Whitemarsh Island in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
EF-1 Tornado Strikes!
The storm struck without warning on July 27, 2018 at 3:49 in the afternoon. In just a few short minutes, a path of destruction over 300 feet wide cut through the once dense and mature forest.
You are standing in the tornado's path.
With winds in excess of 100 mph, mature trees were snapped off or twisted into a tangled mess. Fallen trees and limbs crushed boardwalks. Exhibit fences were leveled, storage sheds were demolished and a corner of a newly renovated bathroom near the Georgia Farm was ruined. The roads and trails were left impassable and the property was without power.
Thankfully, no guests or animals were injured.
Restoring the infrastructure and repairing the damage would take nearly 5 months to complete.
Chatham County, Georgia may not be the first place you think of when you imagine tornadoes, but it ranks third in Georgia for tornado frequency over the last 70 years.
[Captions:]
The roads entering and leaving the property were completely blocked by debris and downed power lines.
Boardwalks and buildings were crushed along the trails, exhibits and maintenance areas.
Ultimately, every exhibit sustained damage to some degree.
Erected by Oatland
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical date for this entry is July 27, 2018.
Location. 32° 3.141′ N, 81° 1.239′ W. Marker is on Whitemarsh Island, Georgia, in Chatham County. It can be reached from Barley Drive west of Sandtown Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 711 Barley Dr, Savannah GA 31410, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Coastal Plain, on the Georgia Coast and the Golden Isles, in Greater Savannah, and on the Sea Islands. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other
Credits. This page was last revised on May 31, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 15 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 31, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
