▁a ▁gas ▁station ▁sust ained ▁moder ate ▁damage , ▁and ▁numerous ▁trees ▁were ▁down ed . ▁A ▁cell ▁tower ▁was ▁to pp led ▁to ▁the ▁ground , ▁blocking ▁Highway ▁ 2 8 0 ▁in ▁both ▁directions ▁for ▁many ▁hours , ▁and ▁a ▁bill board ▁sign ▁was ▁dam aged , ▁part ▁of ▁which ▁was ▁reported ly ▁found ▁roughly ▁ ▁away ▁in ▁Georgia ▁near ▁Hamilton . ▁East ▁of ▁town , ▁EF 2 ▁damage ▁continued ▁as ▁two ▁metal ▁transmission ▁to wers ▁were ▁knock ed ▁down , ▁homes ▁were ▁dam aged , ▁and ▁many ▁large ▁trees , ▁mostly ▁long - last ing ▁p ine ▁trees , ▁were ▁sn apped ▁and / or ▁up root ed , ▁including ▁several ▁that ▁land ed ▁on ▁structures ▁and ▁caused ▁major ▁damage . ▁ ▁Cross ing ▁the ▁Ch att ahoo che e ▁River , ▁the ▁torn ado ▁ex ited ▁Alabama ▁and ▁entered ▁Mus c og ee ▁County , ▁Georgia , ▁moving ▁through ▁sp ars ely - pop ulated ▁areas ▁and ▁down ing ▁numerous ▁trees ▁at ▁EF 1 ▁strength . ▁As ▁the ▁torn ado ▁passed ▁south ▁of ▁Fort son , ▁a ▁small ▁area ▁of ▁low - end ▁EF 3 ▁damage ▁was ▁noted ▁as ▁a ▁large ▁cell ▁tower ▁was ▁to pp led ▁over ▁and ▁mang led . ▁Several ▁one - inch ▁in ▁diameter ▁metal ▁guide ▁w ires ▁were ▁sn apped ▁at ▁this ▁location , ▁and ▁a ▁nearby ▁sw ath ▁of ▁trees ▁was ▁fl atten ed ▁to ▁the ▁ground . ▁N umer ous ▁additional ▁trees ▁were ▁down ed ▁at ▁EF 1 ▁strength ▁as ▁the ▁torn