Thomasville, Area Residents Take Stock in Tornadoes' Wake (photos)

Last Thursday's tornadoes caused heavy damage to a mental hospital and two counties in southwest Georgia.

Red dots represent the tornadoes' damage track near Thomasville, Ga. Click image for larger graphic. (Courtesy: NOAA)

Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine visited and flew over areas hit by the twisters, and puts an over $10 million dollar price tag on the damage.

The tornadoes blew down two pine trees across this house off State Highway 319, south of Thomasville. Ga., in this photo taken on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009. (Photo courtesy Greg Miller)

He says he was surprised by the extent of the destruction, and adds that Thomas County sustained the greatest damage statewide:

"In Thomas and Grady County there were about 100 homes and other structures that were damaged by the two tornadoes that went through Thomas County, and there were about two dozen that were either destroyed or almost destroyed."

The storms wreaked havoc on Southwestern State mental Hospital in Thomasville. Officials, however, report no injuries.

The tornado demolished this enclosed corridor, "part of an old military barracks on the Southwestern State Hospital campus." (Photo: Teresa Williams/Thomasville Times-Enterprise)

Almost 160 patients remain hospitalized at the 420-bed center, although many have been moved to other facilities in Columbus and Milledgeville, for the interim.

Oxendine says his office hopes to meet with counterparts at the Department of Human Resources, who run Southwestern State, in coming days.

The storm's winds overturned this school bus, in the parking lot of the Brookwood school, Thomasville. Ga., in this photo taken on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009. The school sustained damage, but there were no injuries to students or staff, according to the photographer. (Photo courtesy Greg Miller)

Officials estimate the storm's effects statewide at upwards of $35 million dollars.

View Larger Map

Google street level map of Southwestern State Hospital at Thomasville, Ga.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of last week's storms.

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.

Gas shortages still widespread

Motorist fills up Hummer at a station in midtown Atlanta, Sept. 22, 2008. (Dave Bender)

Gas stations in much of the southeast are having a tough time getting enough fuel. Many have temporarily closed, and cars lined up at the pump are a not uncommon sight.

Atlanta, Nashville, and Tallahassee, are among other cities in the region, reporting closures or limited fuel supplies.

Motorist Tate Nichols, who lives in Atlanta suburb Stone Mountain, says he’s seen the biggest problems in town:

“Generally, out in my area, I haven’t had any problem finding gas - I have, in midtown today run across a couple of empty stations that do not have gas - but I found one within two minutes of looking that did have gas.”

State and industry officials say one factor behind the shortage are interrupted supplies from refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. Many closed for the duration of hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

And, an Atlanta law requiring stations to use cleaner-burning fuel means gas can't be easily diverted from better-supplied areas.

Governor Sonny Perdue and other officials here say they expect fuel supplies to return to normal later this week.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the gas crisis.

Perdue may call in feds over gas gouging

The dramatic spike in gas prices from Hurricane Ike has prompted The Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) to investigate hundreds of complaints of price gouging at the pump.

Officials have issued subpoenas for sales records of 25 gas stations statewide, and say more are on the way.

Bill Cloud, the director of administration and external affairs at the OCA says they've received over 700 complaints since Governor Sonny Perdue imposed an anti-gouging law last Friday.

But, Perdue says the skyrocketing numbers at the pump weren't only due to decisions by station owners :

"...[they] were the prices that some of the stations were having to pay up the line, and we're trying to investigate where that began and why, and what steps we should take – that probably would be outside of the purview of the State of Georgia, and while I’m a free-market guy, I certainly think it bears investigation by our federal government."

Perdue says Valdosta and Augusta were having the worst problems statewide in getting fuel from refineries knocked out by last week's hurricane.

Perdue and OCA officials, though, say the situation is improving and expect supply to be back to normal next week.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the gas crisis, and here for more on Hurricane Ike.

The Gulf Coast waits: Will it be another Katrina?

(NOAA report)

With a historic evacuation complete, and gun-toting police and National Guardsmen standing watch over this city's empty streets, even presidential politics stood still Sunday while the nation waited to see if Hurricane Gustav would be another Katrina.

