S. Georgia tornado damages properties near Valdosta

National Weather Service survey teams are on the ground in South Georgia assessing damage caused by a tornado that skipped through parts of Lowndes County on Sunday.

Details are still limited as far as the tornado’s strength and size. It left piles of debris in areas where it touched down Sunday afternoon, primarily to the east of Inner Perimeter Road near Valdosta, NWS meteorologist Joe Worster said. No injuries have been reported.

At least one mobile home was flattened and power poles toppled on Ezelle Road, about six miles east of Valdosta Regional Airport, according to local news reports.

The Valdosta Daily Times reported there were other damaged structures on the northeast side of the city along U.S. 84, where downed trees blocked train tracks. More damage was spotted in the Skipper Bridge Road area, which is to the north.

No one was at home at the time the tornado pummeled the Ezelle Road home, WALB-TV reported. The force of the whirlwind lifted it off its base and tossed it closer to the road, according to the news station. Some parts of the structure were hurled across the road. All that was left when the storm settled was a pile of debris and furniture scattered around the yard.

Tornado warnings started going into effect for South Georgia and North Florida around 2 p.m., and by 3:15 p.m., Valdosta was under a warning, according to the NWS.

The storms were fueled by a low-pressure system blowing in from the Gulf Coast, Worster said.

“It was a pretty marginal severe risk at first. A lot of ingredients had to come together to really get it to pop-off like that,” he said. “Everything seemed to come together for it to just drop that tornado.”

While tornado season is typically between March and April, “it can really occur any time of year if the conditions are right,” Worster said. This happens especially during cooler months when pockets of warmer air move in and cause unstable conditions.