The National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF1 tornado touched down in Cherokee County during Thursday evening's severe weather.
According to the NWS, the tornado touched down near the intersection of Patriot and Rampley trails, approximately four miles west northwest of Canton. Once touching down, the tornado left a 75 yard wide and 8.5 mile long path of destruction before leaving the ground 25 minutes later near the intersection of New Light and Hickory roads, around five miles west south southeast of Canton.
View a rough path of the tornado's destruction.
At its peak, the tornado is estimated to have sustained winds of 105 mph.
The NWS says that hundreds of trees were uprooted, and notes that a Chevron station along Highway 140 had a portion of its roof peeled away and a gas pump ripped from the ground.
Cherokee County emergency director Robby Westbrook backed up the NWS confirmation, and says that investigators are attempting to confirm that a second tornado may have touched down southeast of Woodstock.
Westbrook also said on his Facebook page that 10,000 Cherokee County residents are still without power at this time.
Please stay with Patch as more information on Thursday evening's storms becomes available.