An early-season

tornado outbreak A tornado outbreak is the occurrence of multiple tornadoes spawned by the same Synoptic scale meteorology, synoptic scale weather system. The number of tornadoes required to qualify as an outbreak typically are at least six to ten, with at least ...

impacted the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also known as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical List of regions in the United States, region of the United States located in the eastern portion of the Southern United States and t ...

on January 12, 2023. The result of a mid-level

trough Trough may refer to: In science * Trough (geology), a long depression less steep than a trench * Trough (meteorology), an elongated region of low atmospheric pressure * Trough (physics), the lowest point on a wave * Trough level (medicine), the l ...

moving through,

moisture Moisture is the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts. Moisture is defined as water in the adsorbed or absorbed phase. Small amounts of water may be found, for example, in the air (humidity), in foods, and in some comme ...

and the presence of a strong low-level jet aided in the development of numerous severe and tornadic

thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustics, acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorm ...

s. Early in the outbreak, a strong EF2 tornado caused considerable damage in

Winston County, Alabama Winston County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,540. Its county seat is Double Springs. Known as Hancock County before 1858, "ACES Winston County Office" (links/history), Alabama C ...

, while another EF2 tornado struck just south of

Greensboro Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina, af ...

. A destructive high-end EF2 tornado struck Selma, causing widespread damage and two injuries. The same storm produced a long-lived EF3 tornado that moved through or near Old Kingston,

Titus Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September AD 81) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, becoming the first Roman emperor ever to succeed h ...

Equality Equality generally refers to the fact of being equal, of having the same value. In specific contexts, equality may refer to: Society * Egalitarianism, a trend of thought that favors equality for all people ** Political egalitarianism, in which ...

, and

Lake Martin Lake Martin is located in Tallapoosa, Elmore and Coosa counties in Alabama. It is a 44,000-acre (178 km2) reservoir with over 750 miles (1,200 km) of wooded shoreline. Lake Martin is a reservoir, enlarged by the construction of Ma ...

, resulting in seven fatalities and several injuries in Autauga County alone. Another EF2 tornado from the storm struck areas in or around Five Points and

Standing Rock The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North & South Dakota controls the Standing Rock Reservation (), which straddles the border between North Dakota, North and South Dakota in the United States, and is inhabited by ethnic "Hunkpapa Lakota, Hunkp ...

before crossing into

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

. After the dissipation of that tornado, nine more tornadoes, five of which were strong, caused heavy damage across west-central Georgia, especially in

LaGrange Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi LagrangiaGriffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (; Classical Latin: ''gryps'' or ''grypus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk ...

, and

Experiment An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs whe ...

, the second one of which was impacted by four tornadoes in the span of 10 minutes, including two that were rated EF2 and EF3 respectively. Another EF2 tornado from the storm caused major damage and another fatality in the

Jackson Lake Jackson Lake may refer to: Places * Jackson Lake (Georgia) * Jackson Lake (Wyoming) ** Jackson Lake Dam, Wyoming ** Jackson Lake Lodge, Wyoming, a U.S. National Historic Place ** Jackson Lake Ranger Station, Wyoming, a U.S. National Historic Pla ...

area as well; an indirect death from the tornado also occurred the following day. Elsewhere, other tornadoes caused damage in

Sumter Sumter may refer to: People Given name * Sumter S. Arnim (1904–1990), American dentist * Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr. (1893–1985), United States Army general Surname * Rowendy Sumter (born 1988), Curaçaoan footballer * Shavonda E. Sumt ...

and Mobile counties in Alabama, as well as parts of

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, and the

Carolinas The Carolinas, also known simply as Carolina, are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the southwes ...

. In all, 42 tornadoes were confirmed.

Meteorological synopsis

On January 11, the

Storm Prediction Center The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) is a US government agency that is part of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), operating under the control of the National Weather Service (NWS), which in turn is part of the National Oceani ...

outlined a level 1/Marginal risk across the Mid-South valid for the overnight and early morning hours. Although the environment was initially

capped In sport, a cap is a player's appearance in a game at international level. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of rugby football and association football. In the e ...

