The Tornado Watch on Monday expired at 6 p.m. as thunderstorms continued in southeast Georgia. Around 7:00 p.m. a complex of storms that started near I-75 grew from strong to severe near Waycross. Minutes later storm damage was being reported by Ware County 911 Dispatch. The National Weather Service in Jacksonville conducted a Damage Survey and found the damage consistent with a tornado. The tornado rating was an EF0 with peak wind of 85 mph. The Path Length was 1.72 miles with a Path Width of 20 yards. No fatalities or injuries were reported. Around 7:03 p.m., an EF0 tornado touched down in Waycross, GA beginning near Magnolia St and Clifton Grove St. As the tornado trekked northeastward, it caused large softwood trees to either snap near the base of their trunk or snap large branches that ultimately fell on homes. The fallen tree branches damaged roofs, gutters and siding to homes along Holly St, Euclid Ave and Camellia Dr. Multiple large hardwood trees were uprooted and some damaged nearby fences along Laurel St., Shadow Lawn, Baltimore Ave. and Jasmine Cir. Damaging winds caused the partial loss of shingles to homes along Camellia Dr. and Jasmine Cir. The tornado dissipated just north of Jasmine Circle near Caney branch stream around 7:08 p.m. The Enhanced Fujita Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories: Copyright 2025 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved. Richard Nunn is the Weather Authority Chief Meteorologist Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Careers at WJXT / WCWJ Closed Captioning / Audio Description WJXT Public File WJXT EEO Report WCWJ Public File WCWJ EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 News4JAX.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group MATTOON, Ill., Nov. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Rural King a family-owned retailer dedicated to the rural lifestyle is excited to announce that its newest store in Waycross Grand opening festivities will take place from Friday featuring Rudy Special deals and incredible prices on many items throughout the store RK Rewards loyalty members will earn double points on qualifying purchases and can enter to win 100 $25 gift cards Customers can also enjoy a complimentary bottle of Rural King water during their shopping experience Rural King has firmly established itself as a cornerstone of the communities it serves uses innovative features designed to enhance the shopping experience while maintaining the personal touch that defines Rural King's customer service "Rural King is delighted to announce the opening of our second store in Georgia," said Steve Barbarick "A heartfelt thank you to the community of Waycross for welcoming us we are committed to serving you with exceptional service and great prices tailored to support your rural lifestyle We look forward to becoming your reliable partner for all your needs and to contributing positively to this wonderful community." Focusing on serving diverse customer needs customers can find heating and cooling items planted its roots as America's Farm and Home Store in Mattoon Rural King has grown to more than 130 stores in fourteen states we provide a broad range of essential goods seed and other farm and home necessities to the communities we serve throughout Alabama We welcome and encourage everyone to enjoy our 50+ year tradition of offering free popcorn and coffee every time you visit our stores is bringing a larger-than-life event to South Terre Haute this Memorial Day.. is excited to announce that its newest store in Kingsport Automotive Transportation, Trucking & Railroad Banking & Financial Services Retail Do not sell or share my personal information: he lived in Waycross most of his life.  Mr Hickox served in the US Army and later went on to work as the maintenance supervisor for the Birmingham News.  He loved to crack jokes and make people smile Hickox was a fan of the Georgia Bulldogs and dearly loved his family He was a son of the late James William Hickox & Willie Maude Cox Hickox.  He was also preceded in death by a son Heather (Mark) Williams of Waycross; a stepson Kathy (Tommy) Lee of Hoboken and Gail Mitchell of California; two brothers David (Billie) Hickox of Callahan and Larry Hickox of Jemison AL; 24 grandchildren; numerous great grandchildren; three canine children at 12:00 o’clock from the Pearson-Dial Funeral Home Chapel The family will be receiving friends at the funeral home immediately following the service Sympathy may be expressed by signing the online register at www.pearsondial.com Pearson-Dial Funeral Home of Blackshear is in charge of arrangements Briana Brownlee Aydian Ahmad RELATED: Some Southeast Georgia school districts will remain closed Thursday after winter storm Among those impacted was a business in Waycross was significantly affected when its roof collapsed early Wednesday morning during