Lightning Strike Hits Atlanta Airport Control Tower

Severe weather that rolled through parts of north Georgia last night also affected operations at Atlanta’s airport. Hartsfield-Jackson International sustained a lightning strike to its air traffic control tower around 8:45pm, which added to flight delays. Soon after, the entire airport lost power. Officials say the tower was back in operation around 10pm, with all runways open by midnight. The severe weather in the region was responsible for a handful of lightning-strike fires, and a few thousand residents losing electricity for a time.

Tornado Confirmed For Damage In Cherokee County

The severe storms of Sunday night for parts of the state did result in at least one confirmed tornado. The National Weather Service says a twister did touch down for a few seconds in a Cherokee County neighborhood. That’s all it took for more than 100 homes to sustain some level of damage, and 12 to be completely destroyed. Officials say the tornado was a half-mile wide and left a destructive path over a mile long. Reported twisters in north Georgia’s Cobb County, and west Georgia’s Muscogee County have not been confirmed.

Georgia Hit By Severe Weather

Another round of severe weather moved through parts of Georgia Sunday night, leaving some damage in north and western portions of the state. Officials in Cherokee County report some damage to homes, with downed trees and power lines from high winds. In the Columbus-area, some homes there sustained what was termed "major damage" by the the National Weather Service. Forecasters have not yet determined whether any of the damage reported came from tornadoes. The storms also brought heavy downpours of rain, with a wide swath of counties reported hail.

South Georgia Braces For Flooding

The storms that once again brought multiple inches of rain to parts of the state have now given way to concerns over waters rising this morning. An update from Ken Davis of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency:

"What we're seeing is a continued rise in the river and creek levels, particularly across southwest, south-central, southeast, and even central Georgia."

As example this morning, flooding includes the Satilla River in Waycross, affecting residents in Pierce and Ware counties. Moderate flooding is happening now, with major flood stage for that river forecast by this afternoon. Many secondary roads are closed across south Georgia and central portions of the state. For a time last night, a section of Interstate-75 in the Cordele area had to be closed to traffic with water covering the roadway.

GEMA's Davis says there are also 20 school systems, mainly in south Georgia, closed today.

Davis says there were no reports of any tornadoes in Georgia.

Severe Storms Moving Through Georgia

Forecasters are warning Georgians to be alert for severe weather today. The National Weather Service has put the state under a high risk forecast--that means the potential exits for powerful storms, tornadoes, large hail, heavy rainfall and damaging winds. Forecasters say the greatest risk for severe thunderstorms will be west of a line from Carrollton to Warner Robins to Vidalia.

In south Georgia, several counties still trying to recover from flooding damage out of last weekend are now bracing for possible additional problems. Governor Sonny Perdue has activated the state operations center, putting multiple agencies now on standby to help where needed.

Red Cross Seing Dip in Donations

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Severe Weather Sweeps Georgia

Georgia emergency officials this morning say there is damage in several areas of the state from severe weather that rolled through late yesterday afternoon through the evening. From north, to central, east-central, west, and extreme southwest Georgia--reports of tornado touchdowns and damage.

Buzz Weiss with GEMA gave GPB an update as of 6am:
-Hancock County in east-central Georgia: reports of one fatality and a handful of injuries with damage in the area.
- Jasper County in central Georgia: at least 100 structures damaged.
- Coweta County in west Georgia: possible tornado touchdowns
- Grady and Thomas counties in SW-Ga.: possible tornado hits.
- Wilkes County in east Georgia: damage reported.

Weiss says GEMA this morning is working with local emergency officials to offer assistance needed--everything from debris removal and any needs for shelter set-up.

USDA grants Perdue disaster request

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted Governor Sonny Perdue’s request for a primary disaster designation for 158 counties.

The designation, sent in response to a request submitted in November, was based on production losses due to drought and excessive temperatures, according to a statement from the Governor's Office.

Perdue commented on the request, saying:

“Georgia’s farmers have sustained significant economic losses due to the dry conditions in Georgia, and I’m pleased that financial relief will now be available to them.”

USDA declared 146 of Georgia’s 159 counties as primary natural disaster areas and 12 more as contiguous disaster areas. The only one of Georgia’s counties not covered by the primary or contiguous designation is McIntosh.

The 12 counties not included in the primary designation will continue to be evaluated as more assessment reports and determinations of losses are completed by the USDA. The 12 counties are: Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Bulloch, Camden, Coffee, Glynn, Liberty, Long, Terrell, Ware, and Wayne, according to the statement.

For more information: www.fsa.usda.gov.

Keys residents weigh evacuation, Gulf Coast next?

NOAA satellite photo of Hurricane Ike, Sunday afternoon. Click on the image for the latest National Weather Service reports.

With powerful Hurricane Ike still hundreds of miles away and on an uncertain course, residents on these low-lying islands weighed evacuation orders Sunday, perhaps a hint that Gulf Coast residents as far away as Texas and New Orleans may not heed similar calls to leave.

