Deadly storms leave trail of destruction across southern US
Injuries and at least one death were reported across the South on Wednesday as intense storms barreled across the region, including one twister that triggered the first tornado emergency of 2022.
By
Thomas Leffler, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Apr 5, 2022 7:22 PM EDT
|
Updated Apr 7, 2022 8:32 AM EDT
AccuWeather's Kim Leoffler reported live from Atlanta, encouraging Georgians to have a plan in place for how to find safe shelter during a tornado warning.
Active weather in the Southeast refused to let up Tuesday as tornadoes and severe storms touched down across several states, leaving at least one person dead.
Storms rolled through Bryan County, Georgia, Tuesday, with the local Sheriff's Office commenting that the northern part of the county in eastern Georgia was "hard hit."
One fatality was confirmed in Pembroke, Georgia, located about 30 miles west of Savannah, when a woman was found amid the wreckage of her mobile home after a suspected tornado tore through the town on Tuesday evening, The Associated Press said. The woman's husband was injured and taken to a local hospital. Several other injuries were also reported, but officials said those injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp toured damage throughout parts of Bryan County on Wednesday and joined local officials to provide an update to the public. “The damage we’ve witnessed today is devastating, and all who were impacted will need their fellow Georgians to rally around them in prayer and support in the coming days,” Kemp said on Twitter. “The state will continue to devote all available resources to the local communities in the impact area as they recover.”
Multiple tornadoes were seen on the ground in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina beginning in the early-afternoon hours of Tuesday, with perhaps the most damage noted in Allendale County in southwestern South Carolina -- the least populous county of the state. A tornado was confirmed in the county at 4:05 p.m. EDT, with the county's 911 call center reporting that roofs were blown off structures across the area.
A rare tornado emergency was issued for Allendale as the twister barreled toward the town and surrounding areas. This was the first tornado emergency issued in 2022 and is a special weather bulletin that is reserved for extreme scenarios when there is a significant tornado danger that could cause multiple fatalities.
A hook echo is seen on the AccuWeather radar near Allendale, South Carolina, at 4 p.m. EDT on April 5, 2022.
The Allendale County tornado was one of several confirmed in South Carolina Tuesday afternoon, as another touched down in northeastern Newberry County at approximately 3:36 p.m. EDT. The tornado was located near the local airport, moving northeast at 35 mph.
Although the National Weather Service is still working to confirm the number of tornadoes that touched down on Tuesday, it does not appear that it will be a record. On April 13, 2020, 56 twisters touched down in South Carolina, including 14 EF3s and two EF4s.
The storms continued to roll through South Carolina into Tuesday evening, with tornadoes likely touching down in Varnville, South Carolina, and Manning, South Carolina. In Manning, the damage was quickly noticeable, particularly in a local shopping center.
Tornadoes also hit South Carolina's southern neighbors hard, as Alabama and Georgia were both confirmed to have several twisters on Tuesday afternoon. Meteorologists identified several radar-confirmed tornadoes, including Elmore County and the city of Troy, where the storm was strong enough to flip over one resident's vehicle. Damage survey teams will be sent into the field to determine if tornadoes did touch down in these areas and how strong they were.
Two Alabama state hubs, capital city Montgomery and college city Auburn, narrowly missed the damage. One tornado touched down southeast of the state capital in Orion, Alabama, but did not enter the city's metro area. A tornado warning was issued for Auburn with local officials telling residents to seek shelter, but no reports of major damage have been made as of Tuesday evening.
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A populated area in the city of Macon, Georgia, also avoided a direct hit, but a tornado was confirmed via radar north of the city at 3:38 EDT. On Wednesday, a neighbor city to Macon in Kite, Georgia, had a tornado hit the ground during the evening hours. Other Georgia tornado confirmations Tuesday took place near the U.S. Army installation at Fort Benning, as well as Blakely and north of Payne.
The storms that struck the Southeast on Tuesday made their way from East Texas during the morning hours, where they were blamed for at least one death. As they trekked across the Southeast, the storms also inundated roadways, causing a few roads to close in Atmore, Alabama.
The threat of lightning and severe weather also suspended play at Augusta National Golf Club for most of Tuesday where golfers and spectators gathered for a practice round before the start of The Masters. The start of the Par-3 contest was delayed by almost an hour on Wednesday due to lightning. The Masters tournament begins on Thursday.
More damaging storms and tornadoes continued across the storm-weary Southeast through Wednesday evening as a new round of severe thunderstorms sparked over the region. Several tornadoes were seen in the early afternoon hours Wednesday, both in Georgia, as tornadoes touched ground in Leslie and Cordele. The scene in Cordele left another ominous atmosphere more local residents.
