Sports and Recreation

Tornado That Hit Georgia Dome Chronicled in ESPN Film

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Atlanta Tornado
Radar reflectivity image of the tornado as it formed over Atlanta. (Courtesy: National Weather Service in Peachtree City)

1/27
Atlanta Tornado
Radar reflectivity image of the tornado as it formed over Atlanta. (Courtesy: National Weather Service in Peachtree City)

Basketball shots don't usually save lives, but on a stormy night in Atlanta back in 2008, Mykal Riley might have saved thousands with a single three-pointer.

The Alabama guard sank an improbable shot at the buzzer of the Crimson Tide's second-round game against Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament. The basket forced a five-minute overtime period on March 14, 2008, a Friday night when downtown Atlanta was buzzing with several events. About 20,000 fans were in the Georgia Dome to witness the basketball games that evening, and at the time, it probably seemed like just another postseason buzzer-beater.

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Outside the Dome, an EF2 tornado was approaching. Inside the building, fans were completely unaware -- no weather warnings had been issued to the masses attending the game.

As the tornado passed over the roof, some said it sounded like a freight train. Others feared a terror attack was in progress.

What elapsed next is featured in an ESPN film, SEC Storied: Miracle 3 -- a look at the sheer terror of a building being hit by a twister and thousands of fans living through the experience on national television.

Filmmaker Rory Karpf was compelled to dig deeper into one of the scariest stories in recent memory that ties weather and sports together.

"There's just something about the human spirit ... that people come together, and in the worst of times, you see the best in people," said Karpf.

By the time Riley's desperation heave toward the basket rolled around the rim, bounced off the backboard and eventually fell through the hoop, meteorologists had been tracking the tornado destined for the city and feared the worst.

"This was somewhat of a surprise tornado, as the next day was expected to be the day of the tornado outbreak in the Southeast," said Dr. Greg Forbes, severe weather expert for The Weather Channel. "But the storm formed northwest of Atlanta and began to show rotation and forced me to scramble to cover it. It was one of those worst-case scenario storms I fear, with lots of people in sports venues where the potential for large death tolls could be high if the tornado were strong enough."

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One person was killed by the twister that caused an estimated $200 million in damage, but all were spared inside the Georgia Dome. In the film, Riley describes the range of emotions he experienced in the days after the tournament, as fans called and wrote to thank him for saving their lives with that fateful three-pointer.

On the court, the University of Georgia, the worst team in the conference, would go on a magical run to capture to SEC title after the tournament had been moved to the campus of Georgia Tech. The Dome was too damaged to host the remainder of the tournament, and UGA would win three games in two days to earn the title on its rival's court.