 At least 7 tornadoes affected 13 northern Georgia counties during the outbreak. These tornadoes struck in two separate waves during the afternoon and evening hours. Though moving mostly through relatively lightly populated rural areas, these storms took a toll of 17 lives and caused 104 injuries and approximately $15 million damage. The first tornado (113) struck about 2:00 p.m. CDT near the community of Cherry Log, located just northeast of Ellijay in Gilmer County, and moved across the eastern edge of Blue Ridge Lake in Fannin County. Five persons were injured and severe damage, estimated at $800,000, occurred to homes, trees, and utilities in its path. After a break of several hours, activity began again. About 6 p.m. CDT another tornado (114) moved across Haralson County and caused one death just east of Buchanan. It then continued northeastward through Paulding County and curved north-northeastward into Bartow County, just west of Lake Allatoona. This storm caused 20 injuries and damage estimated at $2 million. The discontinuous path of damage indicates this storm may have originated in Cleburne County, Alabama. While this tornado was still on the ground, another storm (109) touched down about 6:40 p.m. CDT just Southwest of Sugar Valley community (Gordon County). This tornado passed through Resaca and into portions of Whitfield and Murray Counties and lifted about 7:20 p.m. CDT. It killed 9, injured 54, and caused damage estimated at $4.3 million. Between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30
p.m. CDT, another killer tornado (115) moved through portions
of Pickens, Cherokee, and Dawson Counties, causing 6 deaths,
30 injuries, and property damage estimated at $2 million. During
the evening two more tornadoes (110 and 111) hit sections of
Fannin County. One of these (111) moved on to cause deaths in
Murphy, N.C. At 9:00 p.m. CDT ' a tornado (116) touched down
briefly near Dillard (Rabun County) in the extreme northeast
comer of the State, and caused an estimated $90,000 damage to
homes, businesses, trees, and utilities. |