA POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR PROVIDING
AERIAL SURVEY SUPPORT AND TO THE ATLANTA/FULTON COUNTY EMA FOR THEIR
ASSISTANCE.
* * *
http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~700596
Event: Tornado
Begin Date: 14 Mar 2008, 20:38:00 PM EST
Begin Location: 2 Miles West South West of Atlanta
Begin LAT/LON: 33°46'N / 84°25'W
End Date: 14 Mar 2008, 20:48:00 PM EST
End Location: 4 Miles South East of Atlanta
End LAT/LON: 33°44'N / 84°21'W
Length: 5 Miles
Width: 200 Yards
Magnitude: F2
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 30
Property Damage: $ 25.0M
A ground and aerial survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia in cooperation with the Atlanta Police Department, confirmed that an EF2 tornado tracked through the heart of the city of Atlanta causing millions of dollars of damage to buildings, including several high rise business and/or hotel buildings, within the downtown Atlanta area. The tornado also resulted in one death and 30 non-life threatening injuries. The death occurred on Decatur Street across from the Martin Luther King MARTA station. The tornado first touched down near the intersection of Simpson and Burbank Streets in the Vine City neighborhood just west of downtown Atlanta. The tornado then tracked near due east over the center of the Georgia World Congress Center, about 100 yards north of the Georgia Dome, which was concurrently hosting an SEC basketball conference, across the CNN Omni Hotel Complex and the Phillips Arena, where an NBA basketball game was underway, across the Equitable Bank tower, across the Interstate 75/85 Downtown Connector at the Edgewood Exit, and then into the Cotton Mill Lofts across the Oakland Cemetery located near the Fulton/DeKalb county line. The tornado then weakened, but continued into extreme western DeKalb county before finally lifting for good. The tornado had a total path length of six miles, five of which fell within Fulton county, and a maximum path width of 200 yards. Maximum wind speeds were estimated at 130 mph, which is a high end EF2. The tornado had a path width of 100 yards as it moved across the Georgia World Congress Center and CNN Omni Hotel complex and was ranked an EF1 at that point. At least 50 homes were damaged by the tornado, as were several multi-story towers and commercial buildings near and east of Centennial Olympic Park. Windows were blown out of several of these high rise tower buildings at multiple heights. Damage in residential and industrial areas ranged from roofing materials blown from homes and businesses to trees falling on structures and vehicles. The Cotton Mill Lofts experienced some of the most significant damage with the roof blown off and exterior walls on the top or fourth floors blown inward. Two sections of the fourth flour collapsed all the way into the basement of the building, trapping several people. Most of the injuries observed were associated with this damage. Damaged buildings and structures in the downtown Atlanta area included two Hermes 65-foot tall light towers at Centennial Olympic Park, the CNN Center/Omni Hotel, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Equitable Bank Building, Georgia-Pacific Building, Georgia World Congress Center, Grady Hospital, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Martin Luther King Center, Oakland Cemetery, SunTrust Building, Tabernacle, Ted's Montana Grill, Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, and Walton Building Barbershop. In addition to the damage reports, a wind gust of 83 mph was measured at Atlanta Fire Station No. 13 at 447 Flat Shoals Road Southeast in Atlanta, and a wind gust of 65 mph was measured at Atlanta Fire Station No. 4 at 309 Edgewood Drive in Atlanta.A series of vigorous upper-level disturbances were racing through a fast zonal flow across the southern states. A supercell thunderstorm developed across north central Alabama and tracked southeast into northwest Georgia and eventually across downtown Atlanta, spawning an EF2 tornado that tracked right through the heart of downtown Atlanta. This was the first recorded incident of a tornado touchdown in downtown Atlanta. The tornado wreaked havoc on the downtown streets as it tracked from the Vine City neighborhood on the west, across the I-75/85 corridor, through the Cotton Mill Lofts, and into extreme western DeKalb county before weakening. One death was reported and dozens were injured as they were trapped in downtown buildings amidst debris. Damage was in the millions.
Have pictures, stories, or a blog? Click the contact link at the bottom of the page and send it! I’ll be happy to include a link here...
Alleged Photo of Atlanta Tornado
Westin Peachtree Hotel
Centennial Olympic Park
Fulton Cotton Mill
* * *
Personal Account:
I was sitting on my couch catching up on episodes of LOST (which I've unfortunately gotten sucked into)... saw a flash of lightening in the distance and immediately had a strange feeling. I didn't recall that we were supposed to have severe weather until the next day... but that feeling in my gut stayed with me.