the downpour of snow had been around for years but moved into the building about nine months ago Employees confirmed to News4JAX that the roof collapsed around 4 a.m and that the owners had contacted law enforcement The owner told us he arrived at the business after the alarm went off around 3:45 a.m He said he was standing in the parking lot when the business collapsed before his eyes Images of the collapse show deep cracks beginning at the top of the building which move down for what appears to be a few feet Other images show the exterior of the building seemingly crushed by the snow as parts of the roof in the middle of the building appear to be touching the ground and the majority of its doors are completely caved in The family believes the roof collapsed from a combination of heavy snow and ice accumulation Johnson is a Waycross native and worked in the building for a few years when it was a furniture store construction-wise that’s what probably caused the fall in it probably wasn’t used to that,” Johnson said it was reported that snow had come to an end across the area around 8:30 a.m. but with snow and ice lingering on the roads Temperatures are forecast to remain below freezing for some time so the snow and ice are expected to persist Power outages were also reported across Southeast Georgia. The Waycross Police Department Courtroom is open to anyone needing shelter from the cold. The city auditorium will serve as a backup once the courtroom reaches capacity. Award-winning broadcast and multimedia journalist with 20 years experience. Briana Brownlee is excited to call Jacksonville home and join the News4JAX team. She joins us from Southwest Florida, where she reported at Fox 4 News in Fort Myers. Before making it to the Sunshine state, she got her start in Rapid City South Dakota as the morning reporter and later transitioned into the weekend Sports Anchor. WAYCROSS – It was a winter wonderland in Waycross on Tuesday evening Snow started falling around 7 p.m. as it was predicted that the area could accumulate 1-2 inches of snow with some models suggesting up to 4 inches across North Florida and Southeast Georgia Along with the increasing snow in the area there will be pockets of freezing rain as the cold air settles across the Peach State RELATED: Emergency preparations, warming centers, school closures for rare winter storm in Southeast Georgia News4JAX caught up with two people outside when the snow flurries started falling A Waycross native was excited to welcome the snow while her friend who was out of town was not as pleased The Waycross resident said her last experience with snow was several years ago She called Tuesday’s event “just the beginning.” “I don’t think it came to its full potential yet You’re going to be able to play snowball fights I wouldn’t say build a snowman,” the woman told News4JAX did not share the sentiments because he’s not used to snow MORE: There could be record-breaking snowfall in Florida this week. The all-time record was set back in 1954 It was around 35 degrees when the flurries started coming down, but the wind chill felt like 26 degrees. – The Waycross Police Department said a shooting took place at a Walmart Neighborhood Market in the city on Saturday night Police confirmed with News4JAX that the shooting stemmed from a “domestic dispute” and that it was not an active shooter incident but police said the injuries were non-life-threatening and that they are continuing to investigate the matter adding that there is currently no threat to the public Police also told News4JAX that while no suspect has been placed in custody the victim did confirm who shot them and that they have a “suspect in mind.” Just before 9 p.m., the Waycross Police Department posted a photo to social media accompanied by information revealing Waycross resident Reginald Corey Rawls, 54, as the suspect. “The Waycross Police Department has issued warrants for aggravated assault and several weapon-related charges stemming from a shooting that took place a a business on Plant Avenue," the post read. Police also provided information on Rawls’s appearance, describing him as 5 feet and 7 inches and 250 pounds. Anyone with information on Rawls’s whereabouts is encouraged to call the Waycross Police Department at (912)-287-2921. Copyright 2024 by WJXT News4JAX - All rights reserved. Aydian joined News4JAX as a digital producer in September 2024. Originally from Fort Lauderdale, he is excited to provide coverage on a variety of topics like sports, politics, health, and breaking news to the Jacksonville area. WAYCROSS, Ga. – A man was arrested Sunday in connection with a shooting at a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Waycross Saturday, according to police. Reginald Rawls, 54, was charged with aggravated assault and was set to appear in court for the first time Monday morning. Police arrested Rawls nearly 