BONAIRE, Ga. — The National Weather Service has confirmed a tornado struck Bonaire Tuesday afternoon.
While the confirmation is preliminary, crews are still working to assess the tornado's path, but they did say it was an EF-3 with estimated winds between 158-206 mph.
13WMAZ's Molly Jett spoke with Keith Stellman, the Meteorologist in Charge at the NWS Peachtree City forecast office, who confirmed the tornado just south of Robins Air Force Base, in the Statham's Landing subdivision.
National Weather Service crews conducted limited surveys Wednesday morning because of the afternoon threat of severe weather. More surveys are expected to happen Thursday.
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Todd George was home with his kids when he heard Robins Air Force Base's sirens.
"We are lucky the base was here because it has sirens here and we can hear it easily. We're blessed with that and having the phone alerts, having those ready to go," George said.
His family lives alongside the Southern Landings Golf Course, where most of the damage took place. He says trees missed their home by a few feet. Now, they're just surveying the damage.
Wynanne Hilliard came home to the damage and says some of her neighbors won't be able to get into their home for a long time.
"The street, the houses across the street, some of them, have completely lost their roofs. I don't know how long some of these residents will be without a home. It's just so sad and a surprise, for Heaven's sakes," Hilliard said.