March through May is peak tornado season in Georgia
The southeastern United States is known for its natural beauty, great music, and warm climates – but not its tornado season. Tornadoes typically happen between spring and summer (about March through May). This month, April, is peak tornado month and most often occurring between late afternoon and early evening.
Georgia sits almost in the middle of the Southeast but the state experiences tornados less frequently than our neighboring states. According to the National Weather Service, Georgia experiences an average of about two tornadoes per year. Though tornadoes in Georgia are usually weaker and shorter in duration than in other areas, they are still scary and can be devastating when they come through.
The top three counties for potential tornado strikes are Cobb County, Fulton County, and Gwinnett County. All three counties are more vulnerable to severe weather conditions because they are located at lower elevations than other counties.
What Are Tornadoes?
The most common type of tornadoes that occur in Georgia are F2 (111-135 mile per hour [MPH] winds) or F3 (136-165 MPH winds) tornadoes. The “F” stands for the Fujita scale (currently, the Enhanced Fujita scale), by which tornados are categorized based on their strength: F0 though F5. F0 (65-85 MPH winds) being the weakest and F5 (>200 MPH winds), the strongest.
The “supercell” tornado is Georgia experiences the most. It’s formed by a rotating thunderstorm and can be very large with wind speeds of up to 250 MPH.
A “land spout” tornado is the other common tornado Georgia experiences. These are a “multiple-vortex” tornadoes, which is group of several smaller tornadoes rotating around a common center. These are generally smaller and weaker. Land spouts or “dust devils” tend to occur in winter months.
Signs of a Tornado
Because tornadoes can happen quickly and without warning, it’s important to recognize the signs of a tornado. Watch the sky and horizon for things like:
Most commong, tornadoes look like a spinning funnel-shaped cloud
Tornadoes can knock down trees and kick up large clouds of debris
The sky gets dark or greenish with low-lying clouds
Large hail sometimes accompany tornadoes
Loud roar that sounds like a freight train
Georgians should always be alert and prepared for a tornado as they can kick up with little warning, regardless of the time of the year. Make sure your family has an emergency plan and keep an eye on weather alerts or tornado watches for your area.
In the meantime, visit Ready Georgia, a statewide program supported by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency. The Ready Georgia initiative encourages Georgians to be prepared for emergencies. You’ll find information on making a plan, building an emergency kit, taking care of your kids and and keeping your business safe in an emergency.
Rapid Solutions
Rapid International provides security services, including staffed areas and patrol services, in partnership with your community. We work to make people and communities safe and secure. Please get in touch, we’d love to help you make your community safer and more secure. In Georgia, call: (706) 844-2586, in California call : (213) 364-1394 or email us at info@therapidway.com.
Photo courtesy of Today.com, A. Brock.
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