The cold front that stalled across central Georgia on March 1st began advancing back north as a warm front the morning of March 2nd.  A secondary, and stronger, cold front moved across the Tennessee Valley late on Friday, advancing into Georgia Friday evening and into central Georgia early Saturday morning.  Very warm and moist air ahead of the cold front provided for sufficient instability to produce widespread strong to severe thunderstorms across the region.  One supercell produced two tornadoes in north Georgia - an EF3 in Haralson and Paulding Counties and an EF1 in Cobb County.  Large hail, damaging winds, and flash flooding also occurred with these storms.

Hail in GORDON, GEORGIA
From 02-MAR-12 22:47:00 to 02-MAR-12 22:52:00 (EST-5)
Location: ECHOTA
Magnitude: 0.75 
Reported by: Public

The public reported penny-size hail in Calhoun.

Lightning in FORSYTH, GEORGIA
From 02-MAR-12 21:15:00 to 02-MAR-12 21:15:00 (EST-5)
Location: DREW
Property damage: 20.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Lightning struck a house near Campground Road and Major Road, catching the attic on fire.

Lightning in FAYETTE, GEORGIA
From 03-MAR-12 00:37:00 to 03-MAR-12 00:37:00 (EST-5)
Location: WOOLSEY
Property damage: 10.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

The Fayette County Emergency Manager reported that lightning struck a residential structure on Osbourne Court, damaging the roof.

Thunderstorm Wind in FLOYD, GEORGIA
From 02-MAR-12 21:25:00 to 02-MAR-12 21:25:00 (EST-5)
Location: LAVENDER
Magnitude: 50.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Reported by: Amateur Radio

Amateur Radio operators relayed reports of trees and power lines down in Rome, blocking the intersection of Highway 411 and Highway 27.

Tornado in HARALSON, GEORGIA
From 02-MAR-12 20:09:00 to 02-MAR-12 20:28:00 (EST-5)
Location: LITTLE CREEK
Tornado F-scale: EF3
Property damage: 750.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

An EF-1 tornado touched down at approximately 8:09 PM in Haralson County near Cross Roads Church Road and Tallapoosa Highway, uprooting and snapping trees for several miles.  The tornado strengthened to an EF-3 along Bethlehem Church Road where a house collapsed and a repair shop was destroyed.  One person was injured when the house collapsed into the basement, where he was taking shelter.  At that residence, two dogs were killed.  A cow died in a nearby field.  The tornado continued across Haralson County, crossing Highway 27 where dozens of trees where snapped and uprooted.  As the tornado continued east, minor damage was sustained to a church where a steeple was blown off.  Hundreds of trees were down in forested areas in the eastern portions of Haralson County.  The tornado continued into Paulding County where it lifted near McClure Trail and McClure Drive around 8:50 PM.
[03/02/12: Tornado #1, County #1-2, EF3, Haralson, 2012:005].

Tornado in PAULDING, GEORGIA
From 02-MAR-12 20:28:00 to 02-MAR-12 20:50:00 (EST-5)
Location: BEULAH
Tornado F-scale: EF2
Property damage: 11.00M
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

The Haralson County tornado entered northwest Paulding County near Yorkville around 8:28 PM.  Numerous roads were closed due to debris.  Three miles south of Yorkville there was an overturned RV, and a box truck was impaled by a 2-by-4.  A residential neighborhood was hit, damaging several homes and destroying one.  The most significant damage occurred at the new Paulding County Regional Airport, where maximum wind speeds were estimated at near 135 MPH.  A hangar was destroyed and 19 of 23 planes were totaled, including a Citation jet.  Damage was sustained to the terminal and other airport property, such as fences and lamp posts, as well.  East of the airport, a church lost its roof.  Poole Elementary School had a partial roof failure and at least one wall blown out.  The portion of the roof that blew off was found across the campus.  Six modular classrooms were destroyed as well.  Additional homes were damaged as the tornado continued east, finally lifting near McClure Trail and McClure Drive around 8:50 PM.  The Georgia Emergency Management Agency reported that in Paulding County, 92 homes sustained minor damage, 58 sustained moderate damage, and 10 were destroyed. The total path length for both counties was 29 miles.
[03/02/12: Tornado #1, County #2-2, EF2, Paulding, 2012:005].

Flash Flood in GILMER, GEORGIA
From 03-MAR-12 02:30:00 to 03-MAR-12 04:30:00 (EST-5)
Location: GATRELL
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

A branch flowing into Fausett Creek washed out a portion of Raven Cliff Road. Debris blockage at the culvert pipe and the volume of water caused the branch to overflow the rock based road and cause significant erosion.

