National Weather Service confirms tornado touched down near Fleming on Wednesday

LIBERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - The National Weather Service (NWS) has confirmed a tornado touched down near Fleming, Ga. on Wednesday.

According to the NWS report, the EF0 tornado was on the ground for half a mile in a rural area near Mt. Olivet Church Road.

The report said the tornado had an estimated peak wind of 85 mph. The tornado uprooted a tree, broke some limbs and destroyed a small, wooden shed.

Liberty County officials met with Rep. Buddy Carter (R – Georgia) on Thursday to brief him on their response.

Rep. Carter made a stop in Hinesville and toured the Liberty County Emergency Management facility that’s served as the command center for decision-making and response as the storm blew through.

“You know, I always say, I’d rather be lucky than good. In this case, we were both. We were lucky it didn’t turn out as bad as we thought it might. But, we were also good. I credit EMA all throughout the district, particularly here in Liberty County for the preparation that they made,” Rep. Carter said.

EMA officials say the main aftermath from the tornado is downed trees. There were more than two dozen down trees reported across Liberty County, but no reported injuries or deaths.

“Overall, I was satisfied with everyone in the EOC. The public heeded our messages, and if they needed something, they could always call us. So, I was very happy with that,” said Bob Dodd, with the Liberty Emergency Management Agency.

At its peak, around 3,500 residents were without power, but most of that has been restored.

Rep. Carter said it’s too early to say whether Liberty County will be eligible for federal relief funds as a result of this tornado just yet.

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