2008 Atlanta tornado outbreak: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Tornado_sm010.jpg|right|thumb|100 year old [[Water oak]] tree crushes a [[General Motors Corporation|GMC]] [[van]] in the [[North Ormewood Park]] neighborhood.]] |
[[Image:Tornado_sm010.jpg|right|thumb|100 year old [[Water oak]] tree crushes a [[General Motors Corporation|GMC]] [[van]] in the [[North Ormewood Park]] neighborhood.]] |
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[[Image:http://www.flickr.com/photos/mpeppers|right|thumb|Tree uprooted in the Cabbagetown neighborhood, taking most of the yard with it.]] |
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In the nearby [[Cabbagetown (Atlanta)|Cabbagetown]] area, a [[brick]] [[loft]] building (well-known for the fire that occurred there during its renovation from the [[Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills]], in which the [[crane]] operator was [[rescue]]d by [[helicopter]]) lost part of its roof, and part of the top (fifth) floor. Another building at The Stacks on Boulevard partially collapsed; [[search and rescue]] personnel were unable to enter, but everyone was accounted for by the management within a few hours.<ref>{{cite news | title = Atlanta tornado, victim search | publisher = WCBD.com | date = [[March 15]], [[2008]] | url = http://www.wcbd.com/midatlantic/cbd/news.apx.-content-articles-CBD-2008-03-15-0010.html | accessdate = 2008-03-15}}</ref> |
In the nearby [[Cabbagetown (Atlanta)|Cabbagetown]] area, a [[brick]] [[loft]] building (well-known for the fire that occurred there during its renovation from the [[Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills]], in which the [[crane]] operator was [[rescue]]d by [[helicopter]]) lost part of its roof, and part of the top (fifth) floor. Another building at The Stacks on Boulevard partially collapsed; [[search and rescue]] personnel were unable to enter, but everyone was accounted for by the management within a few hours.<ref>{{cite news | title = Atlanta tornado, victim search | publisher = WCBD.com | date = [[March 15]], [[2008]] | url = http://www.wcbd.com/midatlantic/cbd/news.apx.-content-articles-CBD-2008-03-15-0010.html | accessdate = 2008-03-15}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 01:58, 21 March 2008
 Tornado (shadow at left), after going through downtown Atlanta | |
| Duration | 21 hours, 50 minutes |
|---|---|
| Tornadoes confirmed | 29 confirmed |
| Max. rating1 | EF3 tornado |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Damage | >$250 million |
| Areas affected | Alabama, Georgia, Carolinas |
| 1Most severe tornado damage; see Enhanced Fujita scale | |
The 2008 Atlanta tornado outbreak was a tornado outbreak that affected the Southeastern United States on March 14-15.
A tornado caused widespread damage across downtown Atlanta, including to the CNN Center and to the Georgia Dome, where the 2008 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament was postponed. Other buildings that were damaged include the Georgia World Congress Center, Philips Arena (during an Atlanta Hawks game), and the Omni Hotel, which was evacuated after many windows were blown out. Centennial Olympic Park and historic Oakland Cemetery were also damaged. [1]
Meteorological synopsis
Atlanta tornado event
In their 9:00 pm EDT outlook, the Storm Prediction Center issued a slight risk of severe weather across portions of the southern United States from Oklahoma to Georgia, with a 2% risk area for tornadoes for the Atlanta area.[2] A tornado warning was issued for Atlanta at 9:26 pm when the thunderstorm that caused the tornado was 6 miles (10 km) to the west of downtown, although no watches were in effect for the area due to the low probability and isolated nature of the storms.[3]
A news conference held on March 15 confirmed that the tornado was a high-end EF2 tornado on the Enhanced Fujita scale. It touched down in the Vine City neighborhood of Atlanta, moving east-southeast into downtown as an EF1, and then strengthening into the Cabbagetown neighborhood, and into East Atlanta.[4] It had a path length of about 6 mi (9.7 km) and was about 200 yd (180 m) wide[5]
The direction of the storm was unusual, drifting southward as it moved eastward, whereas most tornadic storms have a strong northward component along (or ahead of) a cold front. It also was unusual because it was not associated with such a squall line at all, but was an independent supercell drifting well ahead of the main storm system.
