Lamar And Spalding Tornadoes Rated EF-3

The National Weather Service has determined that the tornadoes from Wednesday nights supercell thunderstorms that killed two in Lamar County and Spalding County were both rated as an EF-3 with winds of 140 miles per hour.

The fast moving supercells had moved into Georgia from Alabama and were traveling at a speed of 65 miles per hour. Moving so quickly, there was very little time for a warning although most had been aware of the potential for dangerous weather after following the death and destruction experienced in Mississippi and Alabama earlier.

The killer tornados formed around midnight making them even more dangerous to sleeping residents whose first warning was the roar of the wind at their door.

Near Hollonville in Pike County a tornado formed and headed northeast into the Sunnyside area just north of Griffin were Charlie Green, 54, of Griffin, and Jamie White of Thomaston were killed. The storm was on the ground for a distance of 20 miles.

Moments after the first tornado touched down, a second twister dropped to the ground between Manchester and Warm Springs in Meriwether County damaging a school, a motel, a nursing home, several homes and 2 mobile home parks before crossing the Flint River into Upson County.

On Weems Road, one structure was completely destroyed and several others were damaged, utility poles were snapped like twigs and lines were down, the ragged spikes left as the trees broke about 15 feet above the ground clearly showed the path of the twister.

Upson County was lucky, the storm intensified as it moved to the east.

In Lamar County the destruction was total, the county is still in the process of determining how many homes are no longer habitable and how many were injured. Paul and Ellen Guntter of Grove Street were killed, three other family members were hospitalized.

Amazing stories of survival were around every corner, Frank Foster’s wife Sallie was helping care for an elderly friend leaving Frank home alone with their small dog. Just before 10 pm, Frank went to bed, he had seen the news from Alabama but thought that it was too far away to impact his life.

At 12:30 am, Frank was awakened by the sound of debris hitting the roof, a second later the roof was no longer there. His bedroom was located in the right front corner of the house, it’s the only part that remained standing.

Frank picked up their small dog, raised a window and stepped out onto his front porch. Amid all the devastation, his first thought was to call and make sure Sallie was alright. She answered the phone and thought Frank was just kidding when he said the house was gone.

When the sun rose Thursday morning, Frank was just thankful he was there to pick up the pieces.

Lamar County Tornado Damage

The gentle breeze on a sunny Thursday afternoon could not hide the smell of propane that permeated the area where just a few hours earlier natures fury took two lives and left the 400 block of Grove Street in shock. The midnight tornado unleashed its most powerful blow directly on the doorsteps of Paul and Ellen Guntter, their mobile home was unrecognizable in a matter of seconds. A seven year old daughter miraculously walked out of the rubble.

The following pictures need little in the way of an explanation and all are from the same neighborhood where over thirty people lived to tell the horror of surviving what Sheriff Larry Waller called, “The most devastating tornado to ever strike Lamar County.”

The above photo is all that remains of the Guntter’s mobile home.

The following picture is of the foundation of a brick home that sat adjacent to the Guntter’s mobile home. The occupants survived the storm. The flag was put in the tree by the same wind that claimed two lives 50 feet away.

We’ll have more later.

Tornado Confirmed In Upson County

A tornado touched down in Upson County Wednesday night completely destroying a structure on Weems Road. Several other houses were damaged and many trees were snapped off about 15 feet above the ground or blown down and scattered in a typical tornado pattern.

No injuries were reported although witnesses described the storm as being very intense for the few moments that it passed through their yards.

One house at the corner of Day Road and Gail Lane lost the roof and trees were down along the mountain ridge separating Upson and Pike counties.

Upson EMC worked through the night to replace utility poles and power lines that blocked both Atwater and Weems Roads.

The supercell thunderstorm that spawned the tornado was part of the line that moved out of Alabama and into Harris County before traveling across Meriwether, Upson, Pike and into Lamar County.

Home on Weems Road in Upson County.

Damage From Lamar County Tornado

Wednesday nights tornado cut a quarter mile wide swath of destruction from the Pike County line in the Vega community along Piedmont Road then through the northern portion of Barnesville.

The fact that only two people lost their lives in the storm is simply amazing.

This is the location where the tornado crossed Highway 19 just north of the Upson / Pike County line. The drive leads to the the DOT tower located on the mountain. At this point the tornado was a little less than a quarter mile wide. Numerous trees were down and a pole barn across the highway was totally destroyed.

 

The twister followed the mountain ridge into the Vega community and crossed Bankston Road, Allen Road in Lamar County is still impassable with several large trees lying across the road.

 

 

 

 

After destroying 4 chicken houses belonging to Jim and Carol Adams with over 100,000 three week old chickens in them, the storm inflow pulled a 250 year old oak tree into their home, just missing their bedroom.

 

 

 

 

The house is a familiar sight along Piedmont Road, it’s been there since the mid 1800’s and was used by troops under the command of General Sherman as a rest stop on their way to Savannah. The old oak that they tied their horses to survived the storm.

 

 

 

Their neighbor down the road wasn’t as lucky, the house ended up in the road. The house had been vacant for several years.

 

 

 

 

 

More later.