Pembroke-Black Creek Tornado Map
On the afternoon of April 5, 2022, amid a tornado outbreak across the Southeastern United States, a large and violent tornado struck the city of Pembroke and the community of Black Creek, Georgia. The National Weather Service forecast office in Charleston, South Carolina, rated the worst of the damage from the tornado EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale with winds estimated at 185 miles per hour (298 km/h), which made this strongest tornado in the United States in 2022. The tornado killed one person, injured 12 others, and caused $17 million in damage.
The path of the Pembroke-Black Creek tornado
On the evening of Tuesday, April 5, 2022, a tornado touched down just southwest of Pembroke. Over the next 14.4 miles it traveled east-northeast, passing through Pembroke, before lifting 12 miles east of Pembroke, about 15 minutes later.
At its widest the damage path was 1,300 yards (0.7 miles) across. It was rated EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, a violent tornado. It killed 1 person and injured 12.
The track, widths and figures on this map come from National Weather Service damage surveys, so they can differ slightly from totals published elsewhere.
What was the Pembroke-Black Creek tornado?
The Pembroke-Black Creek tornado was a violent EF4 storm that struck Bryan County, Georgia, on the afternoon of April 5, 2022. The tornado emerged from a quasi-linear convective system moving across the southeastern United States. It caused extensive damage in the communities of Pembroke and Ellabell. The event generated nearly $17 million in damage repair costs for local government facilities. This storm became the worst tornado recorded in the nation during that year.
What was the Pembroke-Black Creek tornado wind speed?
The Pembroke-Black Creek tornado wind speed reached an estimated maximum of 185 mph. National Weather Service meteorologists assigned the storm an EF4 rating based on this peak velocity. The most intense winds occurred as the vortex moved through Hendrix Park, the Park Place subdivision, and the Black Creek Golf Course. The tornado maintained its violent intensity while expanding to its maximum width of 1,300 yards. The wind speeds began to decrease as the system approached Interstate 16.
What was the Pembroke-Black Creek tornado path?
The Pembroke-Black Creek tornado path spanned 14.39 miles entirely within Bryan County, Georgia. The funnel touched down west of the county courthouse in Pembroke at 4:18 p.m. EST. It traveled in a northeast and east-northeast direction across wooded areas, residential subdivisions, and a golf course. The storm crossed Interstate 16 near the United States Highway 280 interchange. The tornado finally dissipated in a marshy area east of Oracal Parkway Circle at 4:33 p.m. EST.
How many people died in the Pembroke-Black Creek tornado?
One person died in the Pembroke-Black Creek tornado. The storm killed an adult female when it completely destroyed her mobile home on Homestead Drive in the unincorporated community of Ellabell. The violent winds also caused 12 reported injuries along the track through Bryan County. Several of these injuries occurred in the Park Place subdivision and near the Black Creek Golf Course. No other fatalities happened during this specific tornado event.
What did the Pembroke-Black Creek tornado destroy?
The Pembroke-Black Creek tornado destroyed multiple homes, mobile homes, and government facilities. The storm tore the roof off the Bryan County Courthouse and demolished the Curtis V. Cooper Clinic in Pembroke. It completely leveled several houses in the Park Place subdivision and destroyed the Hendrix Park Gymnasium in Ellabell. The vortex snapped numerous trees, damaged an industrial building near Oracal Parkway Circle, and caused widespread destruction at the Black Creek Golf Course.
What caused the Pembroke-Black Creek tornado?
A discrete supercell thunderstorm ahead of a quasi-linear convective system caused the Pembroke-Black Creek tornado. A mid-level shortwave moving across the region ahead of a surface cold front created a favorable environment for severe weather. Southerly winds brought dewpoint temperatures into the mid-60s, which helped generate mixed layer convective available potential energy up to 2000 J/kg. Strong wind shear from low-level and mid-level jets combined with an upper-level jet to organize the violent storm.
What happened after the Pembroke-Black Creek tornado?
Following the Pembroke-Black Creek tornado, the United Way of the Coastal Empire established a disaster relief fund that raised over $58,000. A volunteer group from Virginia arrived with tractor trailers, excavators, and chainsaws to clear fallen trees and debris for free. The American Red Cross operated an overnight shelter before transitioning to assist with individual recovery claims. Local officials began a lengthy rebuilding process for public facilities, with courthouse and gymnasium repairs scheduled for completion in 2024.