, conditions were expected to become more conducive for severe weather given the approach of a mid-level

and a gradually moistening airmass. A more substantive threat for organized severe weather evolved on January 12 and the SPC outlined a level 3/Enhanced risk for 30% risk of damaging winds centered along central and eastern

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

and northwestern portions of

in their 0600 UTC outlook update. Here,

numerical weather prediction Numerical weather prediction (NWP) uses mathematical models of the atmosphere and oceans to weather forecasting, predict the weather based on current weather conditions. Though first attempted in the 1920s, it was not until the advent of comput ...

models indicated the presence of 6.5 C/km mid-level

lapse rate The lapse rate is the rate at which an atmospheric variable, normally temperature in Earth's atmosphere, falls with altitude. ''Lapse rate'' arises from the word ''lapse'' (in its "becoming less" sense, not its "interruption" sense). In dry air, ...

s and 500-1000 J/kg convective available potential energy (CAPE) values supportive of transient supercells and bowing segments. However, it also depicted only modest low-level moisture. As such, a large 5% risk for tornadoes was introduced for most of the lower

Tennessee Valley The Tennessee Valley is the drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U.S. state of Tennessee. It stretches from southwest Kentucky to north Alabama and from northeast Mississippi to the mountains of Virginia and North C ...

, including portions of

, Alabama, Georgia, southern

, and northwestern

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

for at least a conditional threat of brief tornadoes. Souteast radar loop 1-12-2023 loop

As the day advanced, a more focused corridor for enhanced tornado potential became evident across central Alabama and northwestern Georgia, where effective storm-relative helicity – a measure of the potential for updrafts in supercells – topped 300 m²/s² and CAPE values rose into the 1,000-1,500 J/kg range. The SPC upped the threat for tornadoes to 10% in their 1300 UTC outlook as a result, although the possibility for strong tornadoes, above EF2 intensity, was not included in this outlook as damaging winds were still seen as the primary hazard. However, as the morning advanced, a defined line of severe thunderstorms with embedded supercell structures and multiple discrete supercells developed across the highlighted area. Multiple tornadoes, some of which were significant, touched down and caused extensive damage. Numerous PDS tornado warnings were issued for the towns of Heiberger, Selma, and Movico in Alabama as large and destructive tornadoes were reported. The same storm that hit Selma prompted tornado emergencies for

Autauga Autauga County is a County (United States), county located in the Central Alabama, central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 58,805. Its county seat is Prattville, Alabama, ...

Elmore Elmore may refer to: Places United States *Elmore, Alabama *Elmore, Illinois * Elmore, Minnesota *Elmore, Ohio * Elmore City, Oklahoma * Elmore, Vermont *Elmore, Wisconsin *Elmore County (disambiguation) *Elmore Township (disambiguation) *Lake Elm ...

, Chilton, Coosa, and Tallapoosa counties before crossing the Alabama–Georgia border to continue northeast into Georgia. As the event unfolded, the SPC hatched part of the 10% risk for tornadoes in their 20:00 UTC outlook across east-central Alabama and western Georgia, indicating the possibility of strong (EF2+) tornadoes. The long-tracked supercell (originating in

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

) that produced the Selma tornado, as well as the deadly Autauga County tornado, produced more tornadoes as it progressed to the northeast; these included an EF2 tornado that crossed from

Chambers County, Alabama Chambers County is a County (United States), county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 34,772. Its county seat is LaFayette, Alabama, LaFayette. ...

into

Troup County, Georgia Troup County (, ) is a county in the West Central region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 69,426.US Census Bureau, 2020 Report, Troup County, Georgia The county seat is LaGrange. Troup County comprises t ...

, another EF2 tornado that caused severe damage in the southern part of

LaGrange Joseph-Louis Lagrange (born Giuseppe Luigi LagrangiaMeriwether County. The storm's mesocyclone than broadened out and produced four tornadoes on the west side of

Griffin The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (; Classical Latin: ''gryps'' or ''grypus''; Late and Medieval Latin: ''gryphes'', ''grypho'' etc.; Old French: ''griffon'') is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk ...

