Severe Storms Hit Parts of South with Hail, Strong Winds

A line of severe thunderstorms pushed across a wide area of the South on Monday, packing strong winds, rain and very large hail. In Mississippi, two people were injured after being struck on the head by large hail as the big, powerful storm system unleashed its fury on that part of the country. Hail the size of baseballs smashed vehicles and windows in homes in Clinton, Mississippi, which is a town that got the worst of what Mother Nature dished out. The National Weather Service reported Monday night that hail the size of softballs came down around Jackson, Mississippi which is a very rare occurrence and especially at this time of the year.

There were downed trees reported all across Mississippi. The large hail caused tree limbs to break off, windows to break and many people reported that their car windshields were shattered. The weather also caused problems in Georgia as that state had several severe thunderstorm warnings in effect Monday. Numerous flights at the international airport in Atlanta were canceled during the afternoon due to high winds, large hail and heavy rains. Additionally, tens of thousands of homes and businesses in Georgia lost power Monday night as did nearly 200,000 people in Alabama.

There were numerous tornado warnings issued across Georgia late Monday afternoon, just in time for the evening rush hour. There were many reports of trees down in Pike County. The towns of Zebulon and Concord were particularly hard-hit as those communities reported several structures had been damaged from the strong winds and hail. The schools in Pike County announced that they will be closed Tuesday due to storm damage. A convenience store in Cave Spring, Georgia was completely destroyed by Monday night’s storms.

The wicked weather left a big mess behind in Summerville, GA as numerous large trees were downed as were many powerlines and poles. In one instance, an enormous tree crushed a home, splitting it in half. Luckily the elderly owner of that home had moved out a few weeks earlier. Other large trees blocked several city streets, prompting work crews to remove them overnight.

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