Sunday's forecast had Ike crossing Cuba and headed into the Gulf of Mexico later this week. The Florida Keys were in an uncertain position, and Gulf Coast states even more so. In Texas and Louisiana, where people were just returning from the mass evacuation for a weaker-than-expected Gustav, officials already acknowledged that it may be difficult to get people mobilized again.

In Key West, many residents have their own formula for determining whether to leave. Even though evacuation orders became mandatory Sunday, traffic out of Key West was busy but not jammed.

Mike Tilson, 24, was in wait-and-see mode Sunday, stocking up his Key West houseboat with supplies.

"I got tarps and champagne," he said as he pushed a wheelbarrow of supplies including Heineken beer, ice and a loaf of bread down the dock.

He said if the storm tracks north of Cuba, he'd evacuate. Otherwise, he won't leave even if Key West is expecting a Category 3 (winds of 111-130 mph). "It's just a good party. I'll stay."

At 2 p.m. EDT Sunday, Ike was a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 135 mph, moving west at 13 mph. Hurricane force winds stretched 60 miles from the center. It was forecast to track over Cuba, re-emerging over the island's western coast Tuesday morning about 100 miles south of Key West as a Category 1.

Though forecasts suggested the storm was headed into the Gulf, historically, most major storms passing by Ike's position had curved northward. If it gets into the Gulf, it could head anywhere from Texas to the Florida Panhandle, and it likely would strengthen again.

President Bush declared a state of emergency for Florida because of Ike on Sunday and ordered federal money to supplement state and local response efforts.

More than 60 residents and nearly 90 people from a homeless shelter had arrived at a shelter at Florida International University in Miami by afternoon, but many others said they wanted to see what the storm does over Cuba and possibly reassess on Monday.

Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson had a warning for people not wanting to evacuate the area. He said anyone who thinks staying through a major hurricane is "champagne time is someone who hasn't thought it through clearly." He said emergency vehicles would be pulled off the road if the area gets tropical storm force winds.

McPherson said 15,000 tourists had already evacuated the region, and the Key West airport was set to close at 7 p.m. Sunday. Passengers bound for Key West from the Miami International Airport were being asked to show identification proving they lived there and only residents were being allowed on Key Westbound flights.

Among those planning to stay in the United States' southernmost city were Claudia Pennington, 61, director of the Key West Art and Historical Society, who said she's staying to care for the group's three buildings and their contents. Don Guess, 50, was putting up plywood on a friend's house Sunday and said he was sticking around because the storm didn't worry him.

(The Associated Press)

Click here for more GPB News storm coverage.

Hurricane Gustav evacuees begin arriving in Ga. (updated)

NOAA infrared satellite image of Hurricane Gustav over the central Gulf of Mexico.

Georgia officials are readying plans to accept several thousand evacuees, if necessary from states that may be hit by Hurricane Gustav in the next several days.

Georgia Emergency Management Agency spokesman Buzz Weiss says two emergency shelters were opened Sunday afternoon:

"We opened, in collaboration with the Red Cross, two shelters: one in Villa Rica, the other in La Grange. As of last night, we had about 67 people in the Villa Rica facility, with a capacity of about 250; we had about 60 people in the La Grange shelter, with a capacity of about 500."

Weiss says say traffic on interstate highways I-20 and I-85 into Georgia from Alabama has risen significantly as of Sunday afternoon.

The Georgia Highway Patrol says over half of the license tags were from Louisiana and Mississippi.

Weiss says GEMA is closely monitoring the situation:

“…and as the need develops, we will look at the need to open additional shelters along the I-20 and I-85 corridor”

The hurricane is expected to make landfall Monday morning.

Metro Atlanta hotels and motels say they're renting rooms to self-evacuees from Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.

NASA visual satellite image of Hurricane Gustav over the central Gulf of Mexico.

Click here for updated NWS radar and satellite maps of the New Orleans area.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of recent hurricane activity in Gulf of Mexico.

Oxendine: $40 M in insured storm losses

Heavy thunderstorms and possible tornadoes on May 20, caused some $40 million in insured damages in Cherokee and north Fulton counties, according to Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John Oxendine:

“After one week of documenting damage in the North Metro area, the insured losses there are at least $40 million,” Oxendine said. “Actual losses are much higher when you consider things like infrastructure damage and uninsured losses.”

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the recent severe weather statewide.

One dead in overnight storms

Authorities say one person is dead in central Georgia after severe storms cut a swath through the state, downing trees and damaging homes and businesses in multiple counties.

Lisa Janak with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency said other minor injuries have been reported after the early Sunday morning storms. Authorities have not yet identified the person who died in Dublin, which is just south of Macon.

Weather officials have not yet confirmed if any of the Georgia storms produced tornadoes.

