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NWS confirms 11 tornadoes touched down in North Florida, South Georgia region last week

Collectively, twisters traveled more than 70 miles
Posted
and last updated

(WTXL) — The National Weather Service confirms that 11 tornadoes tore through the North Florida and South Georgia region last week.

In their latest update released Tuesday morning, the NWS confirmed that tornadoes touched down in Wakulla, Taylor and eastern Lanier counties on April 23, bringing the total amount of tornadoes to 11.

Meteorologists released the following details about the tornadoes that touched down in our coverage area:

Pelham, GA Tornado:

RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 95 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 2.43 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 176.0 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

The tornado touched down near Welch Street on the west side of Pelham, damaging a warehouse and uprooting several trees.

Cook/Colquitt County, GA Long-Track Tornado:

RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 110 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 28.6503 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 1755.0 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

This tornado was produced by the same storm that spawned the Pelham tornado. It touched down just south of Moultrie, near U.S. 319. The tornado reached its maximum intensity of 110 mph, which is just shy of EF-2, at the east end of Pike Creek Turf Circle. The twister flipped a small plane at the Cook County airport before crossing I-75 at the Adel exit.

After toppling trees and damaging buildings in downtown Adel, the tornado continued eastward snapping a few trees on GA Highway 37 East and in the Indian Creek Road subdivision.

The tornado then snapped trees on Register Road and significantly damaged a large shed before lifting.

It should be noted that a large swath of straight-line wind damage occurred to the south of the tornado track along much of its length from the Langdale Parkway in Colquitt County through Cecil, GA and eastward into northwestern Lanier County.

These winds were estimated to be 90-95 mph in Cecil.

Lanier County, GA tornado:

RATING: EF0
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 88 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 0.82 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 25.0 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

A weak tornado touched down just east of Powell Road in extreme eastern Lanier County. It caused minor tree damage there and also over on east Highway 122 just east of the county line. The tornado then continued into Clinch County.

Washington/Jackson County, FL tornado:

RATING: EF2
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 120 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 18.12 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 400.0 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

Initial damage was noted near the intersection of Owen Place and Piney Grove roads. From the touchdown point, damage, consisting of hundreds of snapped and uprooted trees, was continuous right to the Jackson County border along Corbin Road. The tornado intensified as it moved across Jackson County.

A home and several mobile homes suffered serious damage due to the tornado.

Leon County, FL tornado:

RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 95 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 10.99 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 600.0 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

A tornado touched down just south of North Monroe Street and moved east into a neighborhood where there was widespread limb and tree damage. It likely then crossed over the lake and impacted Elinor Klapp Phipps Park where snapped tree trunks were observed.

It produced some of the most widespread tree damage, including snapped trucks, near Ox Bottom Road before crossing Thomasville Road.

It moved northeast through Killearn Estates and Killearn Acres with additional widespread tree and limb damage and a few spots of snapped and uprooted trees. The last significant damage was additional snapped trees on Bradfordville Road.

Additional tree damage was sporadic to the east of here as is likely outflow as the tornado lifted. The highest damage was rated 95 mph due to snapped trees but the majority of the damage was EF-0 type tree damage.

Wakulla County, FL tornado:

RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 90 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 4.13 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 100 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

A tornado touched down just north of Wakulla Springs State Park. The tornado crossed Woodville Highway, just south of Savannah Road, before lifting just east of Early Bird Trail. Damage was primarily snapped and uprooted trees, but at least one tree fell on a home.

Taylor County, FL tornado:

RATING: EF1
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND: 100 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/: 0.51 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/: 25.0 YARDS
FATALITIES: 0
INJURIES: 0

A tornadic water spout came ashore into Keaton Beach and severely damaged a boat rental facility pulling concrete pilings out of the ground. The tornado lifted shortly after that.

NWS said that the information in their statement is preliminary and subject to change pending final review of the events. To see the agency's full report on April 23's tornado event, click here.