Severe tornado hits Georgia leaving several injured   

Monday, March 27, 2023

At least one tornado caused severe damage in west Georgia Sunday morning, leaving five people injured and others trapped in homes as trees were uprooted and toppled onto houses and vehicles.

In LaGrange, Georgia, about 65 miles southwest of Atlanta, a possible tornado was picked up on radar around 7 a.m. EDT, with the storm reported to have been moving east at 40 mph.

A spokesperson for the Troup County Sheriff’s Office told that anywhere between 80 and 100 structures were damaged, with around 30 of them sustaining major damage.

Troup County Manager Eric Mosley said the county responded to calls of people trapped after the likely tornado hit and calls for trees falling on houses.  The likely tornado caused a closure of parts of Interstate 85 and Highway 185 in the area, with video captured from Interstate 85 showing a bevy of downed trees along the roadside.

In West Point, Georgia, about 15 miles southwest of LaGrange, there was a report of trapped individuals and collapsed houses Sunday morning after a reported tornado moved through the city. An unconfirmed report stated that the storm potentially hit a Kia vehicle assembly plant in West Point. Local fire authorities advised all crews to take shelter ahead of the storm. Red Cross Georgia opened a shelter in West Point at a local gym for those impacted by the storms.

A possible tornado was also picked up on radar Sunday morning in Milledgeville, Georgia, 120 miles east of LaGrange. The storm left extensive structural damage to a local hospital, with parts of the facility’s roof ripped off. Mass power outages were also reported in the area in the storm’s wake.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency early Sunday afternoon following the storms, allowing the state to bring in any additional resources needed for recovery efforts.

In Pine Mountain, Georgia, 20 miles southeast of LaGrange, two tigers briefly escaped Pine Mountain Safari during the storms, with both tigers found and safely returned to their enclosure early Sunday afternoon. Local law enforcement asked residents to stay inside when the animals were first reported as missing.

The reports of possible tornadoes near the Georgia-Alabama border occurred just two days after destructive twisters killed at least 25 people in Mississippi.

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