7 tornadoes, and perhaps more, hit 13 northern Georgia counties on April 4th, during one of the worst outbreaks on records. Striking in two waves , one in the afternoon and a second during evening hours the storms moved through lightly populated rural areas. Although part of a much larger system, these storms took 17 lives, injuring 104 and causing $15 million damage.

About 1:00 p.m. EDT the first tornado touched down near Cherry Log, Georgia, northeast of Ellijay in Gilmer County. It moved east along Lake Blue Ridge's shore in Fannin County. About 5 p.m. EDT a second tornado came in from the west, crossing Haralson County and causing a death of a Georgia man. It then turned northeastward tearing through Paulding County before it curved north-northeastward, ending in Bartow County, just east of Cartersville. 20 people were injured.

About 5:40 p.m. EDT another storm struck near Sugar Valley in Gordon County, passing through Resaca and into south Whitfield and Murray Counties. It killed 9 and injured 54.

Sometime after 5:30 yet another tornado struck Pickens, Cherokee, and Dawson Counties, killing 6 and injuring 30. During the evening two more tornadoes hit Fannin County, and at 8:00 EDT one touched down near Dillard (Rabun County).

The 1974 "Super Outbreak" saw tornadoes strike 13 states – Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. 148 tornadoes killed 330 people in those state on April 3rd and 4th, 1974.