Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief chainsaw crews make quick work of tornado cleanup

SANDERSVILLE, Ga. – The director of Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief said chainsaw crews have completed a deployment to Sandersville where a tornado touched down earlier in the week.

Dwain Carter said volunteers who had been on the scene since Wednesday wrapped up their work Sunday.

A line of storms brought at least four tornados and heavy rain to much of Georgia last week.

The National Weather Service in Atlanta confirmed an EF-1 tornado with maximum winds of 100 mph touched down just north of Sandersville shortly before 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

“The tornado was on the ground 4 minutes and traveled 3.8 miles,” forecasters said.

Disaster Relief volunteers found significant damage to homes, the worst of which resulted from falling trees. In some cases, the trees had been uprooted by the wind. In others, the tops had been twisted off and tossed.

National Weather Service survey teams also confirmed an EF-1 tornado with maximum winds of 105 mph in Heard County. That tornado touched down about 5 a.m. Wednesday, and was on the ground for three minutes, covering 2.5 miles.

The weather service also said two smaller tornadoes touched down in Coweta County near Newnan and in Jefferson County near Louisville.

In Alabama, a possible tornado in Montgomery damaged homes, downed trees and flipped a vehicle on its side in Montgomery, Alabama, early Wednesday. To the north, the National Weather Service said at least six tornadoes were reported in Illinois, causing localized damage primarily in the central part of the state.

The weather service and first responders reported scattered property damage across Georgia, including roofs blown off homes, downed trees, roads blocked by debris, and downed power lines that left many without electricity.

Carter said Disaster Relief volunteers in Sandersville were on scene within minutes, helping residents in the tornado’s path.

Jim Croome, a Disaster Relief recovery director, and his wife MaryAnn, a Disaster Relief chaplain, lived nearby, and were quickly able to assess the damage and request additional personnel.