, including one that was rated high-end EF2 and another that was rated high-end EF3. By the evening, the severe storms had entered a less favorable environment and weakened and dissipated during the overnight hours. In total, the National Weather Service issued 221 severe thunderstorm warnings, 68 tornado warnings, and three tornado emergencies during the severe weather outbreak.

Confirmed tornadoes

January 12 event

Selma, Alabama

This large, destructive high-end EF2 tornado caused major damage in the city of Selma. The tornado first touched just northeast of Orrville near the intersection of SR 22 and County Road 999 at 12:04 p.m. CST (18:04 UTC). Moving northeastward along SR 22, the tornado damaged several mobile homes and pushed them off their foundations. A frame home sustained minor damage, some trees and power poles were downed in this area as well, and damage along this initial segment of the path was rated EF1. EF1 damage continued as the tornado impacted Beloit, where a church had its steeple and part of its roof blown off, homes sustained roof damage, and trees were snapped. After causing additional tree damage along SR 22, the tornado began to rapidly intensify as it approached the southwestern city limits of Selma, and many large hardwood and softwood trees were snapped at EF2 intensity in this area. The now strong tornado then crossed SR 219 as it entered the southwest side of Selma, causing significant damage along Old Orville Road. Multiple houses were heavily damaged and had their roofs torn off along this corridor, and a few sustained some loss of exterior walls. Severe tree damage occurred as well, as many large trees were snapped or uprooted in residential areas. Reaching high-end EF2 strength, the tornado struck the Crosspoint Christian Daycare along Cooper Drive, inflicting severe structural damage to the building, which sustained collapse of its roof and several brick exterior walls. At the time of the tornado, 70 children were inside the daycare along with staff workers. One baby received a minor cut from the tornado, with no other injuries occurring at that location. The nearby Crosspoint Christian Church had a substantial amount of metal roofing torn off, and debris was scattered throughout the area. EF2 damage continued beyond this point as the tornado moved northeastward along West Dallas Avenue, inflicting significant structural damage to homes. An

ophthalmologist Ophthalmology (, ) is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and surgery of eye diseases and disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a ...

's office near Office Park Circle was severely damaged and had much of its roof torn off, while many large trees were snapped or uprooted, some of which landed on houses. NEXRAD radar scan of the Selma EF2

Further to the northeast, high-end EF2 damage occurred at the Selma Country Club, where the clubhouse building suffered major damage to its roof and exterior walls, a few other buildings on the property also had extensive damage, several extremely large hardwood trees were blown down, and many softwood trees were snapped. Maintaining high-end EF2 intensity, the tornado then struck the northern part of downtown Selma. Damage here mainly consisted of numerous of trees being snapped or uprooted, some of which fell on homes, and many homes and other buildings that had their roofs and some exterior walls removed. A couple of older residences that were built on brick piling foundations collapsed, cars were flipped, signs were destroyed, and numerous power poles were snapped. The historic

Reformed Presbyterian The Reformed Presbyterian Global Alliance is a communion of Presbyterians originating in Scotland in 1690 when its members refused to conform to the establishment of the Church of Scotland. The Reformed Presbyterian churches collectively have a ...

Church was badly damaged, and its adjacent church school was almost completely destroyed. As the tornado crossed over Broad St (

US 80 U.S. Route 80 or U.S. Highway 80 (US 80) is a major east–west United States Numbered Highway in the Southern United States, much of which was once part of the early auto trail known as the Dixie Overland Highway. As the "0" in the ...

