WAYCROSS, Ga. — A storm formed over Waycross, GA, around 3 p.m. Saturday, leaving behind a trail of damage.
Multiple viewers showed Action News Jax photos of floods in a Walmart parking lot, sheds toppled over, and trees struck by lightning.
One resident, Christa Christian, says she was on her way into town when she got caught in the storm.
“It honestly felt like we were in a tornado, just stuff blowing everywhere,” Christan said. “Then there were like the portable buildings flying, the signs off of the buildings were coming off, it was really crazy.”
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Christian says she passed by a warehouse that had its steel beams completely bent by the wind gusts.
“We made it to Walmart, and it was just like torrential rain,” Christian said. “It was just coming down. There were buggies just rolling all over the parking lot.”
Our First Alert Weather Team says the storm lasted for a couple of hours and brought one to two inches of rain.
Waycross City Manager Ulysses Rayford posted on Facebook following the storm that multiple trees were down across the city, as well as the traffic lights at Hatcher Point & Memorial.
“Please allow our Police, Fire, and Public Works teams the time and space they need to safely respond and clear these hazards,” Rayford said. “If possible, avoid affected areas, use caution while traveling, and never attempt to drive around barricades or through obstructed roadways.”
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Fire Chief Jim Blackburn with the Waycross Fire Department told Action News Jax that the storm caused minor flooding and numerous trees and limbs to fall, with several affecting power lines, causing some outages. He also said that multiple trees affected one apartment complex, with one falling directly onto the building, causing minor damage, and another falling across a vehicle at the complex.
Blackburn says no injuries have been reported at this time.
Just about an hour before the storm hit Waycross, Florida’s feels-like temperature peaked at 105 degrees. The actual temperature was 98 degrees, making it the state’s hottest day of the year so far.
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