Event narrative (NOAA)
A tornado touched down near Esom Hill in extreme southwest Polk County near the Alabama/Georgia border. The tornado traveled 9 miles and destroyed 500 homes, 40 businesses, and 14 churches, mobile homes, and downed trees. Damage path was approximately 0.5 mile wide. Nearly the entire town of Cedartown was without power due to downed power lines which included 15,000 homes and businesses. Most industries in the Cedartown Industrial Park were damaged by the tornado including HON Industries which had the back half of its office furniture manufacturing plant blown off by the storm. The tornado also damaged the Star Manufacturing building, Zartic Inc. frozen food processing plant, Rome Plow County plant, Coca Cola distribution warehouse, Arrow Shirt Factory, and Cedar Valley Container Corp
Other notable tornado 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.