It was a tornado that hit a Gordon County street, damaging multiple homes and leaving a path of destruction, the National Weather Service said Friday.
An EF-0 tornado with 85-mph winds touched down in southern Gordon County at 5:28 a.m. Thursday, according to the NWS. Nearly a dozen large trees were uprooted and the roof was blown off a manufactured home.
No one was injured when the storm hit the Plainview community, but there were close calls, according to residents.
Dale Hogan, who lives on East Plainview Road, said Friday he’s lived in the area all of his life and this was the closest he’s been to where a tornado touched down.
Like his neighbors, Hogan said the early morning storm was a scary wake-up call no one was expecting. Fortunately, his home wasn’t damaged, though some of his trees were uprooted.
“There was nobody hurt, that was the good thing,” Hogan said.
On Friday, Weather Service investigators met with Gordon County emergency management leaders to assess the damage.
“According to the survey that was conducted, it was determined by the National Weather Service that the damage was caused by a tornado,” the Gordon County Emergency Management Agency posted on Facebook.
Storms rolled through North Georgia and metro Atlanta on Thursday, dumping several inches of rain and bringing powerful winds that brought down trees and power lines.
Here are the rain totals over the last 36 hours. More rain is in the forecast. Avoid driving through water on the roads, and stay safe! #gawx pic.twitter.com/gXAGOFDy9Y
— NWS Atlanta (@NWSAtlanta) February 7, 2020
Numerous roads were blocked due to standing water, and thousands were temporarily without electricity.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, there was an increase of crashes reported during the rainy weather, though specific numbers are not available.
“The increase can be attributed to drivers driving too fast for the wet roadway conditions and driving too closely to other vehicles,” Lt. Stephanie Stallings with the GSP said. “Following-too-closely crashes occur every day around the state, but those numbers increase with wet roadway conditions. Drivers must allow space between their vehicle and a vehicle they are following, even in the most normal of driving conditions.”
Across the street from Hogan’s home, a woman and her 18-month-old were inside a car when a tree fell on the back of the vehicle. The toddler was in his car seat when the tree fell, according to another neighbor, Lindsey Woodall.
After the storm passed, Woodall called to check on a neighbor, who was hysterical when she answered the phone.
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“By the grace of God, he’s OK,” Woodall said.
However, the home where the toddler’s family lived was destroyed, she said.
Late Friday, Gordon County and North Georgia were preparing for the next weather event: the possibility of snow. Up to an inch could fall, according to Channel 2.
“Temperatures are predicted to be right at the freezing mark so any precipitation that falls could lead to difficult travel conditions, especially on elevated surfaces such as bridges and overpasses,” Gordon County EMA posted online. “Stay safe. Stay ready. Stay prepared.”
More thunderstorms could return to metro Atlanta on Monday, according to Channel 2 meteorologists. Until then, there is a 40 percent chance of showers Saturday morning, including a possibility of snow flurries. Sunday’s forecast is a dry one, according to Channel 2.
— Please return to AJC.com for updates.
