Tornado!!!

An F3 or 4 (depending on which weather station you listen to) tornado plowed a wide path of destruction through our area Thursday afternoon. We were protected from the brunt of the wind by the tall pines around us. I was watching them bend in the wind, however, and praying they didn't topple over on us. It was an intense storm with the more central part of Griffin taking the most damage. Some of the thunder claps were pretty close, others further away, but they blended together in a constant rumble. Clean up will most likely take weeks with lines down, huge trees uprooted, homes and businesses damaged or completely destroyed. Power is still out in much of Griffin..

Fortunately, the storm hit in the late afternoon. Emergency alterts blared on everyone's cell phone, advising to seek shelter immediately. With the warning, people were able to take cover and find safe places to wait it out. If it had hit in the middle of the night when people were sleeping it might have been a lot worse. Only 1 death was reported in the Griffin area, but 7 were killed to the north in Atlanta. 

Just north of us a train was blown off its tracks. Students at a local high school had to spend the night there as roads were blocked with trees and power lines and travel was unsafe. Customers shopping at a Hobby Lobby were told over the store intercom to go to the center of the store immediately. The store front was destroyed.

When the storm was over, pleas were posted on the local FB page asking for anyone with a chainsaw to assist in certain areas. Residents of an apartment complex posted they were trapped inside their building because of trees that had fallen on the roof. Others asked for help as they needed. It was amazing to see the community come together to help one another, and to help clear the roads so people could get home.

Here are some photos of the storm, and the damage in the area. Even then, pictures can't begin to show the scope of the damage.

A beautiful sunset after the storm.