Power Outage in Hampton, GA

Tree causing power lines down on Rocky Creek Rd in Hannahs Mill area of Upson.

The Henry County Emergency Manager reported several trees and power lines down across Henry County, including six blocking roads. A sign was also damaged at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton.

A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City, Georgia confirmed that the tornado, which originally touched down in northeast Meriwether county as an EF2 and then continued across western Spalding county as an EF3, moved into Henry county before lifting just across the Spalding/Henry county line, approximately 1/2 mile into the county or about two miles south of Hampton. The tornado briefly maintained its EF3 intensity as it entered Henry county. Only minor damage was observed within Henry county, mainly downed trees, power lines, and minor structural damage to a few buildings and trees, mainly along Hall View, Pamona, and Hedgewood Drive.||[04/27-04/28/11: Tornado #11, County #3-3, EF3, Meriwether-Spalding-Henry, 2011:020].

An amateur radio operator reported that a tree was down across a road and a power lines near McCollum Road and Georgia Highway 54, near Hampton.

The Henry County Emergency Management Director reported that several trees and a couple of power lines were blown down across the county. Some structural damage was also observed in the western part of the county. A gas station steel awning was bent in half at the intersection of Racetrack Road and Georgia Highway 42 in McDonough. Amateur radio operators reported that a 50-foot tall radio tower was bent over near Hampton.

A National Weather Service damage survey confirmed an F2 tornado, the strongest tornado of the evening associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy, touched down just a few hundred yards south of McDonough Street at the Atlanta Motor Speedway then traveled north-northwest passing just east of Lovejoy in Clayton county, then across the Edgar Blalock Raw Water Reservation, at which point it turned northwest and finally passed into Clayton county before lifting near Jodeco Road. The tornado center line crossed the western bank of the race track then across Tara Field just west of the race track. Damages to the Atlanta Motor Speedway, including several condominiums at the facility, and the Tara Field Airport just west of the Atlanta Motor Speedway were estimated at $40,000,000. Eleven planes and five vintage helicopters were heavily damaged at Tara Field. Nearby a Chevron auto service station was destroyed. Damage between these facilities and the Clayton county line was confined mainly to trees and power lines. The tornado had a path length of nine miles tracking across western Henry and a small portion of eastern Clayton county. The tornado initially had a path width of 1/2 mile, then narrowed as it moved north-northwest. It was determined that the tornado had winds of 120 mph. Electrical power was out in much of the county throughout the night as a result of the damage in the area. All together during the evening, 229 homes in the county had minor damage from thunderstorm winds and/or tornadoes, with 61 homes suffering major damage. In addition, the steeple at Kelly Chapel fell to the ground.

The public and an amateur radio operator reported widespread damage to trees and power lines throughout the county. Some of the worst damage was along and near Georgia Highway 20 between Hampton and McDonough. Portions of the highway were blocked and closed from downed trees. Several trees had fallen on and caused damage to homes in the area as well. Trees were also down in the Lakeview Subdivision on Mundy's Mill Road. In addition, a billboard was down on Interstate 75 between exits 218 and 221.