/SR 22), a strip mall had much of its roof torn off, and a nearby metal warehouse building sustained major damage, with metal framing being twisted and failure of x-braces observed. Apartment buildings were also badly damaged, and debris from structures was strewn across streets, or left tangled in power lines or wrapped around trees. Past the downtown area, the tornado weakened slightly to mid-range EF2 strength as it crossed Marie Foster Street and moved through neighborhoods in the northeastern part of Selma, where many homes and apartment buildings had roofs and exterior walls torn off, and many trees and power lines were downed. Crossing SR 41, the tornado moved out of Selma and maintained EF2 intensity as it moved to the northeast, though damage in this area was limited to downed trees. As it crossed SR 14, an outbuilding was completely destroyed and a metal free-standing pole was bent to the ground, with damage in this area being rated EF2. Some re-intensification was observed as the tornado then impacted a small residential area along Parkway Drive, where a few houses had roofs torn off with some collapse of exterior walls noted. Another outbuilding in this area was completely destroyed, trees were downed, and damage was rated high-end EF2. Just past this area, the tornado weakened to EF1 strength as it impacted a

FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Exec ...

trailer storage facility along Selfield Road, where multiple unanchored trailers were damaged, flipped, or destroyed. A final area of EF2 damage occurred nearby, where the Dallas County Jail suffered extensive damage to its roof and fencing. Weakening back to EF1 intensity, the tornado then crossed SR 14 again, snapping trees and damaging some outbuildings. The tornado weakened further as it passed south of

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

, causing minor EF0 tree damage along this segment of the path. It inflicted EF0 damage to a house and dissipated as it crossed SR 140 to the southeast of Burnsville at 12:31 p.m. CST (18:31 UTC), just before reaching the Autauga County line. The tornado was on the ground for , resulting in two injuries.

Old Kingston–Titus–Equality–Lake Martin–Penton, Alabama

A strong and long-tracked EF3 tornado began in

Autauga County, Alabama Autauga County is a County (United States), county located in the Central Alabama, central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 58,805. Its county seat is Prattville, Alabama, ...

, nine minutes after the EF2 Selma tornado dissipated. The large multiple-vortex tornado prompted the issuance of three tornado emergencies just north of areas struck by tornadoes 10 days earlier. The tornado first touched down near

Independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...

at 12:40 p.m. CST (18:40 UTC). It initially only caused very minor EF0 tree limb damage as it moved northeastward through sparsely populated areas. After crossing

US 82 U.S. Route 82 (US 82) is an east–west United States Numbered Highways, United States highway in the Southern United States. Created on July 1, 1931 across central Mississippi and southern Arkansas, US 82 eventually became a route extend ...

, the tornado quickly intensified to EF1 strength as it moved northeastward along County Road 40, heavily damaging a home, rolling a shed across the road, and causing tree damage. Continuing northeastward into the Old Kingston community, the tornado rapidly intensified to EF3 strength as it crossed County Road 43. Several mobile homes were obliterated and swept away, with debris being scattered long distances across fields. A frame from one mobile home was thrown into an open field. The tornado threw multiple vehicles, tossing one truck through the air and leaving a crater where it impacted the ground. Many large trees were snapped and denuded as well, with some debarked observed. Just to the northeast, the tornado crossed Sandy Ridge Road, where numerous double-wide and single-wide mobile homes were completely obliterated, more vehicles were tossed, and many trees were shredded and partially debarked. Five people were killed in this area in different manufactured homes that were swept away. EF3 damage continued just northeast of this area, as a large metal power pole was bent to the ground near County Road 21. Two nearby frame homes had much of their roofs torn off, with the damage to those residences rated EF2. Next encountering County Road 140, the now large tornado continued to produce EF3 damage as more mobile homes were completely swept away. The contents of at least four homes were blown over to the north, leaving only empty foundations behind. Two more fatalities occurred in separate homes that were obliterated. The tornado continued to throw vehicles considerable distances, including one pickup truck that had its cab separated from the bed, while many trees were snapped or sheared off. This included entire stands of pine trees that were mowed down east of County Road 140 and along County Road 42. Based on the damage scene and contextual evidence, it was acknowledged by damage surveyors that the tornado may have had stronger winds here. However, as the only structures that were destroyed in this area were mobile homes, the highest wind speed estimate that could be applied was , which is mid-range EF3. A truck in Old Kingston that had its cab violently ripped out

