Back in 2008, a weather phenomenon took place that was so powerful and so rare that it made history: A tornado hit downtown Atlanta.
On March 14, 2008, an EF2 tornado struck Downtown Atlanta, Georgia, causing significant damage and marking the first recorded tornado to hit the city’s core.
The tornado was part of a broader outbreak across the Southeastern United States on March 14–15, 2008. Here are the key details:
2008 Atlanta Tornado: How It Happened
The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning at 9:26 p.m., about eight minutes before the tornado hit, but no tornado watches were in effect due to a low 2% tornado risk forecast. The supercell’s southeast trajectory and the lack of optimal tornado conditions made the event unexpected.
The tornado, spawned by an isolated supercell thunderstorm, touched down around 9:38 p.m. EDT in the Vine City neighborhood, just west of Downtown Atlanta.
It carved a 6.25-mile path, moving southeast, which was unusual as most supercells in the region have a northward component.
The tornado was approximately 200 yards wide with maximum winds estimated at 130 mph.
Many people don’t think tornadoes and Atlanta go together, but that’s no longer the case.
“It is an area that gets more tornadoes than many people think,” Craig Croskery, P.h.D., founder of FindYourTornadoShelterOwner.com, told AtlantaFi.com.
Croskery said evacuating a tornado is not as straightforward as it sounds in a large metropolitan area like Atlanta.
“There are some complications when you’re dealing with a big city,” he said. “One of them is traffic. You don’t want to get caught in a car during a tornado.”
Here is footage of the 2008 tornado from CNN:
Landmarks Affected
The tornado caused widespread damage to iconic Atlanta structures, including the Georgia World Congress Center, CNN Center, Georgia Dome, Philips Arena, and the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel.
The Omni
The Omni Hotel lost 476 windows, and the CNN Center had over 1,600 windows shattered. Centennial Olympic Park saw two large light towers toppled, and historic Oakland Cemetery was damaged.
Georgia Dome Incident
The tornado struck during an SEC men’s basketball tournament game between Alabama and Mississippi State at the Georgia Dome.
The game had gone into overtime due to a clutch three-pointer by Alabama’s Mykal Riley, which likely kept thousands of fans inside, potentially saving lives as they avoided being outside during the tornado’s passage.
The storm tore a panel from the Dome’s roof, causing debris to fall and briefly halting play.
Atlanta’s Eastside
The tornado continued east, damaging the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill Lofts, Cabbagetown, and East Atlanta neighborhoods.
A warehouse near I-20 and the Cotton Mill Lofts saw significant structural damage, with parts of the roof and upper floors collapsing.
Cost and Damage
The Georgia insurance commissioner estimated damages at $250 million statewide, with $100 million at the Georgia World Congress Center alone, making it one of the most expensive tornadoes in U.S. history at the time
In raw U.S. dollars, it was the costliest tornado in Atlanta’s history, totaling about half a billion dollars.
- Casualties: One person was killed near Downtown Atlanta due to a building collapse, and at least 30 others were injured, mostly from flying glass and debris. On March 15, two additional deaths occurred in northwest Georgia (Polk and Floyd Counties) from a second wave of tornadoes.
- Response and Recovery: Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin declared a state of emergency on March 15, and Governor Sonny Perdue issued a state emergency declaration, enabling federal aid from FEMA. President Bush declared a major disaster on March 20.
- Emergency assistance: Help came from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), Highway Emergency Response Operators (HEROs), and surrounding counties.
- Events like the Atlanta Home Show and St. Patrick’s Day parade were canceled, and the SEC tournament was relocated to Georgia Tech’s smaller stadium.
- Aftermath and Resilience: Despite the devastation, Atlanta’s recovery was swift. The Georgia Dome reopened within 10 days for an Easter service, and the Georgia World Congress Center was fully operational within 42 days. Centennial Olympic Park and other landmarks have since flourished, with few physical reminders of the tornado remaining.
- Personal Accounts: Residents and meteorologists recalled the storm’s intensity, with some noting ground flashes from power lines as a key indicator of the tornado’s path at night. The event left a lasting impression, with many citing the overtime basketball game as a fortunate factor in reducing potential casualties.
Tornadoes: How To Stay Safe
Croskery, mentioned earlier, did part of a dissertation project on tornadoes after experiencing one in Mississippi during the COVID pandemic. The photo he took went viral.
His website FindYourTornadoShelterOwner.com helps communities stay safe by building tornado shelters in the event of a tornado.
“If you’re trying to build a tornado shelter on your own home, there are some pre-fab ones you can get. If it’s one for your community, or school, you’d have to build a giant dome or box,” he said. “There are materials out there that can withstand even the strongest tornadoes.”
“If a community wants to start a tornado shelter program, a fire station would be a great place to start,” he said.
The tornado was a rare and significant event for Atlanta, highlighting the city’s vulnerability to urban tornadoes and its resilience in rebuilding.
Final Word
All in all, the 2008 Atlanta tornado tore a historic hole in the city. Cleanup involved 1,100 trade workers logging 270,000 hours to repair 370,000 square feet of ceiling tiles, 725,000 square feet of roofing, and 100,000 square feet of building structure at the Georgia World Congress Center.
More recently, Atlanta has been hit by severe weather and the threat of possible tornadoes.
“Tornadoes can happen anytime of year,” Croskery said. “The most common times of year would be in the spring. The next common would be late in the fall, but they do happen pretty much at any time of year.”