Dooly County, Georgia

An NWS Storm survey showed the tornado touched down along highway 27 at the Flint River near Drayton. The tornado hopped eastward along highway 27, demolishing pecan orchards and barns, before devastating the town of Vienna. It exited the town between 2 schools, with only minor damage to either. It later crossed I-75 between Georgia highways 27 and 215, blocking the Interstate with debris. The storm lifted a short distance east of there between Noble Gin Road and Smyrna Church Road. The EMA director said 25 percent of homes and businesses were destroyed or severely damaged. Of the 28 injuries the most serious was a broken leg. Newspaper accounts reported 69 houses, 15 mobile homes, and 9 businesses were destroyed. Another 256 homes, 12 churches, 10 mobile homes, and 6 businesses suffered damage. Three apartment complexes were ruined and 70 power poles were ripped from the ground. Around 400 people were left homeless in a town with a population of over 2700.

The Dooly County Sheriff's Office reported that there was extensive flooding of roads throughout the county. Several roads were closed by the Department of Transportation as the roads were impassable. The News Observer of Vienna reported that at least 60 roads in the county sustained damage in varying degrees. Portions of Vienna were evacuated as a precaution because of potential dam breaks and flash flooding. Rainfall of five to six inches was common with the northwest portion of the county receiving six to eight inches of rain.

A National Weather Service survey team found that an EF1 tornado with maximum wind speeds of 105 MPH and a maximum path width of 200 yards touched down in far |western Dooly county south of Highway 27 between River Road and Franklin Road. The|most substantial damage occurred to a home along Franklin Road where the 2nd floor was completely destroyed. The portion of the home destroyed was still in the finishing stages of construction. Tree damage was noted in the area around the home and a large irrigation system was flipped over in a nearby field. The tornado continued northeast crossing Highway 27 just east of where Ayers Road intersects and several |trees were snapped and uprooted where it crossed. The tornado continued northeast crossing Slosheye Trail where hundreds of trees were snapped and uprooted in a wooded area on either side of the road. As the tornado continued to the northeast it crossed Highway 90 snapping a few trees before weakening east of Pleasant Valley Road. No injuries were reported. [04/05/17: Tornado #5, County #1/1, EF-1, Dooly, 2017:064].