Macon is ‘under the gun’ for tornado threat and severe weather, meteorologist says

A strong storm system is expected to hit Middle Georgia beginning Sunday evening and into Monday morning, bringing heavy rain, gusting winds, and a chance of tornadoes and hail.

National Weather Service meteorologist Dylan Lusk told The Telegraph on Sunday that based on the atmospheric conditions, there could be a similar event to last week, when tornadoes hit the Middle Georgia area, including one on Zebulon Road in Macon.

The biggest difference is Middle Georgia is forecast as the primary location for severe weather as the warm air is expected to stall out between Macon and Atlanta. The storms are not expected to move as far north as they did last week.

“The place that we have the greatest parameter for tornadoes is just south of where that front is, which unfortunately is going to be from Columbus to Macon,” Lusk said. “Central Georgia will be right under the gun.”

There is potential for supercell thunderstorms, which is are the strongest on the thunderstorm spectrum. Lusk said they tend to bring the best chance for tornadoes.

Wind gusts up to 75 mph are possible, along with hail and the potential for multiple tornadoes.

“We will have a chance for very strong storms will fire up, and with that we will have a chance for some long-track tornadoes that could be strong,” Lusk said. “This has the potential to be a significant weather event for the Central Georgia area.”

The line of storms is expected to move in around 3-4 p.m. and last til after midnight, depending on when the warm air slides northward and the cold air moves in.

Lusk said now is the time to prepare for severe weather and to make sure you have multiple ways of getting alerts, especially at night so that it will wake you up if you are asleep.

Those in mobile homes should seek shelter in an alternate location if possible, and he said do not wait for a warning to be issued to take action.

“We encourage you as soon as you get a warning you need to have a safe place to go to in your home. That is usually going to be a place that has as many walls between you and the outside of your home as possible,” Lusk said. “The sooner that you start thinking about these things the better.”