Possible tornado damages home, barn

Published 12:53 pm Monday, March 5, 2012

The home of Christopher Hahn off Vada Road, near the border between Decatur and Mitchell counties, was demolished by the wind and one of their vehicles flipped over. | Carolyn Iamon

A tornado possibly touched down in northern Decatur County Saturday, damaging structures and two farm irrigation pivots, Sheriff Wiley Griffin said.

The wind damage happened early Saturday morning after daybreak. There were no injuries reported.

The home of Christopher Hahn off Vada Road, near the border between Decatur and Mitchell counties, was demolished by the wind and one of their vehicles flipped over, Sheriff Griffin said. A pickup truck was damaged when the Hahns’ camper, which was destroyed, blew into the side of it. Hahn and his wife were able to escape out of a window with their young neighbors’ help.

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Nearby, off Swindell Road in the northeastern corner of the county, two center irrigation pivots belonging to Steve Brock were flipped over, Griffin said. Off New Home Church Road, two storage buildings, a barn and several farm animal pens belonging to Billy Maxwell were also damaged.

Griffin said he believed the Vada-area damage occurred during the same wind event.

Officially, the U.S. Geological Survey measured 4.19 inches of rain from Saturday’s storm, while the University of Georgia’s Attapulgus Research Farm recorded 4.31 inches.

Six to eight inches of rain were reported by citizens with rain gauges. There were also reports of stormwater ponding around Bainbridge, particularly around Lake Douglas, which rose into the back yards of some lakeside homes.

Dr. Greg Forbes of The Weather Channel said he estimated there were 79 reports of tornadoes nationwide on Friday and Saturday. Of those, 41 have been confirmed by the National Weather Service, he said.

On Monday morning, Post-Searchlight reporter Carolyn Iamon took photos of damage to the Hahns’ property and to the Billy Maxwell property (starts with 2769):

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