October 10, 2008
Tropical Storm Fay Event
The August 26, 2008 remnants of Tropical Storm Fay event in Georgia involved the weakening remnants of Tropical Storm Fay (a long-lived, erratic storm with a record four landfalls in Florida) accelerating northeastward as a depression/remnant low across Alabama and into northern and central Georgia on Tuesday, August 26. The system dissipated over Georgia on August 27, but its main Georgia impacts peaked on the 26th with heavy rain and an embedded tornado outbreak driven by remnant moisture, instability, and shear.
After making her last landfall on the gulf coast, Fay meandered through the deep south. By Tuesday August 26, she was approaching extreme northwest Georgia. Gusty southeast to south winds at the surface were topped by south to southwest winds aloft. This wind profile was favorable for tornadoes. For that reason, much of North and Central Georgia spent the day under a tornado watch. Georgians were apparently prepared, since at least 6 tornadoes occurred, but there were no serious injuries.
Key Highlights
Within the portion of central Georgia in the NWS Atlanta/Peachtree City county warning area, sustained winds of 40-50 mph with gusts in the 60-75+ mph range downed countless trees and power lines. Numerous trees fell onto homes and businesses, causing additional damage. The peak wind gust officially recorded within the local warning area was in Arabi, GA where a 76 mph gust was recorded. Even stronger wind gusts well over hurricane force (74+ mph) were recorded in southwest Georgia in the NWS Tallahassee county warning area. Power outages lasted up to a week or even a bit longer for some areas. Below is a map displaying many of the strong wind gusts recorded across the state during Hurricane Michael.
- Tornado Activity (Primary Severe Feature):
- At least 6 confirmed tornadoes struck northern and central Georgia on August 26 (part of a larger 28-tornado outbreak across central/northern Georgia and western South Carolina from Fay's remnants).
- These were mostly weak/short-lived (EF-0 to low-end EF-1), but produced notable damage: tree/power line snaps, minor structural impacts (e.g., roofs damaged, homes/businesses affected), and at least 2 minor injuries in Commerce (Jackson County) from one tornado.
- NWS Atlanta (Peachtree City/FFC) documented these in surveys; they were embedded in rain bands rather than from a strong circulation.
- Rainfall and Flooding:
- Widespread 3–8 inches of rain across much of north and central Georgia (5-day totals in spots reached 6–8 inches in north Georgia areas like Hall County).
- Helped alleviate extreme drought conditions prevalent in northern Georgia/northern Alabama at the time, with beneficial soaking rains rather than catastrophic flooding (unlike Florida's historic inland flooding from Fay).
- Localized flash flooding, ponding on roads, and minor stream rises reported, but no widespread major flooding or fatalities from water in Georgia (one drowning death in Grady County earlier in the event tied to Fay's rains).
- Wind and Other Impacts:
- Scattered gusty winds (damaging in spots from thunderstorms), downed trees/power lines, and minor structural damage.
- Agricultural benefits from rain, though some crop impacts possible from wind/tornadoes.
- No major power outages or widespread structural devastation in Georgia (far less intense than coastal Florida effects).
- One child fatality earlier in the event (young boy swept away in a drainage ditch in Grady County, southern Georgia), but not specifically on August 26.
- Context:
- Fay was unusual for its slow, looping track over Florida (causing prolonged flooding there, 11+ deaths statewide) before finally moving inland northeast.
- In Georgia, impacts were mostly from remnant moisture fueling thunderstorms/tornadoes rather than direct tropical storm winds (system had weakened significantly by the time it reached the state).
- This helped end a severe drought in parts of the Southeast but highlighted how dying tropical systems can still produce surprise severe weather inland.
Overall, Georgia's effects were moderate and beneficial in drought relief compared to Florida's catastrophe—classic for a slow-weakening tropical remnant spawning embedded severe storms. In north Georgia, rain and possible isolated wind/tree issues would have been the main concerns!
August 26, 2008 - Tornado Map