24 hours after the shooting after they asked for the community’s help in tracking him down. He’s accused of shooting someone at the Walmart Neighborhood Market on Plant Ave in Waycross. The person shot suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to police. Investigators said the shooting started with a fight, and they believe it was a domestic dispute. Rawls was scheduled to appear in court at 7 a.m. in Ware County. This native of the Big Apple joined the News4Jax team in July 2021. WAYCROSS, Ga. – Residents in Waycross are coming together to recover from Hurricane Helene RELATED: Schools to remain closed across Southeast Georgia after Hurricane Helene Thousands of people are still without power in Waycross as trees and power lines lie across roadways. Orange cones block off small intersections that still have damage. Businesses like Walmart and a few gas stations are back open, but the city is hoping to have more resources. “We want the people to be able to come out and enjoy themselves, and don’t have to travel from city to city to try to find something to eat,” Commissioner Sheinita Bennett said. They’re doing that by allowing food vendors to set up around the city to provide food to the community. Shonaira Heard said she was thankful for the vendors to come to the city. “I personally don’t have power or have water, and I don’t know how to barbecue grill, and so this works out perfect for me, and then not priced gouging,” Heard said. Heard is staying positive despite not having power or water. “At first I was very sad, but now I am so grateful I don’t have a tree in my house,” Heard said. “I still have a roof over my head, whether or not it’s water coming to my house so I am grateful for that, and I’m grateful that the community is pulling together to do what we need to do to survive.” Residents are trying to put the storm behind them. “We’re asking people to be patient be understand because this is one of those storms that comes every 10 to 15 years but be patient we’re getting there,” Commissioner Alvin Nelson said. Commissioners are encouraging any local or out-of-state vendors to come set up at Bit Tanner Field. No permits or fees are required. “It’s been hard, but we’re all pulling together, and we’re just trying to make everything work,” Commissioner Sheinita Bennett said. One resident said that they’ve come together like a family. “That’s what its all about,” Ruth McCoy said. “We’ve called each other, you see the little bitty crowd, but we don’t and come, and we go and come and we enjoy each other through it all.” They just want people to come out and help the Waycross community. “Let’s stay encouraged, everything is going to work,” Bennett said. “We have to think positive, let’s take this negative and turn to something positive and watch Waycross grow from this and we will come back on top.” City officials said Red Cross is expected to be in Waycross later in the week to provide ice for the residents. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page have been charged with conspiring to export sensitive technology to Iran that was used in the drone attack that killed Sgt The arrests came after an FBI investigation traced the drone’s navigation system to an Iranian company Prosecutors allege that this company received parts and technology through a co-conspirator Oneida Sanders, mother of Kennedy Sanders, who was from Waycross shared her emotional journey since the attack “It’s almost a year later now,” Oneida Oliver-Sanders said “I kind of felt like things would be calming down some by now And we’re still experiencing a lot of firsts.” The Sanders family received a call about two people being arrested right before their first Christmas without Kennedy the FBI agents who are involved in the investigation they did call us and give us a heads up before it hit the news,” she said “They didn’t want that to be the first time we saw it he just kind of briefed us and explained to us what the charges were and what their involvement was in the attack I was just really taking it all in trying to figure out what does this mean but it did give me confidence to know that they are making sure that everyone who’s involved will be brought to justice So they have assured us that it’s still an ongoing investigation and they are pursuing everyone who is involved in it.” MORE | ‘She was serving our country’: Community pays respects to Army Sergeant Kennedy Sanders When asked if she ever thought arrests would be made Oneida Sanders admitted she didn’t have high expectations I didn’t have an expectation for any arrest to be made because it seems like these terrorist networks are so widespread,” she said So I really didn’t have a lot of expectation as far as that’s concerned.” MORE | Hundreds come out to honor fallen soldier Kennedy Sanders as she is brought home to Waycross Even though it doesn’t bring Kennedy back, her