No major damage after tornado warning in Jones, Baldwin, Wilkinson | Macon Telegraph

A tornado warning sent folks scrambling for shelter before 10 a.m. Monday morning in parts of Jones, Baldwin and Wilkinson counties.

Doppler radar indicated a storm capable of producing a tornado that was 2 miles northeast of downtown Macon, moving east at 35 mph.

"We sent 11 spotters out and everything looks great right now," said Jones County EMA Director Don Graham said shortly after skies had cleared to a light rain.

Communities in the warning included Milledgeville, Gray, Ivey, Hardwick, Haddock, Clinton, Browns Crossing and Griswoldville.

No one was hurt when a tractor trailer hydroplaned and hit a utility pole and overturned in the 1100 block of Eatonton Highway, which is near Fortville Road in Jones County, Graham said.

The wreck caused a power outage about 5 miles outside of Gray, Graham said.

Another accident was reported during heavy rain on Ga. 22 in Haddock near the old cannery, but no one was hurt, he said.

Baldwin County Sheriff's Capt. Michael Lumpkin reported blinding rain and some wind, but no reports of damage from residents or patrol units across the county.

"I guess we were fortunate," Lumpkin said. "You couldn't see, but nothing too bad."

The Wilkinson County Sheriff's Office also did not receive any reports of damage from the storm.

A severe thunderstorm capable up to 60 mph winds was reported for parts of Monroe, Bibb, Crawford and Twiggs counties before 9:30 a.m. Monday.

Just before 9 a.m., the storm was headed toward Culloden, moving east at 35 mph.

The warning includes Macon, Gray, Payne City, Clinton, Lake Tobesofkee, Round Oak and Bolingbroke.

The threat of severe weather Monday prompted the National Weather Service to issue a tornado watch until 2 p.m. for much of Middle Georgia and counties to the south.

The following counties were included in the watch: Baldwin, Bibb, Bleckley, Crawford, Crisp, Dodge, Dooly, Houston, Jones, Laurens, Monroe, Montgomery, Peach, Pulaski, Telfair, Twiggs, Wheeler, Wilcox, Wilkinson, Emanuel, Jefferson, Johnson, Treutlen, Washington, Glascock, Hancock and Warren.