March 15 tornado event
Another tornado outbreak struck the southeast the following day. A Moderate risk for severe storms was issued early in the morning, and maintained through the afternoon.[6] However, by mid afternoon, areas of east-central Georgia and central South Carolina were upgraded to a high risk of severe storms due to the tornado threat. [7][8]
Confirmed tornadoes
| EFU | EF0 | EF1 | EF2 | EF3 | EF4 | EF5 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 7 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 29 |
March 14 event
| List of reported tornadoes - Friday, March 14, 2008 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | ||||||
| EF2 | Atlanta | Fulton, DeKalb | 33°52′N 84°26′W / 33.87°N 84.43°W | 0140 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | See section on this tornado |
| Sources: | ||||||
March 15 event
| List of reported tornadoes - Saturday, March 15, 2008 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | ||||||
| EF2 | SE of Oneonta | Blount | 33°53′N 86°25′W / 33.89°N 86.42°W | 1450 | 6 miles (9.7 km) | 25 houses sustained major damage and many others had minor damage. One mobile home and many farm buildings and outbuildings were destroyed, killing many animals. |
| EF2 | NE of Pleasant Gap | Cherokee | 34°01′N 85°29′W / 34.02°N 85.48°W | 1600 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Major damage to a roof of a house and a barn, as well as snapped pine trees. |
| Georgia | ||||||
| EF3 | Aragon area | Polk, Floyd, Bartow | 34°06′N 85°07′W / 34.10°N 85.12°W | 1625 | 16 miles (26 km) | 2 deaths - Large wedge tornado destroyed at least 20 houses and damaged hundreds of others. Thousands of trees were knocked down. Three others were injured. [9] |
| EF? | Maysville | Jackson | 34°15′N 83°34′W / 34.25°N 83.56°W | 1628 | Possible tornado, reported by law enforcement. | |
| EF? | N of Taylorsville | Bartow | 34°07′N 84°59′W / 34.11°N 84.99°W | 1635 | Roof damage to a house and trees down in the area. | |
| EF? | Euharlee | Bartow | 34°08′N 84°53′W / 34.14°N 84.88°W | 1642 | Several trees knocked down by a possible tornado. | |
| EF? | N of Cumming | Forsyth | 34°15′N 84°08′W / 34.25°N 84.14°W | 1738 | Tornado reported crossing Georgia State Route 400. | |
| EF? | Gainesville | Hall | 34°15′N 83°50′W / 34.25°N 83.83°W | 1758 | Damage from a tornado in the south side of town. | |
| EF? | SE of Homer | Banks | 34°15′N 83°28′W / 34.25°N 83.46°W | 1825 | Tornado reported on Interstate 85 at Exit 149. | |
| EF0 | Franklin Springs, Royston | Franklin, Hart | 34°17′N 83°09′W / 34.28°N 83.15°W | 1854 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Tornado confirmed with widespread damage to trees and power lines. |
| EF2 | SE of Fortsonia | Elbert | 33°59′N 82°45′W / 33.99°N 82.75°W | 2020 | 7.3 miles (11.7 km) | Damage reported to several structures, including a roof blown off a house and a boat dock thrown in the air in Bobby Brown State Park. |
| EF? | Athens | Clarke | 33°58′N 83°23′W / 33.96°N 83.39°W | 2110 | Possible tornado reported in the city. | |
| EF3 | Thomson to Branchville, SC | McDuffie, Columbia, Aiken (SC), Orangeburg (SC) | 33°15′N 80°49′W / 33.25°N 80.82°W | 2200 | unknown | Long track tornado with widespread damage. Numerous commercial and residential structures and a fire station damaged or destroyed in Branchville. |
| EF0 | W of Jackson | Butts | 33°17′N 84°05′W / 33.29°N 84.08°W | 2215 | 3.25 miles (5 km) | A barn was destroyed and numerous trees were knocked down. |
