National Weather Service survey teams confirmed that an EF-2 tornado skipped through Lowndes County in South Georgia on Sunday, damaging some buildings and leaving two people injured.
The tornado traveled more than six miles and reached wind speeds up to 120 mph, the NWS reported. It left piles of debris in areas where it touched down Sunday afternoon, primarily to the east of Inner Perimeter Road near Valdosta, NWS meteorologist Joe Worster said. The NWS report counted two injuries but did not provide any details about the victims or their conditions.
At least two mobile homes were flattened and power poles were toppled on Ezelle Road, about six miles east of Valdosta Regional Airport, according to local news reports. The total destruction of the mobile homes supported the EF-2 rating of the storm, the NWS report said.
The Valdosta Daily Times reported that there were other damaged structures on the northeast side of the city along U.S. 84, where downed trees blocked train tracks. More damage was spotted in the Skipper Bridge Road area, which is to the north.
Credit: Terry Richards/Valdosta Daily Times
Credit: Terry Richards/Valdosta Daily Times
No one was at home when the tornado pummeled one of the Ezelle Road homes, WALB-TV reported. The force of the whirlwind lifted it off its base and tossed it closer to the road, according to the news station. Some parts of the structure were hurled across the road. All that was left when the storm settled was a pile of debris and furniture scattered around the yard.
Tornado warnings started going into effect for South Georgia and North Florida around 2 p.m., and by 3:15 p.m., Valdosta was under a warning, according to the NWS.
The storms were fueled by a low-pressure system blowing in from the Gulf Coast, Worster said.
“It was a pretty marginal severe risk at first. A lot of ingredients had to come together to really get it to pop-off like that,” he said. “Everything seemed to come together for it to just drop that tornado.”
While tornado season is typically between March and April, “it can really occur any time of year if the conditions are right,” Worster said. This happens especially during cooler months when pockets of warmer air move in and cause unstable conditions.
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