Georgia Power officials say at least 80,000 residents are without electricity across the state, mostly concentrated in the metro Atlanta area and the Macon area.

The violent storm system that ripped through Georgia left at least 18 people dead in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri on Saturday.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of severe weather conditions statewide.

(The Associated Press)

Strong storms moving into Georgia

There is severe weather moving into Georgia this morning--counties in extreme west Georgia are under a tornado watch until 10am this morning. Strong storms are expected to move from the northwest to the southeast, bringing 1-2 inches of rain. Forecasters warn the weather could be similar to that of last week, which caused 15-million dollars of damage to over a thousand homes--Carroll County was especially hard hit. Storms should reach Macon and Athens by mid-afternoon today, and then to the coast by sunset before moving out.

Tuesday storm damage estimates revised

State insurance officials have revised the estimate of damage done from Tuesday’s storms and tornadoes to 15-million dollars. Georgia’s insurance commissioner says now 13-hundred homes have some level of damage--from either broken windows to total losses. He says destruction was more severe than first reported in Carrollton and Bowdon. Two tornadoes were reported to have touched down in Carrollton Tuesday morning. Severe storms extended east through the metro Atlanta area.

Severe storms knock-out power to 90K-plus in north Georgia

A strong line of thunderstorms moved into the state around 5:30 this morning, downing trees and knocking out power to over 90-thousand homes.

The storms moved in from Alabama through Carroll County and into the metro Atlanta area. They've moved into counties east of the metro Atlanta area, including the counties of Barrow, Walton, Banks, and Jackson.

A 75-county area in north and central Georgia is under a severe thunderstorm watch until noon today.

Severe weather moving through Georgia

Radar image of affected area. Click on the image for an interactive map. (National Weather Service)

Severe storms that spawned tornadoes in Tennesee, Arkansas, and Kentucky overnight are now moving into Georgia this morning.

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for a 42-county area of the state until 2pm this afternoon. The watch-area is for people in areas of the state extending from northwest Georgia, south through the metro Atlanta area, into central and west-central Georgia.

The storms that moved through areas of the South overnight are reported to have killed 44 people.

Clikc here for updated NWS information.

Americus, hospital plan to rebuild from the ruins

Sumter Regional Hospital, Americus, Ga., Feb. 4, 2008. (Dave Bender)

On March first of last year, a tornado ripped through Americus, killing two and devastating the community. What did the city learn and what are their plans if such a disaster strikes again?

The force-3 twister ripped apart lives, homes, businesses and vehicles in a two-mile wide-swath of destruction. Although much of the external damage has been fixed, city and county officials are still dealing with deeper issues of planning and preparation.

Mary Ann Crowley directs the Americus chapter of Habitat for Humanity:

“These kinds of events and catastrophes in the lives of communities are not 30-minute sitcoms. They don't start and end when you want them to. You can't do the instant replay and skip the parts that you don't like.”

Crowley says that long time residents of Habitat homes damaged in the tornado faced a welter of legal and insurance issues over ownership, that only a year later have been cleared up.

Little of the physical damage is left, according to Americus Mayor Barry Blount:

"Within 69 days the community was, essentially, cleaned up. The rebuilding, reconstruction has gone on - if you ride through town, you can see new buildings have been put up in place of the buildings that have been destroyed. We do still have some structures that are still, haven't been rebuilt; there are still some issues with insurance companies...”

But the biggest issue in town is the local hospital. Sumter County Regional was destroyed by the tornado.

A new interim facility will open in March, exactly one year after the disaster. A completely new hospital is planned to open by 2010.

The hospital is holding a fundraiser – one of several. They're selling off the bricks of the original 1953 structure, after the bulldozers bring them down.

But other shocks to Sumter County's system are still not resolved.

Blount says there's still no county-wide emergency warning system. The city has turned to the Federal and Georgia Emergency Management Authorities for help:

“We've applied for some grants from FEMA and GEMA; thus far, we have not received any for an emergency warning system.”

Blount is hopeful he'll get such a system in the coming year. But one thing has changed for the better since the tornado - communication between the Police, Sheriffs Department, city and county rescue services:

“We have rectified that, so that now all the different emergency personnel can communicate with one another.”

Turning to the home front, Blount says he's told residents that first and foremost they have to get their own houses in order. That means a supply of non-perishable food, water, an evacuation plan and an emergency radio with fresh batteries.

Blount's comments echo the “YOYO-72” idea, stressing individual preparation: You're On You're On for the first 72-hours.

On February 29th, Americus is planning a commemoration of that tornado-stricken night.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the tornado, and efforts to rebuild Americus and lives affected by the storms.

Severe weather possible

Severe weather including tornadoes and heavy rain could hit northwest Georgia tonight. The National Weather Service says winds could range from 40 to 70 miles per hour, and that dime-to-quarter sized hail could fall. Downpours could bring 1 to 2 inches of rain. However, forecasters say as storms move through Georgia they will lose strength.