| EF2 | Matthews area | Jefferson, Burke | 33°13′N 82°19′W / 33.21°N 82.31°W | 2215 | 19 miles (31 km) | Several mobile homes were destroyed and numerous houses were damaged, some by fallen trees. |
| EF1 | S of Keysville | Burke | 33°13′N 82°14′W / 33.21°N 82.23°W | 2225 | unknown | Trees down according to sheriff reports. |
| EF1 | SE of Waynesboro | Burke | 33°08′N 81°53′W / 33.13°N 81.89°W | 2305 | unknown | |
| EF2 | NE of Springfield | Effingham | 32°28′N 81°13′W / 32.47°N 81.22°W | 0134 | 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | Over 40 houses were damaged, and three mobile homes and many outbuildings, barns and sheds were destroyed. Power transmission towers were also knocked down. Six people were injured, both in vehicles and mobile homes. |
| EF2 | NE of Rincon | Effingham | 32°18′N 81°14′W / 32.30°N 81.24°W | 0143 | 0.5 miles (800 m) | Tornado impacted the McIntosh Plant of Georgia Power, where several buildings were destroyed. |
| South Carolina | ||||||
| EF0 | Due West | Abbeville | 34°20′N 82°23′W / 34.33°N 82.39°W | 1850 | unknown | Tornado reported by a local sheriff with trees damaged. |
| EF3 | Prosperity area | Newberry, Kershaw, Lee | 34°15′N 81°32′W / 34.25°N 81.53°W | 2040 | unknown | Roof blown off a house and trees down. |
| EF1 | McCormick to Manning | McCormick, Edgefield, Lexington, Orangeburg, Calhoun, Clarendon | 33°55′N 82°24′W / 33.91°N 82.40°W | 2045 | unknown | Very long track tornado with intermittent light to moderate damage. Possibly several distinct tornadoes. |
| EF0 | Lugoff | Kershaw | 34°14′N 80°38′W / 34.23°N 80.63°W | 2133 | unknown | Numerous houses damaged and trees down. |
| EF0 | Latta | Dillon | 34°20′N 79°26′W / 34.34°N 79.43°W | 2148 | 1.2 miles (1.9 km) | Minor damage to seven houses, some of which was caused by fallen trees. |
| EF1 | Kershaw area | Kershaw, Lancaster | 34°33′N 80°35′W / 34.55°N 80.59°W | 2158 | unknown | |
| EF1 | S of Florence | Florence | 34°07′N 79°47′W / 34.12°N 79.78°W | 2225 | 14 miles (23 km) | Numerous houses were damaged and three trailers were rolled. Three people suffered minor injuries and two livestock were killed. |
| EF? | WNW of Blackville | Barnwell | 33°23′N 81°20′W / 33.38°N 81.34°W | 2254 | Tornado touchdown. | |
| EF? | Denmark | Bamberg | 34°03′N 81°10′W / 34.05°N 81.16°W | 2305 | Trees downed | |
| EF? | W of St. Matthews | Lexington | 33°19′N 81°08′W / 33.32°N 81.14°W | 2305 | Media reported tornado damage at mile 135 on Interstate 26. | |
| EF0 | Aynor | Horry | 33°55′N 79°10′W / 33.92°N 79.16°W | 2313 | 0.25 miles (400 m) | A mobile home and a car port were destroyed, which also damaged trees and power lines. |
| EF2 | S of Martin | Allendale | 33°01′N 81°19′W / 33.01°N 81.31°W | 2313 | 9.5 miles (15 km) | Large wedge tornado; two mobile homes were destroyed and many houses were damaged. Numerous sheds and outbuildings also destroyed. One person was injured. |
| EF1 | S of Greeleyville | Williamsburg | 33°34′N 79°59′W / 33.56°N 79.99°W | 2317 | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) | One house was damaged and a church steeple was toppled. Extensive tree damage. |
| EF1 | Trio | Williamsburg | 33°29′N 79°43′W / 33.48°N 79.72°W | 2336 | 3 miles (4.8 km) | Several houses damaged or destroyed in the area. |
| EF1 | N of Ridgeville | Dorchester | 33°06′N 80°19′W / 33.10°N 80.32°W | 0008 | 2.2 miles (3.5 km) | Rope tornado with metal panels removed from a gas station canopy. Two mobile homes were also heavily damaged. |
