Severe Storms Hit the South; Damage Confirmed in Alabama, Georgia

Sean Breslin
Published: April 27,2017
Severe storms hit parts of southern Alabama and Georgia Thursday, and at least two confirmed tornadoes left damage in the South.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service said a tornado was in progress in Pike County, Alabama, just a few minutes before 11:30 a.m. CDT Thursday morning. The twister had a debris signature on radar, and multiple reports of damage were found in the same area, the NWS also said.
Between the towns of Troy and Banks, a mobile home was flipped by the storm, according to the Troy Messenger. It was only unoccupied because the owner of the home, Rubie Townsend, was at the Troy Nutrition Center when the tornado hit, the report added.
"I thank the Lord," she told the Messenger. "I didn’t go yesterday and thought about not going today, but I got up and went."
(MORE: Severe Weather Threat Continues into the Weekend)
The county's emergency management agency said the damage path spanned half a mile. Downed trees damaged several homes, and power lines were also brought down by the powerful storm.
No injuries were reported in the area, but Pike County EMA spokeswoman Jeanna Barnes told the Associated Press rescuers had a pull a man from his house after he was trapped by a downed tree.

Damage Confirmed in Georgia, Mississippi

A few hours later, another tornado debris signature was spotted on radar, but this time, it was in southern Georgia. The storm tracked just north of Junction City in Talbot County, where structural damage was left behind.
In addition to the damage, one woman was treated for minor injuries after getting trapped in a home near Baldwinville, according to an NWS report. It was one of two homes to sustain damage in the area.
In Mississippi, the NWS confirmed an EF1 tornado hit the north side of Walnut Grove Wednesday night. The twister was in progress for more than 10 miles and left several homes with roof and siding damage, according to the damage survey performed by the NWS on Thursday.
The storms came six years to the day after one of the worst tornado outbreaks in U.S. history ravaged the South on April 27, 2011. More than 300 people died in the event that claimed at least $10 billion in damage.
MORE: Tornadoes Hit the South in January

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