National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

March 17, 2018 White County Tornado

The tornado began at the Upper Chattahoochee River campground just south of the White/Union County border and traveled southeast across the WMA. An RV resort with a dozen or more Airstream RVs located on Highway 17 in unincorporated White County, was also struck by this tornado. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted in the resort, damaging or destroying 4 buildings and one unoccupied RV. Other large trees narrowly missed other occupied RVs. Opposite the RV resort nearly an entire stand of a few hundred trees was uprooted or snapped along the ridge face. This area received the maximum winds of 105 mph and maximum path width of 600 yards or 1/3rd of a mile. The tornado gradually weakened as it traveled southeast, downing trees, including on the roadway leading to Anna Ruby Falls, before dissipating just northwest of Unicoi State Park. In total, approximately one thousand trees were downed along the path of the storm. 

 

Damage Path - White County
County Rating  # of Injuries KML
White EF-1 0
  
Rating: EF-1
Peak Wind: 105 MPH
Path Length: 5.0 mile
Path Width: 500 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 0
Start Date: March 17, 2018
Start Time: 9:31 PM EDT
Start Location: 6.3 miles NNW of Helen
Start Lat/Lon: 34.7894 / -83.7894
End Date: March 17, 2018
End Time: 9:36 PM EDT
End Location: 2.6 miles NNE of Helen
End Lat/Lon: 34.7402 / -83.7190
 
 

A large tree fell on this structure.  Falling trees caused significant damage to this structure.
 

A large tree was uprooted next to an RV. A tree fell across the roadway.
 

Numerous trees snapped on the ridge overlooking the RV park.