EF2 tornado affected at least 45 homes in St. Marys area

Tornado spawned near Kings Bay during Tropical Storm Elsa

Storm damage can be seen at the corner of Lanes Lane and T Street in St. Marys. (WJXT)

The EF2 tornado spawned in Camden County during Tropical Storm Elsa affected 45 to 50 homes in the area, according to the St. Marys Police Department.

The Police Department said Sunday that the tornado’s path included areas of Norris Street, Point Peter Road and Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, and people are asked to avoid these areas while cleanup continues. All other areas of the downtown are open.

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St. Marys residents in need of assistance following Elsa is asked to contact the Salvation Army at 1909 Osborne Road in St. Marys at 912-882-2200

People and organizations that are willing to volunteer and help with the cleanup are asked to contact the Camden County Emergency Management Agency at 912-729-5602. If you need help at your residence with storm cleanup, contact the EMA the county’s Emergency Management Agency.

Police reminded residents that there is a city ordinance stating that you must receive a burn permit before you burn yard debris within the city limits. Police also reminded residents that if you are putting yard debris and construction debris by the road for pickup, they must be in separate piles.

The City of St. Marys is continuing to clean up from the aftermath of Tropical Storm Elsa, which spawned an EF2 tornado...

Posted by St. Marys Police Department on Sunday, July 11, 2021

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado that touched down in Camden County on Wednesday packed estimated peak wind speeds of 130 mph. The tornado had an overall path length of 3.65 miles and a width of 200 yards.

The NWS said it’s aware of 17 total injuries as a result of the storm, 11 of which resulted in hospitalizations. That’s more than the 10 originally reported Wednesday by Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay -- all of which were not believed to be life-threatening injuries.

The tornado initially touched down along East St. Marys Street -- just north of the St. Marys River, according to the NWS. It strengthened to EF2 intensity, damaging homes along Conyers and Norris streets, before continuing north-northwest, where it produced “EF1 damage” to a mobile home along Point Peter Road.

The NWS said the tornado reached its maximum strength at the Eagle Hammock RV Park, where multiple recreational vehicles were flipped. One was blown about 200 feet into a lake north of the RV park, where a pickup truck was also found.