Event narrative (NOAA)
The Rockdale County Sheriff's Office reported that a large pine tree fell on a pickup truck traveling on Interstate 20 between Sigman Road and the DeKalb County line, killing the occupant. This accident resulted in a multiple-car pileup, as at least six other cars were involved in crashes as they tried to avoid the truck and the tree. The winds at the time were east at 15 to 20 MPH with gusts to 30 MPH and were associated with a wake low pressure gradient. Saturated soils due to recent heavy rainfall contributed to the tree falling.
Other notable strong wind events in Georgia
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.