Tornado, storm damage estimate at $5 million

Published 1:56 pm Tuesday, January 24, 2017

THOMASVILLE — As tornado and storm damage assessments continued Tuesday, the damage estimate from Sunday’s weather is $5 million.

Chris Jones, Thomas County emergency management director, said the damage estimate for destroyed houses and occupied damaged residences is $2 million.

Another $2 million to $3 million is estimated in losses of vehicles, agriculture equipment, timber, pecan trees, grain bins and irrigation equipment, among others.

“And we’re still collecting damage assessments within the city,” Jones said.

In unincorporated Thomas County, 11 houses were destroyed.

Jones said a tornado, packing wind of 110-plus miles per hour, began in the Holly Springs area and traveled to Pavo during Sunday predawn hours.

“We have the track defined. We have the path, and every damaged home that we could find has been reported to us,” Jones said.

Other than tornadic wind earlier in the day, the greatest wind damage came during the last storm Sunday afternoon. Straight-line wind was the culprit, Jones said, adding that the afternoon wind speed has not been determined.

National Weather Service personnel assessed Thomas County damage Monday. Jones said he expects “good, hard facts” from the service soon about exact tornado and severe thunderstorm wind speeds.

“They did start here yesterday morning gathering that information,” Jones said Tuesday. Weather service personnel also traveled to other tornado-struck counties to gather data.

The death toll from the Sunday inclement weather is at 15. Thomas County had four injuries, but no deaths.

Jones said had the tornado moved 1,000 feet in any direction, Thomas County could have had multiple deaths.

The tornado, he said, came within 1,000 feet of a mobile home park on Ga. 202.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820