A tornado touched down in Mansfield on Friday afternoon, leaving several homes and businesses damaged and one person injured.

The National Weather Service confirmed Friday that an apparent tornado touched down briefly in Mansfield, in southeast Newton County, just before 2 p.m. causing significant damage to a number of homes within the Mansfield city limits.

Newton County Fire Services Chief Kevin O’Brien said one woman was hurt during the storm, after she was trapped from a structural collapse. The woman was extricated and transported to Clearview Regional Medical Center, in Monroe, by Newton County EMS. O’Brien said the woman suffered from leg injuries, but was in stable condition.
He said about six residences were completely destroyed, and probably another five or six residences had severe structural damage. A pavilion in Beaver Park located on Ga. Hwy 213 was said to have been destroyed.

A man in the area said a trailer was knocked off its foundation near Kellogg Street in the middle of town. O’Brien said Kellogg and Hardeman streets were completely shut down as well as parts of Duke Road after the severe weather damages.

Diane Pringle with the City of Mansfield said she saw large amounts of storm debris in the roadways and a number of trees were down around the downtown area.

Investigator Michael Cunningham with the Newton County Sheriff’s Office said power lines were also down in the area, as deputies with the sheriff’s office and firefighters with Newton County Fire Services assessed the area for damage.

Residents of the damaged homes were evacuated and taken to the Mansfield Community Center by firefighters, according to O’Brien. The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army helped storm victims at the community center.
Officials with Georgia Power said around 1,046 customers were without electricity in the area for about three hours. Power was restored that Friday evening.