BALDWIN COUNTY, Ga. — One of the hardest hit areas in Central Georgia seems to be Baldwin County.
While driving through the county on Sunday, you could see everything from fallen trees, torn roofs, downed power lines, and twisted billboards.
Lots of notable damage was seen between North Jefferson Street and North Columbia Street.
"It could have been a whole lot worse. I know when to say 'thank you Jesus'. I know when to say it, and that's now," Malcolm May said.
May is the owner of T-Shirts-to-Go on North Columbia Street. He says he woke up to news of the possible tornado.
"My neighbor Tracy called me about 9:00-9:30. She said 'Malcom you need to get over here as quick as you can, the tornado hit.' We were just waking up. I said "What? A tornado hit?," May said.
When he got to the store, he saw their shopping strip covered in shattered glass, scattered debris, and their plaza sign had fallen over.
"Our building was dripping water, rain, but our stuff was intact. Our stuff wasn't damaged," May said.
They have been in the location for 5 years. He says they sell their shirts out of this building, but their work shop is in Jones county. The damages don't limit too much of what they can do.
However, his neighbors weren't so lucky.
"You don't see nothing but water, a lot of my merchandise got damaged," Tracy Harper said.
Harper owns owns T's Boutique and Things. She says she came into the store at 8:00 am, but ran out to make an errand.
"A friend of mine called and said the window had been bust out at my shop, and I said that can't be because I just left from down there," Harper said.
After calling her sisters to run over to the shop, they arrived to see her window was blown out, her ceiling was leaking rain, and her merchandise was soaking wet.
"I'm just overwhelmed right now. I'm just overwhelmed," she said.
Similar damage could be seen at the laundromat next to the boutique. Their window was also blown out, and their ceiling had fallen.
However with help, and community support the stores were able to get cleaned up and packed away.
"People that I don't even know came from near and far to help me, so I'm very grateful," Harper said.
The businesses are now looking to the future.
"In the meantime I'll be looking for a new location, and I'll be moving forward, can't let nothing hold me down," Harper said.
"We know we're going to bounce back, we do know that much," May said.
You can offer support to the businesses by reaching out here to T's Boutique and Things at (478) 454-7556, or T-Shirts To Go at (478) 256-7648
The rest of the street was blocked off at several points with deputies directing traffic. There were Georgia Power trucks out trying to fix lines, and several home on the street were covered from fallen trees.