A felled tree blocks a sidewalk near Connell Student Center on Mercer's campus after a round of severe thunderstorms ripped through the area Tuesday morning (MICHAEL DELLA POLLA/THE CLUSTER).

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Severe thunderstorms tore through Middle Georgia early Tuesday morning, killing as many as five people in the region and knocking down at least one tree on Mercer’s campus.

A campus-wide weather alert was sent out to members of the Mercer community around 10:45 p.m. Monday, warning students of a tornado alert lasting until 5 a.m.

While damages were minimal Tuesday morning at Mercer, at least one tree was toppled by the storm and branches were littered throughout campus.

Officials estimate that as many as 12,000 people in Macon remain without power.

For more on this developing story, read the next issue of The Cluster, or check back in at www.mercercluster.com for updates.