A truck in Old Kingston that had its cab violently ripped out

Beyond this point, the tornado narrowed some, but maintained low-end EF3 intensity as it moved northeastward, snapping and debarking dozens of hardwood trees. A two-story home on the west side of County Road 57 had much of its second floor destroyed, with multiple exterior walls knocked down on both the first and second floors. The tornado weakened slightly to high-end EF2 intensity after crossing the road, tearing the roofs off of two site-built homes and destroying a large outbuilding structure. A few other homes were damaged to a lesser degree in this area, and large trees were snapped. After downing additional trees, the tornado continued at high-end EF2 strength as it crossed over County Road 62. A house in this area sustained major structural damage, losing its roof and some exterior walls, with several walls from the central part of the house being destroyed and strewn into the back yard. A nearby mobile home was destroyed at high-end EF1 strength, and some other site-built homes sustained less severe damage. The tornado then briefly weakened to high-end EF1 intensity, with damage being limited to downed trees, but reached EF2 intensity again and grew in size as it crossed

I-65 Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major north–south interstate highway in the central United States. As with most primary interstates ending in 5, it is a major crosscountry, north–south route, connecting between the Great Lakes and the Gulf ...

and

US 31 U.S. Route 31 or U.S. Highway 31 (US 31) is a major north–south U.S. highway connecting southern Alabama to northern Michigan. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with US 90/ US 98 in Spanish Fort, Alabama. I ...

in the Pine Level community south of Marbury. Several homes sustained roof damage, outbuildings were damaged or destroyed, a mobile home was rolled off its foundation and destroyed, and numerous trees were snapped or uprooted in this area. Continuing to the northeast, the tornado produced additional EF2 damage as it moved through the Pine Flat community. Multiple site-built homes had their roofs partially or completely removed, and a mobile home was swept away and destroyed. The Wadsworth Baptist Church, housed in a large metal building, sustained considerable damage as well. Additional EF2 damage continued beyond Pine Flat as a house had its roof torn off and another home sustained roof and exterior wall loss. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted in this area, and two mobile homes were destroyed. NEXRAD radar scan of the tornado at peak intensity in Old Kingston

NEXRAD radar scan of the tornado at peak intensity in Old Kingston

Continuing at EF2 strength, the tornado crossed into northwestern Elmore County and passed near

Lightwood Lightwood may refer to: Trees * ''Acacia implexa'', Australian tree * Fatwood, the resinous core of the pine tree, in the Southern United States Places United Kingdom * Lightwood, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire * Lightwood, Derbyshire * Li ...

, where more homes were mostly or entirely unroofed, mobile homes were destroyed, and many trees were downed. The tornado briefly weakened to EF1 strength as it crossed the

Coosa River The Coosa River is a tributary of the Alabama River in the U.S. states of Alabama and Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, ac ...

, downing multiple trees in a wooded area before it reached EF2 intensity again north of

, snapping countless pine trees and unroofing another home as it crossed County Road 29 and Grays Ferry Road. The tornado again weakened to EF1 intensity, downing more trees as it crossed into Coosa County. The tornado then became slightly larger and re-intensified back to EF2 strength as it crossed over

US 231 U.S. Route 231 (US 231) is a north–south U.S highway that is a parallel route of US 31. It runs for from St. John, Indiana, at US 41 to south of US 98 in downtown Panama City, Florida. One of its most notable landmark ...

, snapping many large trees and inflicting heavy roof damage to a home along County Road 304. Just past this point, the tornado rapidly intensified again as it approached

, and a large swath of trees was completely mowed down along McKissick Road. All trees in the center of the path were snapped close to their bases, and some debarking was noted. This area of intense tree damage was given a low-end EF3 rating. The tornado then widened some more as it continued northeastward, causing EF2-level tree damage before strengthening back to EF3 intensity along County Roads 14 and 18 northwest of Equality. Several vehicles were moved or flipped, numerous trees were snapped, and a few site-built homes sustained major structural damage, including a poorly anchored house that was completely leveled. The tornado then quickly narrowed and weakened back to EF1 intensity as it crossed over SR 9 to the north of Equality, where a mobile home and a site-built home suffered roof damage. The tornado continued into

Tallapoosa County Tallapoosa County is a county located in the east-central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama."ACES Tallapoosa County Office" (links/history), Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), 2007, webpageACES-Tallapoosa As of the 2020 census, t ...

