Severe weather moves east after tornadoes

Associated Press

ATLANTA

Strong storms plowed through Georgia on their way to the Carolinas on Friday, spawning at least one confirmed tornado, after setting off tornadoes that swirled through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

More tornadoes and isolated winds remained possible, according to the National Weather Service. Nearly 3,000 people in the Carolinas already were without power by early morning.

The weather service confirmed a tornado touched down in central Georgia and did some damage Friday morning.

Meteorologist Steve Nelson says a tornado pushed through Twiggs County with 90 mph winds near Allentown, Ga., about 8:40 a.m. Nelson says it traveled 1.9 miles, damaging eight homes and destroying two.

He says it’s possible that another tornado later in the morning hit neighboring Wilkinson County, causing some damage to homes and trees. Wilkinson County Emergency Management director Gary Brown says three homes were damaged.

In nearby Warner Robins, some streets were flooded and roofs damaged at Robins Air Force Base, and the airfield at Robins was temporarily closed.

On Thursday, one tornado touched down in Eldridge in central Alabama about 8 p.m. Another hit about hour earlier in Ardmore in the northern part of the state, according to emergency management officials Rita White and Harry Markham. There were no immediate reports of damage or any injuries, and the weather service said all tornado warnings had expired in Alabama.

In southeastern Louisiana, the National Weather Service confirmed two tornadoes touched down, bringing down trees and power lines but causing no injuries.

An apparent tornado also damaged homes and downed trees near Columbus, Miss. Lowndes County Emergency Management director Cindy Lawrence said reports indicated at least a dozen homes were damaged near New Hope, between Columbus and the Alabama state line.

Eric Carpenter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pearl, Miss., said radar detected a tornado debris signature beginning about 6:20 p.m. The storm crossed into Alabama and wind damage was reported in the Millport area there.

More than 12,000 power outages in the area were reported by 4-County Electric Power Association in Mississippi.