(The following was submitted by Bryce Barrett, Public Information Office for White County Public Safety)
(Cleveland)- We are in the midst of Georgia’s Severe Weather Preparedness Week! With today’s theme being “Tornado Safety” we want to share some recent news that will impact early detection and warning of tornados in our area.
Many citizens of White County recall the morning of March 20, 1998, when an F3 tornado struck in parts of northern Hall County and White County. At 6:27 am the first chatter came across police radio to indicate that there was an issue. A Dawson County Sheriff’s Deputy was struck and killed by another vehicle when she stopped to assist a motorist who had been involved in a weather-related accident. Within minutes, the tornado was confirmed as it moved through northern Hall County striking Lanier Elementary and North Hall High School. The tornado then moved through Clermont and into White County. Throughout its 18-minute duration, the tornado claimed the lives of 13 people, 11 in Hall County and 2 in White County.
The 1998 tornado led to the appointment of a committee to study steps that could be taken to improve early detection and increase warning times. White County’s Director of Public Safety, David Murphy, was among many local area EMA Directors that served on this committee. One of the final and major recommendations proposed by the committee was a “gap-filling” radar that will allow for early detection of storm systems, especially those in the lower atmosphere.
After many years the “gap-filling” radar has come to fruition through a partnership between the University of Georgia and Georgia Institute of Technology. The Furuno WR-2100 radar will be located in Gwinnett County and be used by each university for teaching initiatives and shared with the National Weather Service and other interested organizations.
White County Emergency Management’s Division Chief Don Strength comments on the advancement, “This is great news for the North and Northeast Georgia regions. This will allow forecasters to see this part of the state much better which will lead to quicker warnings and fewer false warnings.”
