Three tornadoes ripped through Central Georgia early Thursday morning, leaving a trail of destroyed homes, downed trees, and injured residents across multiple counties.
Why It Matters: If you live in Macon County, Bibb County, or Peach and Houston Counties, this storm hit close to home — and the damage is serious enough that some neighbors are still picking up the pieces.
What’s Happening: The National Weather Service confirmed three tornadoes touched down during the early morning hours Thursday.
- The strongest storm — an EF-2 — struck Macon County with winds estimated at 112 mph, destroying four mobile homes and injuring two people. One resident was thrown 40 feet when their home was demolished.
- Two EF-1 tornadoes, each packing winds up to 100 mph, hit Bibb County and the Peach-Houston County area.
The Damage Up Close: In Macon County, the National Weather Service says the EF-2 tornado touched down around 6:40 a.m. near Bryant Hill Road, tearing through pecan orchards before slamming into a mobile home community near Sleepy Hollow Road. Beyond the four destroyed homes, one mobile home was overturned and several others were damaged. The storm also ripped the roofs off two large silos before lifting near County Road 116 — a path of nearly five miles and 600 yards wide.
In Bibb: The weather service says an EF-1 tornado touched down around 6:45 a.m. near Mercer University Drive, cutting through neighborhoods along McCleary Lane and Lochewolde Drive. Residents there saw garage doors torn away, roofs partially stripped, and windows shattered. The storm knocked over a large electrical transmission pole across Tucker Road, shutting it down during the morning commute. Investigators say a falling tree caused the pole to collapse — not the tornado’s direct force. The storm traveled roughly three and a half miles before lifting near the Highlands community.
In Peach and Houston Counties: The third tornado touched down just before 7 a.m. south of State Route 96, the weather service says. It crossed I-75, damaged metal buildings, snapped power poles, and tore into homes along Lakeview Drive — blowing in garage doors and stripping siding and shingles. The storm weakened as it crossed into Houston County and lifted before reaching Lake Joy Road, covering a path of about three miles.
The Big Picture: Central Georgia sits in a region that sees frequent severe weather, particularly in late winter and early spring when warm Gulf air collides with cold fronts pushing down from the north.
