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August 17, 2021
Remnants of Tropical Storm Fred

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The August 17, 2021 Tropical Storm Fred event in Georgia involved the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred, which made landfall in the Florida Panhandle late on August 16 as a strong tropical storm (peak winds ~65 mph) before rapidly weakening to a tropical depression as it moved northward into southeastern Alabama and then across western and northern Georgia on August 17.

The primary impacts in Georgia occurred on Tuesday, August 17, as the system accelerated northeastward, producing heavy rainfall, localized flash flooding, and an unusual outbreak of tornadoes embedded in the tropical moisture.

Tropical Storm Fred made landfall near Cape San Blas in the Florida panhandle as a tropical storm with sustained winds as high as 65 mph on the afternoon of August 16, 2021. Fred then quickly weakened as it moved inland across southeastern Alabama and into western Georgia by the early morning hours of August 17th. Fortunately, the weakening system allowed winds to diminish before reaching the NWS Atlanta forecast area, with peak gusts remaining largely below 40 mph locally.

As the weakening storm moved northward, tropical moisture overspread central and north Georgia, bringing widespread heavy rainfall. This heavy rainfall led to localized flooding issues through the day on August 17th. Additionally, as Georgia was situated on the active eastern side of the storm, seven tornadoes were spawned in the NWS Atlanta forecast area in convective cells in the outer bands from the predawn hours into the late morning. Damage was limited to EF-0 to EF-1 intensity, and no one was injured in these tornadoes.

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Key Highlights

• Rainfall and Flooding:
  • Widespread 2–6 inches of rain across much of the state, with isolated higher amounts (up to ~7–8 inches in spots, though the heaviest catastrophic flooding was farther north in the southern Appalachians of NC/SC).
  • Metro Atlanta: ~2–3 inches in a short period (nearly 3 inches overnight at Atlanta airport, a mid-August record), leading to localized flash flooding, ponding on roads (including major issues along Interstate 85), tree falls (e.g., large tree uprooted onto a home and gas line in Atlanta), and scattered power outages.
  • Southwestern Georgia saw higher totals (e.g., ~6 inches in Blakely), contributing to flash flooding concerns.
  • Overall, the flooding was mostly localized/minor in Georgia compared to the devastating flash floods in western North Carolina (where Fred's remnants caused catastrophic impacts and fatalities).
• Tornado Activity:
  • At least 6–8 confirmed tornadoes across Georgia on August 17 (part of ~20 reported across GA/SC/NC while Fred was still tropical).
  • Notable ones included:
    • EF-1 in Sumter County (near Americus): Touched down early morning (~1:25 AM EDT), damaged at least 100 homes and an apartment complex.
    • EF-1 in Banks County (northeast of Atlanta): Destroyed a mobile home and a horse stable in Homer (horses rescued); significant tree/home damage.
    • Unconfirmed tornado in Jeffersonville (Twiggs County): Ripped roof off a sports goods warehouse.
    • Other weak/brief tornadoes or spin-ups in various north/central areas.
  • 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).
• Tornado watches were issued for much of Georgia due to the embedded supercells in the moist, unstable environment.
• Other Impacts:
  • Scattered wind damage from thunderstorms (tree/power line issues).
  • No widespread tropical-storm-force winds reported in most of Georgia (likely limited to far southwestern edges near the AL/FL border).
  • No direct fatalities in Georgia from Fred (though the system caused deaths elsewhere, primarily in NC flooding).
• Context:
  • Fred was a short-lived tropical storm that formed in the Caribbean, affected Hispaniola/Puerto Rico, then the Southeast U.S.
  • In Georgia, the event was driven by remnant moisture, instability, and shear allowing for tornadoes despite weakening circulation.
  • This followed the severe thunderstorm outbreaks earlier in 2021 (e.g., March EF-4 in Newnan, May tornadoes/flooding).

The National Weather Service Atlanta (Peachtree City/FFC) office has a dedicated summary page on the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred, including rainfall maps, tornado surveys, and photos. Impacts were significant but short-lived, with quick recovery in most areas compared to the Appalachian flooding farther north. As someone tracking weather in north Georgia (Nelson area), note that north-central zones saw some of the tornado and flash flood reports—always good to review NWS local storm reports for specifics!

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