2008 Atlanta tornado outbreak
|name=. Remove this parameter; the article title is used as the name by default.|duration= parameter from the infobox header or from another 'History' box instead.Tornado (shadow at left), after going through downtown Atlanta | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Date | March 14–15, 2008 |
| Tornado outbreak | |
| Tornadoes | 46 confirmed |
| Maximum rating | EF3 tornado |
| Duration | 24 hours, 7 minutes |
| Overall effects | |
| Casualties | 3 fatalities (1 in Atlanta), 53 injuries |
| Damage | >$250 million |
| Areas affected | Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina |
Part of the tornado outbreaks of 2008 | |
The 2008 Atlanta tornado outbreak was a destructive and deadly tornado outbreak that affected the Southeastern United States on March 14–15, 2008. The most infamous tornado of the outbreak occurred on March 14 when an isolated EF2 tornado caused widespread damage across Downtown Atlanta, Georgia, including to the CNN Center and to the Georgia Dome, which was hosting the 2008 SEC men's basketball tournament. Other buildings that were damaged include the Georgia World Congress Center, and the Omni Hotel, which was evacuated after many windows were blown out. The Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel suffered major window damage. The image of the building with all its windows blown out became famous and for a time was a symbol of the tornado. Centennial Olympic Park, SunTrust Plaza (now Truist Plaza) and historic Oakland Cemetery were also damaged.
One man was killed near Downtown Atlanta and 30 others were injured. Two other deaths took place on March 15, in the northern Atlanta suburbs, from a second, larger round of severe weather and tornadoes. In total, 46 tornadoes were confirmed over the 24-hour period, from eastern Alabama to the Carolina coast, with most of the activity concentrated in the Metropolitan Atlanta area, the Central Savannah River Area and the Midlands of South Carolina.