| EF1 | Strawberry | Berkeley | 33°05′N 80°02′W / 33.09°N 80.03°W | 0025 | 0.6 miles (970 m) | Heavy damage to a mobile home park with 14 mobile homes impacted. Seven people were injured. |
| EF1 | N of Charity | Berkeley | 33°03′N 79°51′W / 33.05°N 79.85°W | 0036 | 1.2 miles (1.9 km) | Roofs were damaged on a church and a house. Many trees were knocked down. |
| North Carolina | ||||||
| EF0 | Fair Bluff | Columbus | 34°19′N 79°02′W / 34.31°N 79.03°W | 2210 | 30 yards (27 m) | Very short-lived tornado damaging a few trees amidst straight-line wind damage. |
| EF1 | Hampstead | Pender | 34°22′N 77°42′W / 34.37°N 77.70°W | 2359 | 2 miles (3.2 km) | Several houses and businesses were damaged in the area. |
| Sources:
Storm reports of March 15, 2008, NWS Birmingham, NWS Wilmington, NWS Peachtree City, NWS Greenville, NWS Columbia, NWS Charleston | ||||||
Atlanta tornado
CNN Center was seriously damaged including blown-out windows, as was the Omni Hotel, especially the bridge between the two over Marietta Street. This complex lost 476 windows alone, closing the south tower to guests. The facades of the Georgia Dome and Philips Arena also were damaged — both were hosting basketball games at the time.[10] Two of the giant columns in Centennial Olympic Park were knocked down, and bits of insulation were stuck in trees.[11] Trees on some other streets, where more closely-built skyscrapers cause a greater wind tunnel effect, were knocked completely down, despite being too early in spring to have the drag of any leaves. Glass was strewn across several streets, and Atlanta Police were keeping residents, hotel guests, and news crews away from buildings with loose glass, which continued to pose a danger into the night.[10] Cars in the area also had windows blown out, and hotel and office furniture was found scattered about.
The Ritz Carlton, Westin Peachtree Plaza, Georgia-Pacific Building, SunTrust Building, Equitable Building, and Georgia State University also had windows blown out (300 at Equitable alone), as did The Tabernacle (a former church with stained glass). The Georgia World Congress Center also sustained flooding while hosting a JROTC event and the Hinman Dental Meeting; Fox Sports Net took footage of a staircase in the new section of the complex that looked like a fountain with water cascading down it. The annual Atlanta Home Show and all other events were cancelled for the weekend in the GWCC complex, as was the Atlanta St. Patrick's Day Parade scheduled for the next day. WRAS FM at GSU was off the air for two days, though it was not stated whether its studio or tower sustained damage, or if this was due to security or safety concerns, or power outages. The historic Rialto Theatre at GSU also sustained roof damage, which in turn caused water damage inside.
Further east, Grady Hospital reported some damage to windows, and a brief power outage. Many of the injured were taken there, though many of them walked there and were treated in the emergency room for cuts due to glass. The King Memorial MARTA station was damaged and was being bypassed by trains, with buses rerouted to the next station on each side. Oakland Cemetery suffered major damage to monuments and to its huge oak and magnolia trees, and the caretaker found window blinds around the neck of a statue of a Civil War veteran buried there.