as it maintained EF1 strength. Damage along this portion of the path was almost entirely limited to downed trees, though at least one home sustained minor roof damage. The tornado then grew in size again and caused additional EF1 damage as it moved through Wind Creek State Park and over Elkahatchee Creek just south of Alexander City, snapping more trees before shrinking and re-strengthening back to EF2 intensity as it crossed the

Tallapoosa River The Tallapoosa River runs U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 27, 2011 from the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United Sta ...

along the north side of

near the

US 280 U.S. Route 280 (US 280) is a spur of U.S. Highway 80. It currently runs for 392 miles (631 km) from Blitchton, Georgia, at US 80 to Birmingham, Alabama at I-20/ I-59. For much of its route, US 280 travels through rural areas and smaller ...

bridge. Many homes were damaged at this location, including several that had their roofs ripped off, and a few that had some loss of exterior walls as well. Boat houses were also destroyed, and dozens of large hardwood trees were snapped and uprooted. The heavy damage in this area was partly attributed to the tornado's interaction with the lake surface, as well as the exposed nature of the homes, since most of the structures inland seemed to be "sheltered" by adjacent heavily wooded areas. This was also the last area of EF2 damage from the tornado. After crossing US 280 near

Sturdivant Sturdivant can refer to: * Sturdivant (surname) * Sturdivant, Missouri * The Sturdivant Gang The Sturdivant Gang was a multi-generational, family gang of counterfeiters, whose criminal activities took place over a fifty-year peri ...

, the tornado weakened significantly to EF0 strength, snapping tree branches and uprooting softwood trees. South of

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park Horseshoe Bend National Military Park is a 2,040-acre, U.S. national military park managed by the National Park Service that is the site of the penultimate battle of the Creek War on March 27, 1814. The military park is located in Tallapoosa ...

near Sessions, the tornado reached EF1 intensity again, snapping or uprooting several trees, damaging outbuildings, and inflicting minor damage to homes. The tornado then weakened back to EF0 intensity, inflicting minor damage to trees and mobile homes several miles south of Daviston, before restrengthening back to EF1 intensity for the last time as it moved into Chambers County, snapping or uprooting several trees. The tornado then weakened to high-end EF0 strength south of Union Hill. It continued to inflict minor damage to outbuildings and downed more trees before striking

Penton Penton was a rebadged American brand of off-road enduro motorcycles designed by John Penton and manufactured by KTM in Austria for distribution in the United States between 1968 and 1978. History Origins John Penton was an accomplished America ...

, where some EF0 tree damage occurred. The tornado then dissipated just east of Penton, west-northwest of White Plains at 2:08 p.m. CST (20:08 UTC) after traveling , which resulted in this becoming the sixth longest-tracked tornado in Alabama history. A total of seven people were killed by this tornado, and at least 16 others were injured.

Hollonville–Griffin–Experiment–Locust Grove, Georgia

As the EF2 Alps tornado was occluding and weakening, a new circulation southeast of it within the same parent supercell produced this large, intense rain-wrapped tornado that touched down just a mile west of the community of Hollonville in Pike County along SR 362 at 4:10 p.m. EST (21:11 UTC). After causing EF0 tree and roof damage at the beginning of its path, the tornado strengthened to EF1 intensity as it continued to the northeast, snapping and uprooting numerous trees. Around this time, the broad mesocyclone responsible for this tornado produced three other tornadoes in quick succession, while this tornado abruptly turned to the north-northeast and weakened as crossed into Spalding County, producing only sporadic EF0 tree damage. As it reached Blanton Mill Road, the tornado made a sharp to turn to the east and strengthened back to EF1 strength, snapping and uprooting trees and causing major roof damage to an outbuilding on Rover-Zetella Road as it entered the west edge of

. As it began grow in size after crossing the road, the tornado rapidly intensified to high-end EF3 strength as it entered a small residential subdivision along West Road and Kendall Drive. Several homes were either heavily damaged or completely destroyed in this area, including two poorly anchored homes that were leveled and swept off their foundations. A resident inside one of the homes took shelter in a bathtub which, along with all the plumbing, was ripped off the foundation and thrown into nearby woods, though he was not injured. Intense tree damage was also noted in this area, and winds were estimated to have reached . The tornado then absorbed two of the other tornadoes to its south and weakened to EF2 strength, but grew to over a mile-wide as it crossed SR 16 and moved through additional residential areas in the western part of Griffin. Many trees were downed, and homes in neighborhoods in The Club at Shoal Creek area and along North Pine Hill Drive sustained EF1 to EF2 damage. Maintaining its strength, the tornado then moved into

, an unincorporated community located on the north side of Griffin near the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

campus.

