Atlanta

Georgia leads country in number of tornadoes for 2017

Since April 3, Georgia has had 55 confirmed tornadoes touch down in the state.

ATLANTA — It’s a statistic most seldom look to achieve, Georgia is leading the country in the number of tornadoes that have broken out across the country.

As of April 3, Georgia has had 55 confirmed tornadoes touch down in the state. That does not include any of the storms that have touched down Wednesday.

Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Glenn Burns said Georgia averages 30 tornadoes a year.

“I’ve seen it before in the years following La Nina,” Burns said.

Burns said he remembers on March 15, 2008, when he and Severe Weather Team 2’s Brad Nitz were on continuously for seven straight hours covering tornadoes.

Burns said there was not a single minute at that point when there were no tornado warnings in effect.

The record for the most tornadoes in any given year for Georgia was set in 2008, with a total of 86.

Sadly, 16 of the 27 fatalities because of tornadoes this year have been in Georgia. Those occurred in the January outbreak across south Georgia.