Episode narrative: A line of strong thunderstorms moved into north and central Georgia during the afternoon through the evening on Thursday, January 12th and spawned numerous tornadoes, including several that were long track and significant. Ahead of this line, a few supercells also spawned tornadoes in portions of central and eastern Georgia.  Upon further examination of radar data and high resolution areal imagery, it was found that several tornadoes rotated around and within a larger vortex and caused the widespread damage in the area near Griffin GA, over 2 miles wide in some cases.   The result was that as many as 4 tornadoes were on the ground simultaneously in SW Spalding County, which were rotating around the larger circulation, merging together in several cases and crossing paths. The presence of 3 mergers was identified in the reanalysis. Additional analysis revealed that wind speeds in the EF3 storm reached as high as 155mph or high end EF3.  This confirmed a total of 14 tornadoes, including 10 which resulted from the same storm/larger mesocyclone.

Tornado event in PIKE County, GEORGIA
Start: 12-JAN-23 16:16:00
End: 12-JAN-23 16:17:00
Direct deaths: 0
Event narrative: As the Troup County tornado lifted southeast of LaGrange just west of the Troup-Meriwether County line, another long-track and powerful tornado formed just east of the county line near Keith Rd 0.9 miles north of GA109. The tornado initially traveled north then turned to a east-northeast direction crossing Wilbur Keith Rd and Piney Woods Rd downing hundreds of trees. The tornado broadened and intensified as it approached GA100 with a diameter of 0.9 miles and winds over 100 mph uprooting and snapping over 1000 trees. A home on Forrest Rd had its entire roof blown off where max winds were estimated at 120 mph and first reached EF-2 intensity. The tornado continued at 100 to 120 mph intensity as it continued east-northeast into neighborhoods south of Allie Rd along Mount Pilgram Rd where several homes were damaged or destroyed by trees falling on them. One double-wide manufactured home on Ground Hog Dr had its roof blown off and was shifted 20 yards off its foundation, breaking the home in half. The tornado continued east-northeast along Allie Rd crossing US27. Just east of US27 a very large stand of trees were snapped and a large recently-constructed two-story barn was destroyed. Just east of this location, two single-wide mobile home completely destroyed. The residents of one of the homes was at the hospital when the tornado struck and returned home early next morning to find it in shambles. Here, maximum winds were also rated at EF-2 intensity (120 mph). The tornado began to weaken east of this point and it tracked a bit more northeast in direction, crossing Rocky Mountain Rd and Malcom Rd before it traveled along Callaway Rd downing several hundred more trees as it moved near the Alps community. While the tornado remained weak east of this area, the overall storm remained extremely strong and the tornado did not dissipate, continuing east parallelling HWY 362 causing sporadic tree damage before crossing the Flint River into NW Pike County crossing River RD and lifting around the Kings Bridge Road. Here winds were only 75-80 mph downing several trees as far as could be seen from public roadways. More recent analysis of radar data and areal satellite imagery confirmed that this particular circulation continued east into Pike County while 2 other tornadoes were spinning up to the North and Northeast of this weakening circulation.

Tornado event in SPALDING County, GEORGIA
Start: 12-JAN-23 16:19:00
End: 12-JAN-23 16:20:00
Direct deaths: 0
Event narrative: New high resolution areal imagery in concert with a reanalysis of radar data, areal surveys and ground surveys it has been determined that there were multiple tornadoes on the ground simultaneously in southwest Spalding and Northwestern Pike Counties as well as crossing tornado paths. The tornadoes were part of a larger mesocyclone which can be traced west all the way back to the Selma Alabama tornado. Our analysis determined that this tornado spun up near the center of the main mesocylone as it crossed the Flint River in SW Spalding County. The first evidence of a tornado touching down appear along Blanton Mill Road where several trees were uprooted. This tornado would become caught within the larger circulation and swing SE around the center through mostly wooded or swampy areas of SW Spalding County. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted in a path that that tracks ESE until it reaches Scott Barch Road. It is in this area it crosses the path of a tornado which passes approximately 2 minutes early moving NE on the eastern periphery of the larger mesocyclone. Low end EF1 damage occurred to a barn in this area, however, it could have occurred with the first tornado. Numerous trees are uprooted or snapped in this area as well. The tornado continued ESE crossing Flat Creek causing mid range EF1 damage to trees. It is noted per areal imagery and radar data that as the tornado approached Yarborough Rd and Shackleford Road it become absorbed/merged with a larger stronger circulation/tornado moving to the NE. Damage on the ground in this area is indicative of tornadoes coming in from 2 different directions. The particular circulation is terminated at this point as the larger more dominate tornado continues NE toward a rock quarry along Rover Zetalla Road. It should also be noted that EF2 damage occurred shortly after these 2 tornadoes merged near Yarborough Road but will be attributed to the more dominate circulation.