The storms that blew through North Georgia on Thursday evening caused some damage and injuries, but thankfully no deaths. The National Weather Service confirms 3 tornado touchdowns. Coweta county, Floyd county and the strongest in Gordon county. There was wind damage in other communities, but these areas were the hardest hit.

Brad Nitz and I tracked the storms all afternoon. The only storm that showed rotation was the one in Coweta county, near Moreland. The NWS saw it too and issued the tornado warning. The storms in Floyd and Gordon did not show rotation, but they were under a severe t-storm warning. Keep in mind, all of North Georgia was under a tornado watch (meaning conditions were ripe for possible tornadoes and damaging t-storm winds) and in a severe t-storm a tornado can develop very quickly. Each of these storms only lasted a few minutes, but the damage will linger for months.

Since 1884 Georgia has recorded 95 tornadoes in the month of December, that is only 5% of all tornadoes ever recorded. So this event was rare, but not unprecedented. Hopefully the lead time of the tornado watch and the timing of the storms in the late afternoon helped people prepare for the storm. At least most people knew where to go when the storm was hitting.

It will be a tough Christmas for those that suffered damage, but pales in comparison to those that lost loved ones during the tornadoes back in April. Think of them during your family's Christmas time. Peace.