Morning Storms Leave Damage Across Columbus

COLUMBUS, GA: A powerful storm rolled across the city of Columbus on Sunday morning. Prior to making its way into the Fountain City the storm sparked tornado warnings in neighboring Russell County where there has been some damage reported. The storm rolled into Columbus and left a path of damage in parts of the cities southside and central parts of Columbus.

Shortly before 10:00 a.m. on Sunday morning the storm began impacting the Columbus area bringing high winds and heavy downpours to the city. As the storm rolled through damage began to pop up in pockets of the city. There was never a tornado warning issued for Muscogee County, only a severe thunderstorm warning.

It is suspected the damage that was seen across the Columbus area is the result of straight line winds that impacted the city. Gusts of 60 mph or greater are suspected to have caused some of the damage seen across Columbus. The damage include tree and some structural damage to the city.

Trees block 17th Avenue near Columbus High School on Sunday morning. Traffic lights in the area were also blown down along Cherokee Avenue.

Structural damage in Columbus included a gas station that sustained heavy damage on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Just a street over a storage facility was heavily damaged on Cusseta Road. A nearby electrical company also sustained heavy damage in the area. There were reports of trees on homes in some areas.

The Columbus Riverwalk was the site of dozens of trees that had been uprooted or snapped. The damage stretched from just south of Rotary Park to near Bull Creek. The Riverwalk is impassable at Parkman Avenue due to a large tree blocking the popular pedestrian path. A Columbus city recycling center located near 22nd Avenue just off of Victory Drive was also damaged in Sundays storm. Several recycling bins and fencing were blown over with some being blown onto the Columbus Riverwalk nearby.

Damage is visible to buildings on Cusseta Road in Columbus Sunday morning after a strong storm rolled through the city of Columbus.

Columbus' Midtown area also sustained heavy damage and power outages. Lakebottom Park in Columbus has several large trees that have been uprooted or snapped as a result of the storm that passed over the city. Several trees were blown down in the area of Wildwood Avenue which sparked a small fire near the fallen trees. Wildwood Avenue has been closed due to downed powerlines and trees.

Just a block away 17th Avenue near Cherokee Avenue has been closed due to down trees and powerlines. The traffic lights at the intersection of 17th Avenue and Cherokee Avenue have been blown down and were smashed upon hitting the roadway below. Local law enforcement from the Muscogee County Sheriff's Office are on scene helping to direct traffic from the impacted area.

This tree was blown onto the side of this home in Columbus on Sunday morning

The storm quickly rolled out of the Columbus area. Despite the heavy damage that has been seen in some parts of the city, we have not yet learned of any reports of injuries in the city of Columbus due to the storm. We are still working damage reports and will continue to update our readers.