Multiple homes and some businesses in Experiment suffered extensive damage, with the damage in this area being rated EF1 to EF2. Many power lines and trees were downed, and several large trees fell onto homes, causing major structural damage. A

Hobby Lobby Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., formerly Hobby Lobby Creative Centers, is an American retail company. It owns a chain of arts and crafts stores with a volume of over $5 billion in 2018. The chain has 1,001 stores in 48 U.S. states. The Green family fo ...

had a large portion of its roof torn off, and also sustained partial collapse of masonry exterior walls on the northeast side of the building. Debris was strewn throughout the area, and multiple vehicles were flipped and tossed. Damage to the Hobby Lobby building was rated high-end EF2, with winds estimated at . The UGA campus suffered EF0 damage, and a weather station in the area recorded a wind gust as the storm passed by, while another at the UGA Dempsey Farm recorded a wind gust of before the anemometer instrument was blown off the tower. To the northeast of Experiment, the tornado produced high-end EF1 damage as it moved through the northeastern fringes of Griffin, downing many trees and inflicting moderate to severe damage to homes and other structures near East McIntosh Road. Damage then became less severe and more sporadic as the tornado exited the Griffin area, and the damage path narrowed as it crossed North McDonough Road and Amelia Road. The tornado continued at EF1 intensity as it moved into Henry County. Crossing

I-75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes and Southeastern United States, Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end ...

, the tornado strengthened back to high-end EF1 intensity as it struck two neighborhoods on the south side of Locust Grove. Numerous homes were damaged by tornadic winds or falling trees in this area. The tornado crossed over

US 23 U.S. Route 23 or U.S. Highway 23 (US 23) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway between Jacksonville, Florida, and Mackinaw City, Michigan. It is an original 1926 route which originally reached only as far south a ...

and entered neighborhoods in the eastern part of Locust Grove, where more trees were downed, and additional homes were damaged. The tornado exited Locust Grove and continued to the northeast, causing more EF1 damage along Peeksville Road before weakening to EF0 strength as it crossed Wolf Creek Road. The damage path of the tornado became less defined and dissipated near Collins Way at 4:45 p.m. EST (21:45 UTC). Damage assessments indicated that approximately 1,465 homes were affected in the city of Griffin, and 754 were affected in other areas of Spalding County, with at least 250+ that were destroyed or sustained significant damage. The tornado was on the ground for a total of and injured 18 people.

East Griffin–Jenkinsburg–Jackson Lake, Georgia

This large and strong tornado was spawned by a secondary circulation within the same parent supercell that produced the EF3 Griffin tornado to its north, paralleling the path of the stronger tornado. It first touched down just southeast of East Griffin in Spalding County at 4:27 pm EST (21:27 UTC) and moved northeastward. It immediately reached EF1 strength and first snapped or uprooted multiple trees along Crouch Road and Wild Plum Road before striking a Rinnai Corporation building, damaging the roof and exterior walls, and blowing out several windows. The tornado then quickly intensified to high-end EF2 intensity as it crossed SR 16, and a well-built home in this area had severe roof and structural damage, while many large trees were snapped or uprooted as well. As the tornado continued northeastward, it weakened back to EF1 intensity, downing numerous trees as it approached

