Amanda KramerThe Times-Georgian

Golf-ball sized hail fell across the county, pelting vehicles and covering lawns, but residents escaped heavy damages from a series of storms traveling east across the county Wednesday night.

Carroll County Emergency Management Director Tim Padgett said seven tornado warnings and two severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for the county between 5 and 7 p.m. by the National Weather Service as a line of storms blew into the area from Alabama.

Winds reaching upwards of 40 mph caused some minor damages from broken tree limbs, but Padgett said reports of an unconfirmed tornado that never touched down in Smithville north of Bowdon did not cause any major structural damage.

Padgett said the series of storms hit areas in and around Bowdon, Carrollton and Whitesburg. The storms’ strength was bolstered by climbing temperatures, which reached nearly 70 degrees by late afternoon.

“We had heating during the day from six to 10 degrees that put unstable air - leading a train effect in storms from Alabama,” he said. “There was a lot of concern with it also being Wednesday night since many people gather for church services. A lot of people did take cover during the storms.”

Shane Bell, director of operations for the West Georgia Ambulance Service, said during the height of the evening storms paramedics were sent to only one crash on Highway 16, which did not involve any injuries.

Ivan Bates, of Carrollton, said he was at home when the hail pelted his lawn on Happy Hill Road.

“The ground was white,” Bates said. “Usually when you get hail like that there are big winds.”

Carrollton resident Deidra Mengarell was shopping inside Wal-Mart on Highway 27 when the severe weather struck.

“I could hear it in the store,” she said. “It sounded like big rocks hitting.”

As the first tornado warnings were launched in the county, many residents were still at work preparing to leave and return home for the day.

“I was at Southwire when it happened,” said John Venters, of Carrollton. “We all went in the emergency shelter. After they said it was clear, we went outside. I’ve never seen that much hail that quick, and then the mist afterward was unusual. I was wondering how badly our vehicles were damaged, but they turned out OK.”

From a lawn chair on his porch, Tracy Spratt watched the storms roll near but miss his home in the Roopville area.

“I watched the storm, but we didn’t even get any rain,” he said.

Padgett said throughout the night, all 25 weather-warning sirens were sounded advising residents of the encroaching storms that produced heavy rains, hail, and lightning.

The University of West Georgia utilized for the first time its recently installed siren and voice messaging system since the two stationary pods were completed in October using grant funds.

“We tested the systems in February during the statewide tornado drill, but this is the first major storm we’ve needed to use it in,” said Tom Mackel, director of the department of public safety.

Mackel said the system allows university officials to send either recorded or live messages over an intercom system in addition to sounding its sirens.

Fire officials reported a multi-vehicle pileup on Interstate 20 just outside of the state line between mile markers 197 and 199 just as the super-cell storm entered Georgia. Numerous injuries were reported in the crash. Damaging winds, according to authorities, also caused many trees and limbs to break in Coweta and South Fulton counties.

No injuries associated with storm activity were reported in the state, according to EMS officials.

Padgett said the Feb. 22, 2008 tornado that damaged homes near Bowdon was created from a similar super-cell storm. Last year’s storm traveled a similar path across the Smithville community into Bowdon.