I started following the storm on radar as the lightening became really intense. I saw the velocity couplet and knew things were about to get interesting. Being the sensible person I am, I went outside!
The air was disconcertingly still. Just lots of lightening and thunder... no rain... no wind... nothing. Suddenly very large hail started to fall. The air continued to feel unnaturally still. Not good.
Then came the roar above. It sounded like it was really windy high above the trees, but nothing at ground level yet. It got louder and the tops of the trees started to really move. Intense and very scary... I knew what was happening. I just felt it in my gut. Curiosity and awe kept me frozen in place.
I live in a 1940's bungalow with no basement (no foundation built on piles). My center hallway closet was probably the best place to be, but I didn't go there. I just stood with my kitchen door open, watching everything going on outside. I just couldn't move.
The tornado touched down just two miles south of my location.
* * *
* * *
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/html/atltor31408.shtml
The Atlanta Tornado
March 14, 2008
* * *
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/html/pns32308.txt
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
500 AM EDT SUN MAR 23 2008
...REPORT FOR MARCH 14TH CITY OF ATLANTA TORNADO...
...UPDATE TO INCREASE DAMAGE RATING NEAR DOWNTOWN TO EF2 AND SPECIFY
TOTAL NUMBER OF FATALITIES AND INJURIES...
A DAMAGE SURVEY TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST
OFFICE IN PEACHTREE CITY HAS CONFIRMED THAT AN EF2 TORNADO TRACKED
THROUGH THE HEART OF THE CITY OF ATLANTA BETWEEN 938 AND 950 PM EST
ON FRIDAY...MARCH 14TH.
THE TORNADO FIRST TOUCHED DOWN NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF SIMPSON AND
BURBANK STREETS IN THE VINE CITY NEIGHBORHOOD AT APPROXIMATELY 938
PM. THE TORNADO THEN TRACKED DUE EAST OVER THE CENTER OF THE
GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER /ABOUT 100 YARDS NORTH OF THE GEORGIA
DOME WHERE AN SEC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT WAS TAKING PLACE/...ACROSS
THE CNN/OMNI HOTEL COMPLEX AND PHILLIPS ARENA /WHERE AN NBA
BASKETBALL GAME WAS UNDERWAY/...OVER THE EQUITABLE BANK TOWER...
ACROSS I-85/75 AT THE EDGEWOOD EXIT...AND THEN INTO THE COTTON MILL
LOFTS ACROSS FROM OAKLAND CEMETERY. FROM THIS POINT...THE TORNADO
WEAKENED BUT CAUSED SPOTTY TREE AND ROOF DAMAGE INTO EXTREME WESTERN
DEKALB COUNTY NEAR THE JUNCTION OF BRAEBURN AND JOSEPHINE STREETS...
WHERE IT LIFTED.
THE TORNADO HAD A TOTAL PATH LENGTH OF SIX MILES AND A MAXIMUM PATH
WIDTH OF 200 YARDS. MAXIMUM WIND SPEEDS WERE ESTIMATED NEAR 130
MPH...WHICH IS A HIGH END EF2 ON THE ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE. AS IT
MOVED ACROSS THE GWCC/CNN/OMNI COMPLEX...THE TORNADO WIDTH WAS ABOUT
100 YARDS WIDE AND PRODUCED LOW END EF2 WINDS OF ABOUT 120 MPH.
AT LEAST 50 HOMES WERE DAMAGED BY THE TORNADO...AS WERE SEVERAL
MULTI-STORY TOWERS AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS NEAR AND EAST OF THE
CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC PARK. WINDOWS WERE BLOWN OUT OF MANY OF THE
TOWERS...AT ALL HEIGHTS. DAMAGE IN RESIDENTIAL AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS
RANGED FROM ROOFING MATERIALS BLOWN FROM HOMES AND BUSINESSES TO
TREES FALLING ON STRUCTURES AND VEHICLES. THE COTTON MILL LOFTS
EXPERIENCED THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WITH THE ROOF BLOWN OFF AND
EXTERIOR WALLS OF THE TOP /FOURTH/ FLOOR BLOWN INWARD. TWO SECTIONS
OF THE FOURTH FLOOR COLLAPSED ALL THE WAY INTO BASEMENT OF THE
BUILDING...TRAPPING SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE COMPLEX.
