Stats

Path length: 14.8 miles

Width:  500 yards

Fatalities:  3

Injuries:  152

Rating:  F3

County:  Fulton

Tornado Path

Click Map To Enlarge

SPC coordinates:  Start: 33.77 / -84.53   End:  33.90 / -84.33       

Note:  Exact tornado path may not be straight and/or continuous.

Summary

It is called the “Governor’s Tornado.”  The twister moved 14.8 miles through parts of Fulton County, GA, on March 24, 1975.  It began in West Atlanta, moved to the northeast at approximately 50 miles, and ended in the Brookhaven Area.  It hit an industrial area, two large apartment complexes, several businesses, and hundreds of “fine homes.”  It also hit the Governor’s Mansion located off West Paces Ferry Road.  550 families were reported homeless.  The damage was estimated at $56.5 million. 

Newspaper Clippings

Discrepancies:

We gathered information for this event from the SPC & NCDC Databases, the March 1975 Storm Data Publication and Thomas Grazulis in Significant Tornadoes and found the following differences:

Path Length:

  • SPC/NCDC have the length at 14.8 miles.  
  • Storm Data has a 12.6 mile path.
  • Grazulis lists a 13 mile path.

Width:

  • Grazulis lists the width at 400 yards.
  • All other sources list a 500 yard width.

    Sources:

    The Storm Prediction Center

    NCDC Storm Events Database

    March 1975 Storm Data Publication

    Monthly Weather Review Article about the event from August 1976

    newspapers.com

    Grazulis, Thomas P. (1993). Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Tornado Project of Environmental Films. Page 1173.

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    Note:  There are some images/videos in our summaries that were licensed to us to be used only on this website. If you would like to use an image/video in your project or blog, please contact us and we will grant permission if possible.

    Newspaper clips are embedded via newspapers.com. Please see their terms and conditions.

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