. As it crossed I-75, the tornado became the dominant circulation within the parent supercell as the EF3 Griffin tornado to the north began to occlude and weaken. As a result, this tornado's wind field grew in size as it moved into Butts County, producing high-end EF1 to low-end EF2 damage near Dean Patrick Road and England Chapel Road, as numerous trees were snapped or uprooted in this area. Maintaining its strength, the tornado continued to the northeast and inflicted considerable damage to several homes along Shiloah Road, Plaza Drive, and Smith Drive. The tornado then impacted Jenkinsburg, where trees were downed, and a large warehouse building was significantly damaged along

. The roof and exterior walls of the structure were severely damaged, with debris strewn across the roadway. Adjacent to the highway on the

Norfolk Southern Railway The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...

line, three rail cars on a train were derailed. Some outbuilding structures were also damaged or destroyed, and damage in the Jenkinsburg area was rated high-end EF1 to low-end EF2. The tornado then weakened to EF1 strength as it continued to the northeast of town. The EF3 Griffin tornado to its north then dissipated at 4:45 p.m. EST (21:45 UTC), but another tornado, rated EF1, quickly formed from the remnant circulation four minutes later and paralleled this tornado for nearly to the

area. The damage paths of the two tornadoes were right next to each other at times and covered a combined width of . As this tornado passed south of Worthville, it quickly intensified back to EF2 strength, causing widespread significant damage to trees and homes in several neighborhoods along SR 36 west of Jackson Lake. One tree fell on a car on Haley Road, killing the passenger and critically injuring the driver. Maintaining EF2 intensity, the tornado then moved through the southern part Newton County and caused additional major damage to houses in several neighborhoods along the shore of Jackson Lake, both west of and along SR 212. The EF1 tornado to the north of this tornado then dissipated after the latter had entered Jasper County at 4:57 p.m. EST (21:57 UTC). It then caused intermittent EF1 to low-end EF2 damage after crossing the county line. The Bear Creek Marina and several campers were destroyed along this segment of the path. The tornado then became weak, damaging more trees at EF0 intensity as it approached and crossed SR 11, before dissipating near Margery Lake at 5:01 pm EST (22:01 UTC). The tornado was on the ground for . In addition to the fatality, ten other people were injured. An indirect fatality was attributed to this tornado the following day when a state transportation worker was knocked out of a bucket truck by a falling tree limb while trying to restore powerlines after the storm in Jasper County.

Impacts

Alabama Governor

Kay Ivey Kay Ellen Ivey ( ; born October 15, 1944) is an American politician who is the 54th governor of Alabama, serving since 2017. A Republican since 2002, Ivey was the 38th Alabama state treasurer from 2003 to 2011 and the 30th lieutenant governor o ...

declared a state of emergency in Autauga, Chambers, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore and Tallapoosa counties, as did Georgia Governor

Brian Kemp Brian Porter Kemp (born November 2, 1963) is an American politician serving as the 83rd governor of Georgia since 2019. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Kemp served as the state's 27th Georgia Secretary of Sta ...

for the whole state. These declarations were followed on January 15 by a major disaster declaration in Alabama by

President Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice president from 2009 to 2017 and re ...

, making federal funds available to victims of the storms (as well as affected local governments, organizations, and businesses) in Autauga and Dallas counties.

Casualties

At least nine fatalities resulted, eight of which were direct. Seven occurred in mobile homes in Old Kingston, Alabama from an EF3 tornado; the other occurred in

Butts County, Georgia Butts County is a county in the West Central region of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,434,US 2020 Census Bureau report, Butts County, Georgia up from 23,655 in 2010. The county seat is Jackson. The ...

when an EF2 tornado knocked a tree down on a car, killing a five-year old passenger and critically injuring the parent driving. This tornado was also responsible for an indirect fatality the following day when a lineman was knocked out of a bucket truck after being struck by a large tree branch while attempting to restore powerlines in Jasper County. Multiple injuries also occurred. An Alabama state trooper was hospitalized when his patrol vehicle was struck by a falling tree.

Closures

In anticipation of severe weather, multiple school districts closed early in Alabama and Georgia. The

campus closed because of damage to buildings and trees on campus from an EF3 tornado.

Power outages

Approximately 37,000 people in Alabama and more than 78,000 in Georgia were without power by the evening of January 12, figures which included but were not limited to severe weather outages.

Notes

References

External links