COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — Two EF-1 tornadoes touched down in the 11Alive viewing area on Memorial Day: one in Coweta County, west of the Arnco Mills community, and another in Randolph County, Alabama. No injuries were reported in either.
We have had spells of active weather and storms throughout this spring. This included several days with severe weather risks, warnings, and confirmed reports of damage.
But has it been an unusually active spring for us here in Georgia?
First, let's talk about our typical storm cycle here in the north Georgia area. We can and do have bouts of severe weather every time of year. We get tornadoes in December, and we'll see them in January. But our most 'active' months for tornadoes are March, April, and May. That is our 'peak' of spring severe weather season.
Although we have had a wetter-than-average spring, it has not been a spring that has been abnormally active. We had a few distinct rounds of severe weather: April 2nd, May 8th-9th, and again over the Memorial Day weekend. However, we did not see any significant tornado outbreaks.
May itself has been an incredibly active month for tornadoes, but they have been focused on the Plains and the Ohio River Valley.
The map below shows all tornado warnings issued since January 1st. Notice the high concentrations from the Plains into the Midwest. There is also a higher concentration across the Emerald Coast into southern Georgia, but there is notable more sporadic coverage through central to northeastern Georgia.
Here's a closer look at the map for the state.
Not every tornado warning results in a tornado touchdown. And not every tornado touchdown necessarily is warned on. The below graph shows the preliminary tornado counts by state, as calculated by the Storm Prediction Center.
Georgia has had 19 tornadoes, a far lower count than some states to our west. The states in yellow rank in the top five: Iowa, Texas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
Each tornado touchdown impacts a different community, and they can be devastating. 19 may seem like a low number, but that's 19 different tornadoes that have forever changed different Georgians' lives.
Remember, severe weather can strike any time of year. Now is a good time to remind yourself of the difference between a watch and a warning and where you'll take shelter the next time a tornado warning is issued for your area.
Have multiple ways to receive weather warning information. That includes but is not limited to NOAA Weather Radio, Wireless Emergency Alerts, and downloading the 11 Alive App.