page_title: Tornado outbreak of January 2, 2006
section_title: Storm history
hierarchical_section_title: Tornado outbreak of January 2, 2006 / Storm history
caption_attribution_description: English: Damage from the Henry County, Georgia tornado
context_page_description: The tornado outbreak of January 1–2, 2006, was one of the largest tornado outbreaks ever recorded in the month of January. The outbreak affected much of the Central and Southern United States and produced 20 tornadoes. The tornadoes caused considerable damage in the states of Kentucky and Georgia. There were no tornado related fatalities and only minor injuries were reported.
context_section_description: A low pressure system crossed over the Central United States and a short wave trough was forming over Texas, contributing to record warmth on January 1 and 2 in the lower Ohio Valley and southern United States. Areas from Missouri to Indiana reported temperatures reaching from the high 60s°F to mid 70s°F.
  On December 31, 2005 at 0600 UTC, in its day 1 forecast for January 1, 2006,  the Storm Prediction Center issued in a slight risk of severe storms for the United States Gulf Coast and Ohio Valley as scattered to numerous thunderstorms were forecast to form over Alabama and Florida Panhandle. At 1300 UTC, the SPC extended the slight risk for severe weather as the trough shifted eastward across the Mississippi River Valley and the southern Jet stream combined with increasing moisture shifting across the U.S. Gulf Coast and Southeastern United States. On January 1, 2006, the SPC then issued a moderate risk of severe weather for much of the Southeastern United States and extended the slight risk of severe weather for the Ohio Valley and West Virginia and Pennsylvania as a strong area of low pressure with a trailing cold front moves across South Carolina. The National Weather Service forecast that the combination of warm air and the low will bring thunderstorms, damaging hail and tornadoes across Georgia and South Carolina.
  On January 2, the SPC NEXRAD detected a convective band of thunderstorms forming over southeastern Georgia and northern Florida. The SPC issued in its outlook that southeastern Alabama, Florida Panhandle, Georgia and South Carolina could experience severe thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes. At 12:17 PM (EST), the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Tattnall County in southeastern Georgia as the NEXRAD weather radar detected a line of severe thunderstorms producing hail and winds up to 60 mph. Another severe thunderstorm warning was issued at 1:07 (EST) for Effingham County and Bulloch County. At 1:23 PM (EST), the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for southeastern Georgia and southeastern South Carolina. The National Weather Service then issued a tornado warning for Effingham and Chatham counties. After that, the thunderstorms continued to produce hail and high winds across much of Georgia and South Carolina, causing the NWS to issue more severe thunderstorm warnings and another tornado watch until 11:30 PM (EST). Elsewhere, thunderstorms also spawned numerous reports of tornadoes, hail and high winds in Kentucky, Indiana. Overall there were 19 confirmed tornadoes across the Southeastern United States.
caption: Tornado damage in Henry County.
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