mother said she remains confident that justice will be served and everyone involved will be held accountable. The family plans to hold a 5K in Kennedy’s honor on Jan. 25, 2025, right before the first anniversary of the attack. News & Reviews News Wire CSX aims to boost throughput at its largest and busiest hump yard The railroad is tweaking operations and introducing technology to wring more productivity out of Rice Yard in Waycross — If there’s one dot on the CSX system map that’s more important than any other CSX’s largest and busiest hump yard sits at the junction of the railroad’s main corridors to Chicago And with CSX expecting a wave of merchandise traffic growth from a record number of major industrial development projects coming to fruition in the next three years Rice Yard’s role as a key cog in the Southeast will become even more critical It all comes in here,” Terminal Superintendent Arthur Clark said during an investor day yard tour last week The yard builds 17 road freights per day for destinations across the system plus five locals that serve customers in Georgia and Florida Waycross currently handles up to 3,000 cars per day but CSX operating officials aim to boost that processing capacity to 3,300 by tweaking how trains and cars move through the yard CSX has slowly increased the speed of hump shove moves to a fixed 2.5 mph “We think there’s a little bit more we can still tweak but we do it incrementally so as to not cause any misroutes,” he says A car that’s misrouted onto the wrong track in the yard’s 64-track classification bowl takes crews 15 to 20 minutes to fish out Since 2021 the misroute rate has been cut in half to two out of every 1,000 cars that roll over the hump CSX is raising track speeds in the bowl pullout and 14-track departure yard to 15 mph the 10-track local yard can be used as surge switching capacity that can help the railroad recover from a hurricane or to simply keep up on higher volume days “That helps us switch about 150 extra cars a day when we do get heavy,” Clark says CSX now has three tracks (up from one) that allow maintenance forces to expedite car repairs without having to send the cars to Rice Yard’s shop “These are defects that we can get turned around within a matter of minutes to get that train back out,” Mechanical Superintendent Ronnie Potts says CSX aims to reduce inspection-related track closures by deploying autonomous aerial drones that can spot defects such as broken rails CSX is currently using the inspection technology at Waycross and a dozen other yards the drones allow CSX to inspect track more frequently than the minimum 30-day intervals required under Federal Railroad Administration regulations the drone automatically launches from its base near the hump tower trains its high-resolution camera on a track below its inspection data is downloaded and its battery is changed robotically in about 41/2 minutes CSX hopes to gain FRA approval to allow the drone inspections to replace those performed by human track inspectors The traditional visual inspection can shut down a track for an hour or two while a drone inspection can be conducted without restricting operations It’s another way CSX hopes to wring more productivity out of Waycross and other yards Rice Yard also is home to CSX’s largest locomotive and car shops as well as the paint shop that has been producing the railroad’s heritage locomotive fleet 428 people work at the 700-acre yard that’s nearly five miles long single-person remote control locomotive assignments that use the dual hump leads two-person remote control jobs that build trains and pull them to the departure yard Overseeing it all: Two yardmasters stationed in the yard tower overlooking the hump A yard named after one of my long lost relatives it seems Maybe it has something to do with the VOCT’s Altenhiem sub Soo lined used that route to get to downtown Chicago Traditional Soo Line trackage in Wisconsin and Illinois eventually went to CNR I struggle to see what this has to do with CSX Oh to be technical for a few years in the 1980’s Soo Line owned both if we’re looking at a stake in a terminal railroad (such as B&OCT) then we miss the point of the real components of CSX such as Chessie managed to have gotten lost in tracing the CSX family tree New Haven trackage now operated by CSX was originally either the Boston and Providence perhaps some of it the New York and New England Probably refers to the Soo’s trackage rights on the ex-Pere Marquette between Chicago and Detroit/Windsor that doesn’t make Soo a predecessor of CSX it makes Soo a user of CSX by means of trackage rights Actually its the former MILW Latta Sub in Indiana It was purchased by the Soo and later taken over by CSX and then Indiana Railroad (90% owned by CSX) The MILW had rights to Louisville via the Monon MILW acquired rights over the C&EI to Terre Haute to reach the Latta when