The thunderstorms that rumbled through Highland County Wednesday evening turned severe is some parts of the area, with the Buford region being hit with damaging winds that destroyed property.
Jim Lyle, director of Highland County Emergency Management, said Thursday that a mobile home was destroyed, a barn was damaged and a grain elevator leg was destroyed, among other items.
Lyle said the damaging winds hit Rural Road, Belts Road and New Market Road. He said National Weather Service staff were still determining Thursday whether the damage was due to a tornado or straight-line winds, but either way, Lyle said the early estimates on wind speed were 90-95 mph.
The National Weather Service said Thursday it will be conducting a storm survey to assess damage in Clark and Greene counties from Wednesday’s storms. In Clark County, the NWS confirmed an EF0 tornado in Enon in Clark County.
According to the NWS, the twister began at 6:51 p.m. Wednesday evening and lasted approximately one minute. Winds speeds were estimated at 75-80 mph. The width of tornado’s path was 40 yards; the length of the path was 150 yards. No injuries were reported.
The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center stated there were over 300 preliminary storm reports across Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas on Wednesday and Wednesday night. At least 10 tornadoes were reported in Georgia, South Carolina and Indiana, according to AccuWeather.
AccuWeather predicted Thursday that “warmth is poised to bust loose in the midwestern and eastern United States. Several days of tranquil conditions are in store for communities weary of severe weather in the Central and Southern states. The change to warm weather should be nothing short of spectacular in much of the Upper Midwest and Northeast. Sunshine will accompany the warmth in many areas.”
Reach Gary Abernathy at 937-393-3456 on by email at [email protected].
