Tornado touched down in Floyd County

A toado damaged dozens of buildings in northwest Georgia and were responsible for one woman's death.

An EF1 toado touched down in Floyd County. On Thursday, Channel 2’s Ross Cavitt traveled to to an area near Kingston Highway and Freeman Ferry Road in Rome, which was littered with damaged homes, businesses and downed trees.

”We were under a thunderstorm waing about 15 minutes prior to it hitting, Floyd County Emergency Management Agency Director Scotty Hancock said.

The damage forced police to shut down several roads including an Old Freeman’s grocery store, where the roof had caved in.

"I saw the emergency broadcast and walked out on my porch to look. All of the sudden the wind just hit, there was tables, chairs, rocking chairs, everything blowing by," resident Preston Dougherty said.

Floyd County police Sgt. Dan Logan said Barbara Washington, 71, suffered a heart attack and died when the roof was blown off of her home. Family members said Washington was headed to her daughters house during the height of the storm, collapsed and died.

"She was coming through the house and there was so much debris, with the wind blowing, and she slipped. I reached and grabbed her and pulled her to me until the wind (passed). Then we heard silence," said Darryl Stevenson.

"It seems like its just a dream... a nightmare. A bad nightmare," said Edward Washington, the victim's husband.

The storm uprooted a tree and ripped down several power lines. At the height of the storm, 2,000 homes were left in the dark, according to Georgia Power’s Carol Boatwright. She expected power to be restored to all homes by noon. Boatwright said there is a lot of debris that still needs to be cleared.

Five county schools were closed Thursday, including Model and Johnson elementary schools, Model middle and high schools and Floyd Transitional Academy.