they took out the CMG and the line to Danville Those rights were split when MoPac took over the C&EI and MILW and later Soo used those rights Today those rights from Terre Haute to Chicago are used by the Indiana RR to reach Chicago As of today the Latta Sub is run by the Indiana RR and goes as far as the Crane Naval Depot Merger mania in railroads make these historical bits a bit confusing at times Maybe a super deep-cut heritage reference if they are implying the Chicago and Northern Pacific which was more of a NP and original WC predecessor to the B&OCT but that CSX Soo Line tribute paint job will look awesome Members enjoy 15% off any purchase in our store. Join Today Get updates and special offers via email from Trains.com brands – Recovery efforts continue across southeast Georgia after Hurricane Helene went storming through the area RELATED: ‘Let’s stay encouraged’: Waycross residents come together to recover from Hurricane Helene Many people in the area said they’re still without power and are running out of supplies the city of Waycross is inviting food trucks from around the region to give residents options Priscilla McDaniel is a Waycross native. “I love Waycross,” McDaniel said. “I have been here all my life.” And for the past 10 years, she’s been working with her daughter to make slushies. “You know I want to help my daughter,” she said. The strong winds left much of the roof scattered on the road and hanging from the powerlines. With the repairs set to cost thousands of dollars, that’s money McDaniel said they do not have. And driving through the city of Waycross, she knew she wasn’t the only one. “It was heartbreaking,” she said. “A lot of people do not have lights. A lot of people don’t have water and a lot of people don’t have food, so it’s just devastating for the whole Waycross community and surrounding areas. I mean it’s heartbreaking.” So when the city of Waycross opened up a Bit Tanner Field for food vendors to come and provide services to the community, she said it took her some time to get both physically and mentally ready but knew what she had to do. She got the trailer and generator ready and brought her slushie-making supplies to the field. “And you know you try to help people, but you know you don’t have much to try to have people with,” she said. It’s a piece of the puzzle in the city’s recovery efforts and they try to find ways to get everyone what they need. “We are resilient,” Mayor Michael-Angelo James said “We are strong and we will do well in this storm and we’re looking forward to everyone coming out of this better than they went in.” Crews were out across the city on Monday to remove trees blocking the roads. The city also handed out water and tarps at city hall and said they are working to get generators to those in the most need. “Everybody, I know it’s a rough time but we’re going to get through this,” City Manager Ulysses Rayford said. Rayford said anyone with questions can send those through the “MyWaycrossGA” app or email their local officials. He said they post updates on the city’s Facebook every hour about resources available to you. Chris Will has joined the News4JAX team as a weekend morning reporter, after graduating from the University of Florida in spring 2024. During his time in Gainesville, he covered a wide range of stories across the Sunshine State. His coverage of Hurricane Ian in southwest Florida earned a National Edward R. Murrow Award. – A Christmas Day fire destroyed a historic house in Waycross located just south of the corner of Gilmore Street and Drane Street was a Victorian-style structure converted into eight apartments that is now a total loss Interim Fire Chief Jim Blackburn described the home as an “old which we call balloon-framed construction.” RELATED: Fight leads to shooting at Walmart in Waycross, police say The Waycross Fire Department received the call around 2:30 p.m. after reports that residents were trapped inside. Upon arrival at the scene, officials noted that everyone had already evacuated thanks to the help of police officers. Three people were treated at the scene for injuries, and one was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Firefighters remained at the site for more than 6 hours to ensure the flames were completely extinguished. “It’s sad. We hate that it happened on Christmas, but it’s, you know, what we do,” Blackburn said, ensuring that the victims will “get the assistance they need.” Some of that assistance will come from The Red Cross, which is helping out by providing shelter for the displaced residents. Blackburn says the cause of the fire is unknown at this time. The state fire marshal will investigate on Thursday morning. Ariel Schiller joined the News4Jax team as an evening reporter in September of 2023. She comes to Jacksonville from Tallahassee where she worked at ABC27 as a Weekend Anchor/Reporter for 10 months.