Severe weather roared through Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, and Georgia late Tuesday as a deadly widespread storm system crossed the country.
In Georgia, a likely tornado touched down in metro Atlanta just before midnight. As the sun rose Wednesday, the clean-up in Rockdale County began.
Just before dawn Wednesday morning, Matthew Dagbovi drove around Conyers, Ga., about 25 miles southeast of Atlanta. He owns a local roofing and renovation business.
“I have some friends and family over here, and they got hit pretty hard,” Dagbovi told GPB.
“We’re out here trying to lend a hand, some tarps — you know, get people secure,” he said.
The cleanup effort is underway after a likely tornado touched down in the area overnight.
Along with building damage from the tornado, heavy winds and rain caused many downed trees.
Dagbovi says the damage to property he’s seen has been substantial.
“I just passed property a minute ago where the entire carport has basically fallen in,” he said. “It kind of looks like half of the house has fallen.”
The National Weather Service said it planned to survey the damage on April 3.
Nicole Listama is a senior forecaster with the NWS.
“It was a radar-confirmed tornado,” she said. “And when I say that, that means we could see debris lofted aloft in the air from the tornado on the radar.”
Dagbovi said he would be helping his neighbors for most of the day to make sure they get the help they need, “making sure people get immediate assistance, while it’s still fresh and, you know, get things sealed up for them.”
The NWS forecasts fair conditions with partly cloudy skies, chilly nights and daytime highs in the 60s for most of Central and North Georgia through the coming weekend.
This article appears on Now Habersham in partnership with GPB News
