Tornado Rips Through Neighboring Cherokee County

Forsyth County including more than 50 other counties in Georgia were either under a tornado watch or warning for most of the Labor Day holiday, according to the National Weather Service.

Cherokee County Commission Chairman Buzz Ahrens declared a local state of emergency following the tornado that ripped through the county--injuring one.

The following timeline recaps the severe weather that hit the area on Monday, Sept. 5:

Update 10:51 p.m.

The Towne Lake Hills South subdivision was hardest hit by Monday's tornado, Cherokee County's Sheriff Lt. Jay Baker said.

Click on the hyperlinks below to listen to people along the 3000 block of Lexington Avenue describe what they heard, what they saw, what they did and how the tornado impacted them.

• The tornado tore the roof off the back of Joe Rizzo's house.
• Gary Dickey heard the wind blow against his house, but didn't have any damage.
• Paul Evans returned from Macon to find a tree sticking out of his  home.
• Rick Haisten stood in front of his home, which had a missing roof.
• Rick Haisten stood in what was his master bedroom.
• Rick Haisten said he could've been sucked away.
• Serena Albright of the Terraces at Towne Lake Apartment Homes grabbed her 1-year-old son from his crib when a tree fell.
• Dominique Warren's car was destroyed.

Update 10:27 p.m.

Cherokee County Schools will open Tuesday. Commission Chairman Buzz Ahrens has declared a "local state of emergency for Cherokee County." Open the PDF on this page for the latest from the Cherokee County Emergency Operations Center.

Update 9:14 p.m.

Click here for the latest briefing from the Cherokee County Emergency Operations Center. You can also open the PDF on this page.

Update 6 p.m.

The latest tornado warning is over, meaning Cherokee County is merely on watch for a tornado for the first time in more than three hours.

The heaviest damage in Cherokee County appears to be in the Towne Lake area, including the only injury attributed to the storm so far. County officials reported that a person was taken to a hospital after being rescued from the basement of a house that was destroyed.

The Brookshire subdivision also was hit hard.

Hundreds of trees were toppled as at least one tornado and repeated severe storms flew through the county, knocking down power lines, crushing empty cars, caving in roofs and blocking roads.

Summit Seating, which builds church pews in Holly Springs, lost its roof and a wall, WSB-TV showed.

Dixie Speedway suffered extreme damage to the bleachers. The damage will cost $500,000 to repair, 11 Alive reported, but the track plans to be ready for racing Saturday.

Also west of Woodstock, 11 Alive showed power lines knocked out by an 18-wheeler that flipped by Highway 92 near Dixie Drive.

Reports through social media indicate extreme damage in the Towne Lake Hills South area, including devastation on Centennial Drive. Trees are down, and power is out. Many road in the Towne Lake area are impassable or partially blocked.

In Holly Springs, road closings include Holly Springs Parkway at Sixes Road, Holly Street at Ga. 5, and Lawson Drive near Brick Mill Road.

Updates on road conditions and power outages are available on the Facebook pages for Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch and Holly Springs-Hickory Flat Patch.

Update 5:07 p.m.

Macedonia and Free Home communities report very little rainfall and winds.

Update 5 p.m.

Cherokee County's Sheriff Lt. Jay Baker just told Patch that there is one confirmed injury in the county. He didn't know the extent of the injuries. "We've got lots of trees down. Lots of homes damaged."

Update 4:50 p.m.

A pine tree is down on the roof of , WSB-TV has shown. No one was hurt, and a tree company is on the way to deal with removal.

Original Report Below

A tornado has been confirmed in Cherokee County.

"It's the closest call we’ve ever had at our Emergency Operations Center, to be able to stand in the doorway and watch it pass just to the east," director Robbby Westbrook told WSB-TV.

He reported lots of damage, government offices in Holly Springs among them.

Without elaborating, Cherokee Sheriff's Lt. Jay Baker told Patch that "Towne Lake is bad."

Social media lit up with witness accounts of funnel clouds across Cherokee.

Kristina Collins wrote on Facebook that power was out at the Riverstone Walmart.

"HUGE rotation through the lot and over the store," she wrote.

There are no reports of injuries.