Thunderstorm Wind in DE KALB, GEORGIA
From 03-MAR-12 01:37:00 to 03-MAR-12 01:37:00 (EST-5)
Location: TOCO HILLS
Magnitude: 50.00 EG
Property damage: 3.00K
Reported by: County Official

The DeKalb County 911 Center reported that several power lines were downed on DeKalb Industrial Way and Lawrenceville Highway.

Hail in FLOYD, GEORGIA
From 02-MAR-12 21:05:00 to 02-MAR-12 21:10:00 (EST-5)
Location: VANS VLY
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 496.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Floyd County Emergency Management relayed a report from a trained spotter of golf ball size hail near McGee Bend Road and Fosters Mill Road.

Hail in COBB, GEORGIA
From 02-MAR-12 21:05:00 to 02-MAR-12 21:15:00 (EST-5)
Location: ACWORTH
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 3758.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Public

The public reported golf ball sized hail in Acworth, south of Interstate 75 toward Sugar Maple Lane.

Hail in CHEROKEE, GEORGIA
From 02-MAR-12 22:24:00 to 02-MAR-12 22:29:00 (EST-5)
Location: WALESKA
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Cherokee County Emergency Management reported quarter-sized hail northeast of Waleska.

Tornado in COBB, GEORGIA
From 02-MAR-12 21:14:00 to 02-MAR-12 21:15:00 (EST-5)
Location: MT BETHEL
Tornado F-scale: EF1
Property damage: 75.00K
Reported by: NWS Storm Survey

An EF-1 tornado with a maximum wind speed of 100 MPH touched down in Cobb County around 9:14 PM near East Cobb Park along Roswell Road.  It continued to track along Roswell Road where it caused roof damage to a daycare and a house near Providence Road.  Minor tree and roof damage continued just north of Roswell Road and ended near the Indian Ridge Subdivision around 9:15 PM.  The path length was just over a mile with a maximum width of 150 yards.
[03/02/12: Tornado #2, County #1-1, EF1, Cobb, 2012:006].

Hail in POLK, GEORGIA
From 02-MAR-12 20:10:00 to 02-MAR-12 20:15:00 (EST-5)
Location: ANTIOCH
Magnitude: 0.75 
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Floyd County Emergency Management relayed a trained spotter report of dime-sized hail on Morgan Valley Road.

Thunderstorm Wind in DADE, GEORGIA
From 02-MAR-12 19:05:00 to 02-MAR-12 19:05:00 (EST-5)
Location: HOOKER
Magnitude: 50.00 EG
Property damage: 2.00K
Reported by: Amateur Radio

Amateur Radio operators relayed reports of several downed trees closing Interstate 24 in Dade County.

Heavy Rain in FULTON, GEORGIA
From 03-MAR-12 00:30:00 to 03-MAR-12 00:30:00 (EST-5)
Location: ALPHARETTA
Reported by: Broadcast Media

Numerous media outlets reported that an 83-year-old woman perished as an indirect result of the heavy rain. Family members indicated that she thought her interior closet unsafe in the event of a tornado, and that she wandered off just after midnight Saturday morning in search of a safer location. She sought shelter in a drainage ditch outside her home and was unable to escape when heavy rain caused the water to rise quickly.  Her body was found after daybreak Saturday morning, hundreds of yards away in a nearby creek.

Hail in CHEROKEE, GEORGIA
From 02-MAR-12 21:08:00 to 02-MAR-12 21:13:00 (EST-5)
Location: WOODSTOCK
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Cherokee County Emergency Management relayed a trained spotter report of quarter-sized hail just west of Woodstock.

Hail in POLK, GEORGIA
From 02-MAR-12 20:07:00 to 02-MAR-12 20:20:00 (EST-5)
Location: WINKLES
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: Amateur Radio

Amateur Radio operators relayed multiple reports of hail from near the Polk/Haralson County line south of Cedartown, northeast toward Morgan Valley Road near Parham Springs Lake.  The hail ranged in size from dime to quarters.

Thunderstorm Wind in FULTON, GEORGIA
From 02-MAR-12 21:30:00 to 02-MAR-12 21:30:00 (EST-5)
Location: ALPHARETTA
Magnitude: 50.00 EG
Property damage: 3.00K
Reported by: State Official

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency reported that several trees were downed in Alpharetta, causing minor, temporary road closures.