SANDERSVILLE, Ga. — The National Weather Service says four tornadoes struck Washington County during Monday morning's storm.
Their surveyor says that the damage from the storm is consistent with multiple EF-1 tornadoes.
According to the Enhanced Fujita scale (EF-Scale), that means the tornadoes likely had wind speeds of 86-110 mph and caused ‘moderate damage.’
Three tornadoes are classified as EF-1 and one of them is classified as EF-0, which means it likely had 65-85 mph wind speeds.
The agency says the EF-0 tornado happened around 4 a.m. Monday, beginning at the Washington and Wilkinson county line, then heading east for about a mile and a half. It mainly caused tree damage.
Less than ten minutes later, an EF-1 tornado with 90 mph winds uprooted several trees, according to the National Weather Service. That circulation traveled the furthest south.
Around 4:15 a.m., the agency says another EF-1 tornado struck. This time, impacting the northern most part of a dual circulation.
The fourth tornado rolled through the county shortly after at 4:31 a.m., the National Weather Service says.
This EF-1 tornado started out along News Bridge Road and destroyed a building, damaged dozens of homes and hundreds of trees, and picked up two vehicles in its path.
Monday's storm knocked down around 1,000 trees along Ga-242.
A metal barn was destroyed on News Bridge Road and scraps were thrown all over the road.
Other people were out picking up what was left of their property, like homeowner Michael Atkinson.
"I haven't seen the whole property. All I've seen is this," Atkinson said. "We've got bad devastation in both directions."
Down the road, Gary Kenneth Everett and his family were in their house when the storm ripped through. Somehow, both made it out with only minor injuries.
Sheriff Cochran said the county was lucky there were no fatalities from the storm.
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