In the nearby Cabbagetown area, a brick loft building (well-known for the fire that occurred there during its renovation from the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills, in which the crane operator was rescued by helicopter) lost part of its roof, and part of the top (fifth) floor. Another building at The Stacks on Boulevard partially collapsed; search and rescue personnel were unable to enter, but everyone was accounted for by the management within a few hours.[12]
When the tornado hit, a SEC tournament game between Mississippi State and Alabama was in progress at the Georgia Dome. The storm ripped panels from the exterior of the building and tore at least two holes in the roof of the Dome, causing insulation to fall and the scoreboard and catwalks suspended from the roof to sway. After a 64-minute delay, the game was completed, however the next scheduled game between Kentucky and Georgia was postponed.[3] The remainder of the tournament games were played at Alexander Memorial Coliseum on the campus of Georgia Tech, with spectators restricted to team and conference personnel, media, team bands, and families of players only due to the much smaller size of the alternate venue.[13] At the nearby Phillips Arena, little disruption was noticed by the attendees during the game between the Hawks and the Los Angeles Clippers, even though damage occurred to the outside of the arena. [4]
27 people have been treated for injuries.[4] In addition, over 20 homes have been completely destroyed.[14]
All of CNN's TV networks remained on the air, but on an upper floor the CNN library of videotapes was damaged. Live news coverage of the aftermath was carried on CNN International, in turn simulcast domestically on CNN until 1 am EDT.[15]. CNN resumed broadcasting from their main newsroom at 6 am EDT, showing several parts of the newsroom with computer stations covered with tarps, the damaged atrium of CNN Center, and staff using trash cans and buckets to collect dripping rainwater to the right of the anchor desk due to the damaged roof. When more storms moved in later in the day, the network was forced to move all Atlanta on-camera operations to the CNN-I newsroom, while taped programming was shown for most of the day.[16]
The city received emergency assistance from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), Highway Emergency Response Operators (HEROs), Fulton and DeKalb counties (which Atlanta is in), and surrounding cities and counties. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin also declared a state of emergency for the city, enabling it to seek disaster aid from FEMA. [5]
See also
- List of North American tornadoes and tornado outbreaks
- List of tornadoes striking downtown areas
- Tornadoes of 2008
References
- ^ "Tornado slams downtown Atlanta". CNN. March 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Dial (March 14, 2008). "Mar 15, 2008 0100 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook" (HTML). Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
- ^ a b Schlabach, Mark (March 14, 2008). "SEC tournament delayed as Georgia Dome sustains damage". ESPN.com.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c "Weather Service Confirms Tornado Hit Downtown Atlanta". WSB-TV (Atlanta). March 15, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Downtown Storm Was EF-2 Tornado; State of Emergency Declared". 11alive.com (Atlanta). Retrieved 2008-03-15.
- ^ Dial, Grams (March 15, 2008). "Mar 15, 2008 0600 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook" (HTML). Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved March 16, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Broyles (March 15, 2008). "Mar 15, 2008 2000 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook" (HTML). Storm Prediction Center. Retrieved March 16, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "SPC Day 1, 2 and 3 Convective Outlooks" (HTML). Storm Prediction Center. February 14, 2006. Retrieved March 16, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Tornado takes 'Mrs. Bonnie,' animal lover - CNN March 16, 2008
- ^ a b "Storm Staggers Atlanta". CNN.com. March 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Daylight Reveals Storm's Fury". 11Alive.com. March 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Atlanta tornado, victim search". WCBD.com. March 15, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Severe Storms Start Weekend". AccuWeather.com. March 15, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Rescuers search for Atlanta tornado victims". CNN. March 15, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Atlanta To Ask For Federal Disaster Aid". wsbtv.com. March 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-15.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ TVNEWSER - CNN & The F2 Tornado