The two storms that came through Coffee County Tuesday left their mark on the eastern portion of the county, destroying property near Nicholls and into Bacon County.
And the bad weather isn’t over yet; more severe weather is expected to arrive on Friday.
The storms were part of a large system that wreaked havoc throughout the country. The storms were responsible for four deaths, including one in Georgia, and significant damage in the Southeast and up the east coast. The Florida panhandle, particularly Panama Cty, was hit especially hard.
A tornado formed near Saginaw Baptist Church just west of Nicholls. From there it went east in Bacon County and cut a path of destruction as it moved. According to county EMA director Steve Carver, who met with representatives from the National Weather Service Wednesday morning, the tornado started out as an EF 0 — wind speeds of 75 mph — and increased to a strong EF 1/weak EF 2 (wind speeds of 110-115 mph).
Other areas of the county saw wind speeds of up to 43 mph and recorded two inches of rain or more.
Wednesday dawned with cooler temperatures and blue skies; however, those conditions won’t last. Another volatile storm system is in the Friday forecast. It isn’t expected to be as severe as Tuesday’s storms but it’s not going to be a walk in the park, either. It’s also another squall line that will bring with it more rain and the possibility of tornadoes.