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Storms Thursday leave behind downed trees, power lines, damage

Published  June 20, 2019 11:27pm EDT
Weather
FOX 5 Atlanta
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Trees down in Rome, Georgia (Courtesy: Heather Kerns)

ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - Heavy winds strafed the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia as a storm system moved east Thursday.

In Meriwether County, strong winds tore through the area around 3 p.m. downing trees and power lines near Greenville. A FOX 5 viewer reported damage to the roof of a nursing home along Hill Haven Road.

Another view suggested a tornado was responsible. The National Weather Service will be out to survey the damage to see if that was the case or if it was just strong straight-line winds.

FOX 5 viewer Kylie Finck shared photos of several trees down in Meriwether County. Firefighters and other emergency crews were reportedly using chainsaws to clear roadways.

Power throughout the county was out for several hours.

SEE MORE: Trees topple onto homes, power lines in Meriwether County

About 85 miles north, in Rome, FOX 5 viewer Heather Kerns shared photos of trees down along Park Boulevard.

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In Columbia, South Carolina, a wind gust of 79 mph was recorded which is believed to be responsible for dozens of reports of trees down, including some that landed on houses in North Carolina and some that landed in the middle of Interstate 20 near Orangeburg, South Carolina.

Officials in South Carolina say a person has been killed by a fallen tree amid heavy winds sweeping across the Southeast. News outlets report that Richland County Coroner Gary Watts confirmed the death occurred Thursday afternoon in Columbia. Officials did not release further details about the victim.

Utilities reported more than 200,000 customers were without power Thursday evening across Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

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The storms earlier caused similar damage from Texas to Alabama. They have been blamed for one death in Mississippi, where a tree fell on a house near Shaw, killing 19-year-old Jackson Salter.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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