North Georgia Severe Storms Spawn EF-0 Tornado in Pickens County

A mesoscale convective system moved across North Georgia on Tuesday evening, producing straight‑line winds up to 75 mph in Catawba County, NC, and gusts of 30‑40 mph across numerous Georgia counties. Hundreds of trees were downed in Rabun, Towns, Union, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin, White, Dawson, Hall, Habersham and Stephens counties, and lightning struck a historic marble monument in Jasper.

The National Weather Service later confirmed an EF‑0 tornado in Pickens County with maximum winds of 80‑85 mph. The brief tornado caused sporadic damage along East Price Creek Road in Jasper, and more than 5,000 residents lost power. The NWS is still evaluating the tornado’s exact path and conducting damage surveys. Six tornado warnings and twenty severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for the region.