A tornado destroyed at least three homes, damaged up to a dozen more and injured one person Friday afternoon in Newton County.
All of the damage was within the city limits of Mansfield along Ga. 11, which has a total area of 1.1 square miles, Newton County fire Chief Kevin O’Brien told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The quick-moving storm toppled trees, scattered debris and damaged homes shortly after 1 p.m.
Friday night, the National Weather Service confirmed that it was an EF2 tornado that ripped through the small town.
One woman was temporarily trapped when the roof of her home collapsed, O’Brien said. The woman, whose name was not released, was transported to Clearview Regional Hospital in Monroe in stable condition, he said.
The tornado hit at 1:11 p.m. while Newton County was under a severe thunderstorm warning, according to Channel 2 Meteorologist David Chandley.
In addition to the homes that were completely destroyed, between 12 and 15 had moderate to severe damage, O’Brien said. The damage was mostly on Kellogg and Hardaman streets, he said. A pavilion at Beaver Park was also flattened.
Residents of damaged homes were evacuated to the Mansfield Community Center, where the Red Cross set up a temporary shelter, O’Brien said.
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