May 03-04, 2021
Severe Weather and Tornadoes
The May 3-4, 2021 severe weather event in Georgia was part of a multi-day tornado outbreak across the Southeastern U.S., featuring scattered supercell thunderstorms that produced tornadoes, damaging winds, large hail in some spots, and heavy rainfall leading to localized flooding. It was less intense than the March 25-26 outbreak but still notable for metro Atlanta impacts.
The primary activity occurred on Monday, May 3, 2021 (afternoon into evening), with lingering effects into the early hours of Tuesday, May 4.
Five tornadoes were spawned on May 3rd with additional numerous reports of damaging winds and one tornado on May 4th. In addition, due to multiple rounds of thunderstorms, heavy rainfall totals brought localized flooding to some areas of north Georgia both days.
Key Highlights
- Tornado Count in Georgia: At least 6 confirmed tornadoes on May 3 (mostly weak EF-0 to EF-1), plus damaging winds and one additional tornado on May 4 (per NWS Atlanta summary). All were relatively short-lived and low-end in strength compared to violent events.
- Notable Tornadoes (from NWS Peachtree City/Atlanta surveys):
- EF-1 in Douglas County (near Bill Arp to Fouts Mill area): ~1.45 miles long, 250 yd wide; trees snapped/uprooted, falling on at least 10 homes; peak winds ~90-100 mph.
- EF-1 in Fulton County/Southwest Atlanta: ~5.8 miles long, 400 yd wide; peak winds 110 mph; touched down in an industrial area east of the Chattahoochee River, with tree/power line damage and some structural impacts in urban/suburban zones.
- EF-1 in Madison County: Afternoon supercell-produced; tree damage starting east of the county, some structural effects.
- EF-0 in Walton County (near Gratis): Brief, ~1.4 miles; snapped trees, minor fence/home damage.
- EF-0 in Oglethorpe County: ~2 miles long, 200 yd wide; peak ~80 mph; mainly tree snaps.
- EF-1 in Douglas County (brief, along North Summers Circle): Tree uprooting/snapping at start.
- Additional weak tornadoes reported in other north/central areas.
- Casualties and Broader Impacts:
- 2 non-tornadic fatalities in Georgia (both from falling trees onto vehicles/homes amid high winds/tornado activity).
- No direct tornado fatalities, but injuries possible from wind/tree events.
- Widespread tree/power line damage across north and central Georgia, scattered hail reports, and power outages.
- Heavy rain (widespread 2-4 inches, locally greater than 5 inches) caused localized flooding in north Georgia.
- Other Activity:
- Numerous severe thunderstorm warnings; damaging straight-line winds reported in various counties.
- Part of a larger outbreak (May 2-4) producing ~97 confirmed tornadoes nationwide, mostly weak, with activity shifting west/east on May 4 (less focus on Georgia).
- Context:: This followed the violent March 25-26 EF-4 Newnan event by about 5-6 weeks. The May setup featured high moisture/instability but weaker shear overall, leading to shorter, lower-end tornado paths. Metro Atlanta saw direct hits (e.g., southwest Fulton/Douglas), prompting significant local media coverage and cleanup.
Recovery was quicker than in March due to lower overall damage scale, though tree/flood issues lingered in spots. Stay weather-aware—May can bring sneaky severe setups in Georgia!
May 03-04 Tornadoes
May 03-04 Warnings
May 03-04 Rain
