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EF1 tornado touched down in Heard County, surveyors say

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Published  January 5, 2023 3:19pm EST
Heard County
FOX 5 Atlanta

Possible tornado tears through northern Heard County

The National Weather Service will head to Heard County to survey damage and see whether a tornado did touch down in the area. The violent storm tore through Roosterville leaving debris scattered across the small community.

HEARD COUNTY, Ga. - The National Weather Service said a EF1 tornado touched down in Heard County early Wednesday morning.

A tornado survey said wind speeds maxed out at 105 miles per hour. 

The funnel torn through the area at around 5 a.m. and traveled about 2.45 miles along Roosterville Road and weakened northeast of where it touched down, according to the survey. 

Some of the damage surveyors noted included a manufactured home "completely destroyed and pushed off its foundation." The tornado broke trees and flattened wooded areas. Surveyors said the tornado took out a 30-foot-by-30-foot barn.

The tornado apparently weakened after that. Surveyors noted minor damage near Highway 27, but it's believed the tornado lifted before that point. 

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Tornado damage in Heard County on Jan. 4, 2023. 

Residents were stunned to see the level of destruction the storm caused in a short amount of time.

Debris was tossed like paper, and the trailer was ripped off its foundation. The shed housing the goats on the property was nowhere to be found.

"The transformers started blowing, and in them blowing you could see the cone of the tornado," resident Nathan Bradley said.