Tornadoes, rain and high winds pummeled Weakley County and West Tennessee Sunday night, leaving a trail of devastating damage to businesses, homes and schools throughout the county, taking out power lines and forcing schools to close.

In Martin, the storms ripped apart buildings on U.S. 45, then heading into town, hitting neighborhood streets on the south and east side of the city.

"The worst appeared to be at Vincent Implements, where a tornado nearly totally destroyed the building," said Martin Pubic Safety Director J.D. Sanders. "The path of the tornado appeared to have been across the southern part of Martin, near Westview High School, where two storage buildings were completely blown away. At Martin Middle School, the gymnasium roof was ripped from the building, causing serious water damage to the gym floor, as well as the classrooms. The storm continued east, where it caused extensive damage to areas on Todd, Peach, McGill, Redbud, Alberta and Laura streets. A portion of the roof at Martin Elementary School was also torn off, causing severe damage to one classroom, and Martin Primary School sustained extensive flooding. Portions of K Street and Public Wells Road also fell victim to the high winds."

West Tennessee Wholesale and Auction was also hit and sustained significant damage when its roof was ripped off and thrown into Martin Tire Barn, a neighboring business. West Tennessee Whole and Auction owners Mike Jones and Ricky Ezell were cleaning up the high water and the debris that had been blown into the wholesale building this morning.

"There's at least $25,000-$30,000 worth of damage done here, if not $50,000," Ezell said. "Antiques and valuables have been completely ruined. Our sign is across the street."