ATLANTA — Storm crews confirmed that dozens of tornadoes touched down in Georgia during the outbreak last week.
The National Weather Service said 40 tornadoes ripped through middle and southern Georgia between Jan. 21 and 22.
The tornadoes left 16 people dead across the state.
The strongest tornado, an EF-3, hit Cook County and killed 7 people at the Sunshine Mobile Home Park.
Devocheo Williams said he walked out of his mangled trailer to see his neighborhood and neighbors being tossed through the air.
"All I saw was a little girl flown up and thrown in a ditch. Three seconds later, the trailer got picked up off the ground and landed on top of the mother and son," Williams said.
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It is believed to be the deadliest storm since an April 27, 2011, tornado outbreak in Ringgold and Cedartown that killed 15 people. It was also the second major storm to rip through South Georgia this month.
Other killer storms in recent years:
- March 27, 1994: 18 were killed on Palm Sunday in the Floyd County area.
- March 20, 1998: 14 were killed in Hall and White counties.
- April 8, 1998: Seven were killed in and around Dunwoody city in DeKalb, and in Cobb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties.
- Feb. 14, 2000: 19 were killed in Southwest Georgia/Mitchell County,Grady County, Colquitt County.
- March 20, 2003: Six were killed in southwestern Georgia.
- March 1, 2007: Six were killed in Newton.
- March 14, 2008: One was killed in Atlanta.
- April 27, 2011: Ringgold and Cedartown reported 15 deaths.
- January 2013: One was killed in Adairsville.