ONE FATALITY OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT ACROSS DECATUR STREET NEAR
THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR MARTA STATION WHEN A BRICK AND STUCCO WALL
COLLAPSED ON THE VICTIM. THIRTY NON-LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES ALSO
OCCURRED...MANY FROM BROKEN OR FALLING GLASS.
THE NWS IS GRATEFUL TO THE ATLANTA POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR PROVIDING
AERIAL SURVEY SUPPORT AND TO THE ATLANTA/FULTON COUNTY EMA FOR THEIR
ASSISTANCE.
* * *
http://www4.ncdc.noaa.gov/cgi-win/wwcgi.dll?wwevent~ShowEvent~700596
Event: Tornado
Begin Date: 14 Mar 2008, 20:38:00 PM EST
Begin Location: 2 Miles West South West of Atlanta
Begin LAT/LON: 33°46'N / 84°25'W
End Date: 14 Mar 2008, 20:48:00 PM EST
End Location: 4 Miles South East of Atlanta
End LAT/LON: 33°44'N / 84°21'W
Length: 5 Miles
Width: 200 Yards
Magnitude: F2
Fatalities: 1
Injuries: 30
Property Damage: $ 25.0M
A ground and aerial survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia in cooperation with the Atlanta Police Department, confirmed that an EF2 tornado tracked through the heart of the city of Atlanta causing millions of dollars of damage to buildings, including several high rise business and/or hotel buildings, within the downtown Atlanta area. The tornado also resulted in one death and 30 non-life threatening injuries. The death occurred on Decatur Street across from the Martin Luther King MARTA station. The tornado first touched down near the intersection of Simpson and Burbank Streets in the Vine City neighborhood just west of downtown Atlanta. The tornado then tracked near due east over the center of the Georgia World Congress Center, about 100 yards north of the Georgia Dome, which was concurrently hosting an SEC basketball conference, across the CNN Omni Hotel Complex and the Phillips Arena, where an NBA basketball game was underway, across the Equitable Bank tower, across the Interstate 75/85 Downtown Connector at the Edgewood Exit, and then into the Cotton Mill Lofts across the Oakland Cemetery located near the Fulton/DeKalb county line. The tornado then weakened, but continued into extreme western DeKalb county before finally lifting for good. The tornado had a total path length of six miles, five of which fell within Fulton county, and a maximum path width of 200 yards. Maximum wind speeds were estimated at 130 mph, which is a high end EF2. The tornado had a path width of 100 yards as it moved across the Georgia World Congress Center and CNN Omni Hotel complex and was ranked an EF1 at that point. At least 50 homes were damaged by the tornado, as were several multi-story towers and commercial buildings near and east of Centennial Olympic Park. Windows were blown out of several of these high rise tower buildings at multiple heights. Damage in residential and industrial areas ranged from roofing materials blown from homes and businesses to trees falling on structures and vehicles. The Cotton Mill Lofts experienced some of the most significant damage with the roof blown off and exterior walls on the top or fourth floors blown inward. Two sections of the fourth flour collapsed all the way into the basement of the building, trapping several people. Most of the injuries observed were associated with this damage. Damaged buildings and structures in the downtown Atlanta area included two Hermes 65-foot tall light towers at Centennial Olympic Park, the CNN Center/Omni Hotel, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Equitable Bank Building, Georgia-Pacific Building, Georgia World Congress Center, Grady Hospital, Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, Martin Luther King Center, Oakland Cemetery, SunTrust Building, Tabernacle, Ted's Montana Grill, Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel, and Walton Building Barbershop. In addition to the damage reports, a wind gust of 83 mph was measured at Atlanta Fire Station No. 13 at 447 Flat Shoals Road Southeast in Atlanta, and a wind gust of 65 mph was measured at Atlanta Fire Station No. 4 at 309 Edgewood Drive in Atlanta.A series of vigorous upper-level disturbances were racing through a fast zonal flow across the southern states. A supercell thunderstorm developed across north central Alabama and tracked southeast into northwest Georgia and eventually across downtown Atlanta, spawning an EF2 tornado that tracked right through the heart of downtown Atlanta. This was the first recorded incident of a tornado touchdown in downtown Atlanta. The tornado wreaked havoc on the downtown streets as it tracked from the Vine City neighborhood on the west, across the I-75/85 corridor, through the Cotton Mill Lofts, and into extreme western DeKalb county before weakening. One death was reported and dozens were injured as they were trapped in downtown buildings amidst debris. Damage was in the millions.
Have pictures, stories, or a blog? Click the contact link at the bottom of the page and send it! I’ll be happy to include a link here...