3 tornadoes hit central Georgia, damaging homes and injuring two people
Three tornadoes tore through parts of central Georgia early Thursday, damaging homes, toppling trees and leaving at least two people injured, according to the National Weather Service.
Storm survey teams confirmed tornadoes in Macon, Bibb and Baldwin counties as a line of severe storms moved across the region Thursday morning.
The strongest tornado struck near Marshallville in Macon County around 6:41 a.m., where investigators say an EF2 tornado with winds between 110 and 115 mph carved a path nearly 5 miles long and about 600 yards wide. The storm destroyed four manufactured homes, overturned another and ripped the tops off two silos. Numerous trees were snapped or uprooted. Officials reported two injuries.
Just minutes later, another tornado touched down in Bibb County near Wesleyan, where the National Weather Service confirmed an EF1 tornado with winds up to 100 mph. The tornado traveled about 3.4 miles and was roughly 200 yards wide, damaging homes, trees and power lines.
A third tornado hit Milledgeville in Baldwin County around 7:25 a.m., where an EF0 tornado with winds near 75 mph knocked down trees along State Dairy Farm Road and Blandy Road before moving into the city. Survey crews also reported damage at an elementary school on Blandy Road.
In nearby Forsyth, residents reported multiple trees uprooted or snapped during the storm, though officials said that damage may have also been caused by a possible tornado.
"As Middle Georgia begins to recover from Wednesday night's storms, I want to thank the teams at Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, the local EMAs, American Red Cross, first responders, and everyone in the local communities for their great response efforts," Governor Kemp said in a statement Friday morning. "We will continue to work with state and local partners to address any additional needs in the days ahead."