For the latest weather news, check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Severe Weather
Deadly storms leave trail of destruction across southern US
Injuries and at least one death were reported across the South on Wednesday as intense storms barreled across the region, including one twister that triggered the first tornado emergency of 2022.
By Thomas Leffler, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Apr 5, 2022 7:22 PM EDT | Updated Apr 7, 2022 8:32 AM EDT
AccuWeather's Kim Leoffler reported live from Atlanta, encouraging Georgians to have a plan in place for how to find safe shelter during a tornado warning.
Active weather in the Southeast refused to let up Tuesday as tornadoes and severe storms touched down across several states, leaving at least one person dead.
Storms rolled through Bryan County, Georgia, Tuesday, with the local Sheriff's Office commenting that the northern part of the county in eastern Georgia was "hard hit."
One fatality was confirmed in Pembroke, Georgia, located about 30 miles west of Savannah, when a woman was found amid the wreckage of her mobile home after a suspected tornado tore through the town on Tuesday evening, The Associated Press said. The woman's husband was injured and taken to a local hospital. Several other injuries were also reported, but officials said those injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp toured damage throughout parts of Bryan County on Wednesday and joined local officials to provide an update to the public. “The damage we’ve witnessed today is devastating, and all who were impacted will need their fellow Georgians to rally around them in prayer and support in the coming days,” Kemp said on Twitter. “The state will continue to devote all available resources to the local communities in the impact area as they recover.”
Multiple tornadoes were seen on the ground in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina beginning in the early-afternoon hours of Tuesday, with perhaps the most damage noted in Allendale County in southwestern South Carolina -- the least populous county of the state. A tornado was confirmed in the county at 4:05 p.m. EDT, with the county's 911 call center reporting that roofs were blown off structures across the area.
A rare tornado emergency was issued for Allendale as the twister barreled toward the town and surrounding areas. This was the first tornado emergency issued in 2022 and is a special weather bulletin that is reserved for extreme scenarios when there is a significant tornado danger that could cause multiple fatalities.
A hook echo is seen on the AccuWeather radar near Allendale, South Carolina, at 4 p.m. EDT on April 5, 2022.
The Allendale County tornado was one of several confirmed in South Carolina Tuesday afternoon, as another touched down in northeastern Newberry County at approximately 3:36 p.m. EDT. The tornado was located near the local airport, moving northeast at 35 mph.
Although the National Weather Service is still working to confirm the number of tornadoes that touched down on Tuesday, it does not appear that it will be a record. On April 13, 2020, 56 twisters touched down in South Carolina, including 14 EF3s and two EF4s.
The storms continued to roll through South Carolina into Tuesday evening, with tornadoes likely touching down in Varnville, South Carolina, and Manning, South Carolina. In Manning, the damage was quickly noticeable, particularly in a local shopping center.
Tornadoes also hit South Carolina's southern neighbors hard, as Alabama and Georgia were both confirmed to have several twisters on Tuesday afternoon. Meteorologists identified several radar-confirmed tornadoes, including Elmore County and the city of Troy, where the storm was strong enough to flip over one resident's vehicle. Damage survey teams will be sent into the field to determine if tornadoes did touch down in these areas and how strong they were.
Two Alabama state hubs, capital city Montgomery and college city Auburn, narrowly missed the damage. One tornado touched down southeast of the state capital in Orion, Alabama, but did not enter the city's metro area. A tornado warning was issued for Auburn with local officials telling residents to seek shelter, but no reports of major damage have been made as of Tuesday evening.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
A populated area in the city of Macon, Georgia, also avoided a direct hit, but a tornado was confirmed via radar north of the city at 3:38 EDT. On Wednesday, a neighbor city to Macon in Kite, Georgia, had a tornado hit the ground during the evening hours. Other Georgia tornado confirmations Tuesday took place near the U.S. Army installation at Fort Benning, as well as Blakely and north of Payne.
The storms that struck the Southeast on Tuesday made their way from East Texas during the morning hours, where they were blamed for at least one death. As they trekked across the Southeast, the storms also inundated roadways, causing a few roads to close in Atmore, Alabama.
The threat of lightning and severe weather also suspended play at Augusta National Golf Club for most of Tuesday where golfers and spectators gathered for a practice round before the start of The Masters. The start of the Par-3 contest was delayed by almost an hour on Wednesday due to lightning. The Masters tournament begins on Thursday.
More damaging storms and tornadoes continued across the storm-weary Southeast through Wednesday evening as a new round of severe thunderstorms sparked over the region. Several tornadoes were seen in the early afternoon hours Wednesday, both in Georgia, as tornadoes touched ground in Leslie and Cordele. The scene in Cordele left another ominous atmosphere more local residents.
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For the latest weather news, check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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