Conyers/Abbeville Tornadoes – March 31, 1973

This is the account of the tornado that is provided in Storm Data.  Some of the details in Storm Data are different than the SPC data.  It lists a width of 200-600 yards and a path length of 75 miles.  Also, the NCDC lists Clayton, Walton Oconee, Clarke, and Oglethorpe Counties as being affected by this tornado.

Per Storm Data: “A devastating tornado moved east-northeast through north-central Georgia causing extremely heavy and almost continuous damage along a 75-mile path.  The width of the storm’s destructive path varied from 200 yards to almost one-half mile.  The storm first touched down near Jonesboro, in Clayton County around 5:30 p.m.  It moved through parts of 6 counties before dissipating in southwestern Madison County, about 10 miles east-northeast of Athens.  Two persons were killed and more than 100 injured.  Most of the injuries were minor.  One man lost his life east of Monroe and a woman was killed near Athens when the pickup truck in which she was riding was taken high into the air and dropped.  

A state survey team estimated total damage at more than $113 million, the largest for any natural disaster in the State’s history.  The damage estimates were broken down as follows:  400 homes destroyed, 1784 homes damaged, total home damage $24 million; 32 businesses destroyed, 76 businesses damaged, total business damaged $74 million; timber and other damage nearly $20 million.  

The greatest destruction occurred in the Conyers area of Rockdale County were total losses were estimated at almost $75 million.  The Athens area of Clarke County suffered the second-highest losses at about $24 million. Other Counties with substantial damage were Clayton, Henry, DeKalb, Walton, Oconee, and Madison.  The damage to business property left 1500 persons jobless and an estimated 2500 persons were homeless. The area of the storm’s path was designated a national disaster area.”

By reading the description in the Storm Data Publication it would seem as though the F2 rating is too low, as this was a very destructive tornado.  When you Look in Significant Tornadoes you can see that this tornado was rated F4 and broken into two different tornadoes.  This is echoed by Dr. Fujita, who personally surveyed the damage and found that damage was caused by two F4 tornadoes.

The first tornado listed in Significant Tornadoes we will refer to as the Conyers Tornado had a path length of 33 miles and a path width of 300 yards.  It killed 1 person and injured 80.  Grazulis lists Clayton, Henry, Dekalb, Rockdale and Walton Counties.

Per Significant Tornadoes:  It moved “east-northeast from two miles northeast of Jonesboro, passing along the north edge of Conyers, and lifting 7 miles west of Monroe.  The tornado was over a half-mile wide near Conyers, and losses at Conyers alone totaled $75,000,000.  In that area, 400 homes were destroyed and over 1700 damaged.  One industrial complex had a $15,000,000 loss.  A woman eventually died from injuries sustained in her Rockdale County home.  That death is not on the official totals for this event.  15 people were injured at a rest home north of Stockbridge.”

The second tornado which we will dub the Athens tornado had a path length of 35 miles and a path width of 200 yards.  It killed 2 people and injured 20. Grazulis lists Walton, Oconee, Clarke, and Madison counties.

Per Significant Tornadoes “Shortly after the previous tornado dissipated west of Monroe this tornado touched down about 3 miles west-southwest of Monroe.  It continued to the east-northeast and northeast, passing 2 miles north of Monroe and then just outside the north edge of Athens. The funnel dissipated 10 miles east-northeast of Athens, north of Colbert.  Athens area losses totaled $24,000,000.  One man was killed in the destruction of his home east of Monroe, on US-78.  A woman was killed north of Athens when the pick-up truck was picked up and thrown into a liquor store on US-441.  Over 1000 acres of forest were leveled in Oconee County alone.”

And as you can see by the map below made by Dr. Fujita, these were rated at F4 and as two separate tornadoes.  It is not clear why the rating is F2 by the SPC and why it is listed as one long-tracked tornado when the survey by Fujita found it to be 2 separate tornadoes.