THOMSON, Ga. -- Gov. Sonny Perdue named McDuffie and five other Georgia counties as disaster areas today after tornado-like storms swept through Thursday.

The executive order allows for state resources to be available for response and recovery activities, and calls for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency ) to activate the state's Emergency Operations Plan.

The storm came through fast.

Ricardo and Debra Brown have lived in their house on Mesena Road for 24 years. Last night, it was gone in 15 seconds. Mr. Brown said he heard a train coming on the tracks across the street. Then, less than two minutes later, he heard another roaring sound.

"I thought there's no way there could be another one coming, not two trains right behind another," he said.

Mr. Brown yelled for his wife and daughter to come from the kitchen and seek shelter in the bathroom. Mrs. Brown said glass was flying as they ran through the living room. As soon as they closed the bathroom door, she said it was all over 15 seconds later.

The roof had been torn completely off of their brick ranch-style house, the front wall collapsed and half of their two-car garage was gone.

"I asked 'where's it (the roof) gone?'" Mrs. Brown said. "I've never seen anything like it in my life."

Mr. Brown said the only room not damaged by the tornado was the bathroom they were in and no one was harmed.

Officials were out this morning assessing the damage.

McDuffie County began its cleanup after a line of storms dropped more than four inches of rain on the area, toppled trees and power lines, and damaged several homes.

Power crews were out en masse replacing poles and repairing lines.

According to Jefferson Energy spokesman Steve Chalker, at the storm's peak last night, 750 customers in the area were without power. Crew worked through the night to restore power to areas hit by high winds and downed trees.

As of 11 a.m., Mr. Chalker said only 36 customers were still without power. Those consist of two main spans of five and six poles downed that will take some time to repair.

Georgia Power representatives did not immediately return phone calls.

McDuffie County Public Works Superintendent Chris Pelly said several roads throughout the county were closed to clear debris or for repairs.

Those include Hobbs Mill Extension from Georgia Highway 17 to Fort Creek Road, Sterling-Gibson Road and Ginger Hill Road. Also, Mr. Pelly asked that drivers avoid Mesena Road and Twin Oaks Road if possible.

Police are still blocking traffic entering Hickory Hill subdivision. Shank Street and N. Wilson Street in Thomson are both closed, as well.

The American Red Cross of Augusta will open a shelter at 6 p.m. for individuals affected by the storm at the First Baptist Church in Thomson.

Up to five inches of rain, high winds and flooding swept through the region Thursday and early today as a broad and deadly storm system scoured the Southeast, but damages were limited to downed trees and flooded homes and streets, according to Columbia County's Emergency Services Department.

Columbia County officials measured rainfall at 5 inches in the Old Belair Road area, 4.5 inches at Farmington subdivision on Hereford Farm Road and 4.35 inches at the county's Government Center off Washington Road, according to a report circulated via e-mail by Emergency Services Director Pam Tucker at 8:30 a.m. today.

In neighboring Lincoln County, and along much of Thurmond Lake, damage was sparse but rainfall was extraordinary.

Minimal damage and no power outages were reported in Lincoln County, a Sheriff's Office dispatcher said.

At Thurmond Lake, widespread torrential rains elevated the 70,000-acre lake by more than a foot -- literally overnight, said Ranger Wayne Toney of the Army Corps of Engineers.

As of 9:30 a.m. today, the reservoir's pool level had risen from 326 on Thursday to 327.22 feet above sea level, with additional increases likely, he said.

Damage did not initially appear as severe across the river in Aiken County.

According to the Sheriff's Office, damage was reported in:

Couchton

Watsonia Drive, Aiken

Tree on camper near J.D. Lever Elementary School, Aiken

Trees down throughout the county

Trees down along Interstate 20 from the 11 to 18 mile marker

In Columbia County flooding was reported in numerous areas, according to the Sheriff's office and other emergency officials:

Sites reporting problems included:

2953-2979 William Few Parkway - (homes flooding up to doors-water moving to swiftly unable to get residence out of house); water flowing into garages and yards of several homes up to near homes;

4094 Dunes Drive (water coming into residence - front and rear) - possibly from a retention pond overflow

149 Stoney Brooks Drive; water flowing in duplex

Sandlewood/Springlakes Dr; street flooding

700 block Rocky Branch; street flooding

Settlement Road between Chamblin Road and International Parkway (passable); street flooding

Oakley Pirkle at Westmont; street flooding

Scotts ferry at sellers; street flooding

636 Steven Crossing (Steven Creek Subdivision); Creek clogged from debris

6426 Yelton Road; water has flooded all the way up to her house

Creekwalk Condominiums; creek behind house flooded; pipe too small to carry water

511 Crystal Creek West; flooding yard; possibly from retention pond at Shady Grove

Mcziley Dr/Lonergan Hulme Road

427 Blue Ridge Drive Apt H127

149 Stoneybrooks Place; some flooding inside of duplex

166 Spring Lakes Drive

Louisville Road/Columbia Road; dirt washing into roadway

Scotts Ferry Road/ 1/2 mile down from 104 away from Pollards Corner (dirt in roadway -- DOT notified and responded)