Published Thursday, January 26, 2012

Saturday storm damage from tornado, but no touchdown

By John Winters

The Newnan Times-Herald

Saturday's severe thunderstorms resulted in a tornado forming in southern Coweta County, but it did not actually touch ground.

The National Weather Service in Peachtree City said the tornado -- classified an EF1 with 110 mph winds -- formed in the Gordon Road/ Martin Mill Road area, according to Jay Jones, Coweta County emergency management director.

"They stated the tornado didn't actually reach the ground -- or the homes in the area would have been destroyed along with the uprooting of the trees," Jones said.

Most of the damage was in the Gordon Road/Martin Mill area, although the line of storms also hit strong in Senoia and damaged the town's senior center as well as uprooted trees.

"The Senoia storms were part of the same system," Jones said. "They have not classified that as a tornado at this time."

Most of west Georgia was under a tornado watch until 1 p.m. Saturday, and the weather service issued a tornado warning for Coweta at 11:35 a.m. after Doppler radar indicated strong rotation embedded in a storm moving across Heard County.

There were no reports of injuries in Coweta County.

"The system went from Heard County toward the Gordon Road/Martin Mill Road area -- where it 'partially' touched down and from there to Senoia," Jones said.