Georgia naval base hit by tornado, injuries reported

A tornado struck a Naval Submarine Base in southeast Georgia on Sunday.

The storm hit near a secured area on Kings Bay Naval Base about 3:15 p.m. damaging vehicles, a pier, and a Coast Guard Cutter.

Most of the damage occurred at Site 6, near the pier, on the military base.  It was also reported that two people were injured on the base and were sent to local hospitals for treatment.

There were no reports of damage to the submarines on the Base.

On nearby Cumberland Island, it was reported that the same tornado moved across the inter coastal waterway and struck the island. The local sheriff’s department and the National Park Service said that there is debris on the main roadway of the island making travel impassable.

No injuries were reported on the island and all residents on the island were accounted for.

The local sheriff’s department in Camden County and the National Park Service will continue to assess the damage on the island on Monday morning.

UPDATE – 12/3/18

The tornado that hit Cumberland Island was classified as an EF-2. The National Weather Service confirmed the tornado that hit Kings Bay Navy base is the same one that hit Cumberland. It came across south of Stafford Field but north of the Greyfield Inn properties. It took down trees covering about an 80-yard stretch along the main road, which have been cleaned up Monday morning with the exception of some large debris will need more technical attention.

Crews are still assessing the rest of the island for more damage.

UPDATE – 12/5/18 – Another update on the storm as of Dec 5, Wed.  from the National Weather Service. Also, it was first reported that two people were injured, but four people were injured and all are recovering.

Survey Summary: National Weather Service Jacksonville Storm Survey
revealed damage consistent with EF-3 tornado damage at Naval 
Submarine Base Kings Bay, which was confirmed by a 125 knot / 144 
mph maximum wind gust measurement from a docked Coast Guard 
Vessel. This is the strongest tornado in recent memory within the 
National Weather Service Jacksonville’s area of responsibility in
southeast Georgia, northeast and north central Florida. Four 
injuries were reported by officials at Naval Submarine Base Kings 
Bay. The tornado continued on an east-northeast path across 
Cumberland Island, beginning from Old House Creek and exiting into
the Atlantic waters just south of the Stafford Beach Campground. 
The tornado path across Cumberland Island was estimated by 
Cumberland Island National Seashore park rangers to be
approximately one-third to one half mile wide. Significant tree
damage occurred within the tornado path across Cumberland Island, 
with no structural damage reported. The main park road and several
trails on Cumberland Island were left impassable by the tree
damage.