Beat Four hit again by storms

The Beat Four area was once again hit by severe storms and a probable tornado — marking the third time in less than four months the community has seen loss of property and destruction.

A severe storm rolled through Wayne County Tuesday evening, with what forecasters are calling a tornado touching down briefly in Beat Four. Officials with the National Weather Service are expected to survey the area to determine if it was a tornado, how strong it was and how long it stayed on the ground. In addition, emergency management officials were expected to begin full assessments of damages at daybreak Tuesday.

Four people were injured in the storm and were transported to the hospital. The extent of their injuries were not known at press time.

Two homes were destroyed while two other homes suffered minor damage and another home was affected by the storm. In addition, a chicken farm suffered damage as well.

Damage was not widespread, according to the Wayne County Emergency Management Agency, and seemed to be in a cluster just north of Highway 84.

Homes on Riley Jordan Road, G&P Farm Drive and Gravel Pit Road were damaged. Former Beat Four Supervisor Gary Malone saw heavy damage to his home and chicken farm. His wife was interviewed by WDAM late Tuesday night and it appeared by the footage that the home had been destroyed.

Debris littered G&P Farm Road at 5 a.m. Tuesday, with large appliances mangled and laying up against the fence line. Tin from the chicken houses also littered the sides of the road but it was apparent that residents and officials teamed up to push the debris from the roadway.

Less than a mile from that location, on Riley Jordan Road, a home appeared to be untouched by the storm, with a swing set in the yard appearing to suffer no damage.

This is a developing story that will be updated.