A former Columbus police officer and his father died Sunday after a tornado spun up during the severe storms that left widespread damage to Georgia, officials said.
The two men were crushed by a falling tree, under which they had taken refuge from the storm in Muscogee County, where an EF-1 tornado touched down on Sunday. The deadly incident happened on the Bull Creek Golf Course in Columbus. They were identified as Matthew Collins Sr., 58, and Matthew Collins Jr., 29, according to the Muscogee coroner’s office.
“Matthew Jr. served our department with pride, and we are grateful for his service to this community,” the Columbus Police Department posted on social media. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Collins family and ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
Gov. Brian Kemp also extended condolences to the family via social media. Collins Jr. served with Columbus police from 2017 to 2019, according to Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council records.
“Marty, the girls and I are saddened by the tragic deaths of two Georgians in Muscogee County today as a result of the severe weather,” Kemp posted Sunday. “We ask that you join us in keeping their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers, along with all those responding to storm damage.”
The brief tornado touched down just before 4 p.m. in the Beaver Run neighborhood of Muscogee, with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph. For about 2.5 miles, it uprooted trees that fell on some homes before continuing northeast, where it crossed into the golf course. The NWS said the former Columbus police officer and his father were trying to seek shelter under a tree at the course and were killed.
“Based on the location of where the fatalities occurred, we believe they weren`t in the direct path of the actual tornado but very strong (75+ mph) inflow winds helped snap the trees,” the NWS said.
Another EF-1 tornado spun up around 5:45 p.m. within the Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Bibb County, located a stone’s throw from the border of Twiggs County, according to the NWS. The twister had maximum sustained winds of 90 mph as it uprooted trees and brought down power lines along Highway 23, officials said. At least one home was impacted on Riggins Mill Road. The tornado continued for about eight miles and lifted just after 6 p.m.
The severe weather did not let up Monday. Storms rolled through metro Atlanta, including a radar-confirmed tornado reported in the morning in areas south of the city.
The rough weather also prompted Augusta National Golf Club to evacuate its grounds and suspend Monday’s practice round at around 11:25 a.m. Just before 3 p.m., organizers announced the club would not reopen to patrons Monday, citing safety concerns.
“Due to the inclement weather and current forecast, Augusta National Golf Club will not reopen to our patrons on Monday,” organizers posted on X.
The course evacuation came hours after Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan reported signs of debris from a radar-confirmed tornado south of metro Atlanta.
At about 7:35 a.m., the debris signature appeared to be heading toward Birdie Road, Manlet Road and Vineyard Road in Spalding County. Monahan said the lofted debris was seen for more than 15 minutes, meaning “this potentially could be a significant tornado touchdown here in north Spalding County.”
The tornado warning, which originally included Spalding, Fayette, Henry, Clayton and Butts counties, was in effect from about 7:30 a.m. through shortly after 8 a.m.
Trees fell on two homes in Spalding, one along Woolman Lane and another on North Salem Road, county officials said, and downed trees closed some roads. No injuries were reported.
In Fayette, no major damage was reported, the county’s fire chief said. A traffic light and power lines were down, but no roads were closed as of midmorning.
At Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, more than 50 incoming flights were canceled Monday with dozens more delayed, according to FlightAware.com. That comes after more than 150 flights were canceled Sunday.
Security lines were also long Monday morning, with wait times nearing an hour at the main checkpoint at around 8 a.m.
Sunday’s storms also caused power outages and prompted the Braves to reschedule a game against the Miami Marlins to Aug. 9. Departures to Atlanta’s airport were temporarily grounded.
On Monday, another inch or two of rain was expected, and temperatures were significantly lower than we’ve seen the past few days. Bands of rain were slowly moving across the state from the Gulf Coast.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
“Keep the umbrella handy throughout the afternoon, even into the early part of the evening,” Channel 2 meteorologist Eboni Deon said.
By Monday night, some areas in the state’s northwest corner could see up to 5 inches of rain since Sunday. The continuous rain prompted a flood watch for much of North and Middle Georgia until 8 p.m. Monday.
“Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations,” according to the Weather Service.
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
Highs Monday will top out in the mid 60s as opposed to the mid 70s on Sunday and the upper 80s we saw last week. Overnight lows will dip into the 30s and 40s, potentially prompting frost advisories across North Georgia.
Tuesday will be cooler, with a projected high of just 61 degrees, but things will stay dry under sunny skies. A few clouds will filter in Wednesday, but we should see a repeat of Tuesday’s dry, sunny conditions.
— Staff writers David Aaro, Taylor Croft, Kelly Yamanouchi, and Jennifer Peebles contributed to this article.
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