Tiger escapes from Georgia safari park after tornado damages its enclosure

At least one tiger has escaped its enclosure from a Georgia zoo after a tornado struck the area early Sunday morning.

Officials at the Wild Animal Safari in Pine Mountain said that at least one tiger is unaccounted for following the tornado, which touched down in Troup County at around 7am, and apparently damaged its cage.

Conflicting reports suggest a second tiger is also on the loose, though that has not been confirmed.

The Wild Animal Safari is now closed to the public, it announced on Facebook, as residents in the town of 1,500 people are urged to stay indoors.

Strong storms across Georgia spawned at least the one tornado in Troup County, where authorities are reporting downed trees, damaged homes and power outages.

According to PowerOutage.us, which monitors reports of power outages across the country, over 13,000 homes and businesses remained did not have electricity as of 9.30am when another storm moved into the area.

Heavy rain, strong winds and frequent lightning are being reported throughout the area as crews work to rescue those stuck inside.

A tornado warning remains in effect for several counties, while a flash flood warning has been issued for Upson, Meriwether and Pike counties.

Elsewhere in the state, large hail the size of golf balls were reported. 

It is unclear how many people have been injured in the dangerous storms.