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Prepare now: Tornado season in Georgia could be worse this year

By Katie Walls, WSB-TV
By Katie Walls, WSB-TV

ATLANTA — Meteorologists warn that this year's tornado season could be particularly active and that Georgia residents need to prepare now for the potential for the violent, deadly storms.

Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Katie Walls says tornadoes in Georgia historically hit in March and April.

On Sunday, a powerful EF-4 tornado ripped through Alabama, killing 23 people. Sunday's tornado ended a 672-day "violent tornado drought," or a period of 672 days without a major (EF-4 or EF-5) tornado across the U.S.

The last major tornado to touch down in the United States before the Alabama tornado happened in Texas on April 29, 2017.

In 2018, only 10 people were killed by tornadoes, the lowest number since record-keeping began.

Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologists warn that with such an active start to severe weather season, neighbors need to make sure they have a plan in place if storms hit their area.

Walls talked to Keith Stellman, the Meteorologist in Charge for the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, who surveyed 14 tornadoes that tore through Middle Georgia on Sunday.

"As long as we have this really cold battle zone going on to the north of us, and winter's still got a grip on the upper Midwest, then we're going to have an active spring," Stellman said.

Stellman showed Walls pictures from the survey. One showed a water bottle that stayed intact as it impaled a wall in Stewart County, just south of Columbus.

"This was basically all that remained. Where I'm standing, looking into the living room, is where (a family) was huddled. Her, her husband and three daughters," Stellman said. "It's still a miracle no one was killed in Georgia with the damage we saw.

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Walls says with the threat of more tornadoes in the coming weeks, everyone needs to have a plan for their family.

Her first piece of advice? When a tornado warning is issued, if you don't have a basement, get to a room in the middle of your house, putting as many walls between you and the outside as possible.

"Know where you're going to go," Stellman said. "As long as you know in your mind, 'If I have 30 seconds to a minute to get someplace, where am I going to go?'"

Walls also recommends having two ways to get severe weather alerts: The NOAA weather radio and the Severe Weather Team 2 app, which sends alerts directly to your phone for your location. It's free to download in the app store.

Cox Media Group

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