The storm was set to crash ashore midday Monday with frightful force, testing the three years of planning and rebuilding that followed Katrina's devastating blow to the Gulf Coast.

Painfully aware of the failings that led to that horrific suffering and more than 1,600 deaths, this time, officials moved beyond merely insisting tourists and residents leave south Louisiana. They threatened arrest, loaded thousands onto buses and warned that anyone who remained behind would not be rescued.

"Looters will go directly to jail. You will not get a pass this time," Mayor Ray Nagin said. "You will not have a temporary stay in the city. You will go directly to the Big House."

Col. Mike Edmondson, state police commander, said he believed that 90 percent of the population had fled the Louisiana coast. The exodus of 1.9 million people is the largest evacuation in state history, and thousands more had left from Mississippi, Alabama and flood-prone southeast Texas.

Louisiana and Mississippi changed traffic flow so all highway lanes led away from the coast, and cars were packed bumper-to-bumper. Stores and restaurants shut down, hotels closed and windows were boarded up. Some who planned to stay changed their mind at the last second, not willing to risk the worst.

"I was trying to get situated at home. I was trying to get things so it would be halfway safe," said 46-year-old painter Jerry Williams, who showed up at the city's Union Station to catch one of the last buses out of town. "You're torn. Do you leave it and worry about it, or do you stay and worry about living?"

Click here for GPB News coverage of Georgia's plans for assisting evacuees.

Forecasters said Gustav was likely to grow stronger as it marched toward the coast with top sustained winds of around 115 mph. At 5 p.m. EDT Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said Gustav was a Category 3 storm centered about 215 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving northwest near 18 mph.

Against all warnings, some gambled and decided to face its wrath. On an otherwise deserted commercial block of downtown Lafayette, about 135 miles west of the city, Tim Schooler removed the awnings from his photography studio. He thought about evacuating Sunday before decided he was better off riding out the storm at home with his wife, Nona.

"There's really no place to go. All the hotels are booked up to Little Rock and beyond," he said. "We're just hoping for the best."

There were frightening comparisons between Gustav and Katrina, which flooded 80 percent of New Orleans when storm surge overtook the levees. While Gustav isn't as large as Katrina, which was a massive Category 5 storm at roughly the same place in the Gulf, there was no doubt the storm posed a major threat to a partially rebuilt New Orleans and the flood-prone coasts of Louisiana and southeast Texas. The storm has already killed at least 94 people on its path through the Caribbean.

(The Associated Press)

Click here for more GPB News coverage of Hurricane Gustav, and other recent stormy weather.

Fort Benning, Columbus ready for Gustav's brunt

Fort Benning is mobilizing to support evacuation and medical efforts for storm-hit areas.

The Department of Defense has placed the infantry training base, along with five others in the southeas Federal Emergency Management Agency logistics staging areas for supplies and equipment.

Nearby, the Columbus branch of the American Red Cross says they have opened an emergency center for evacuees fleeing areas expecting to be hit by Hurricane Gustav sometime Monday.

The center is located at the Calvary Christian School on 7556 Old Moon Road.

Across the Chattahoochee River in Alabama, Russell County is also preparing, and has designated Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Phenix City as an emergency evacuation center.

Click here for more GPB News coverage on Hurricane Gustav.

Georgia officials hunting "storm-chaser" contractors

One of the results of the EF-2 tornado that plowed through Macon on May 11th: a resident salvages belongings in a demolished building in the city's business district. (Josephine Bennet)

The State of Georgia is cracking down on “fly-by-night” contractors who don't take proper care of their workers.

The State Board of Workers' Compensation arrested several subcontractors in Macon and the Bibb County area this week.

The collars are part of a sweep to enforce state laws requiring employers to insure their crews.

Stan Bexley heads the board's enforcement division:

“As a result of the sweep thus far, we've had five criminal warrants issued, three arrests have been made and seven premium fraud cases have been opened for further investigation.”

Bexley warns homeowners to watch out for so-called “storm-chasers,” who arrive after bad weather, do shoddy repairs with substandard parts, and then take off without guaranteeing their work.

SBWC officials are focusing on areas that were hard-hit by a string of tornadoes on May 11th that caused several million dollars in damage.

More information is available at the SBWC website.http://tiny.cc/aB1bT.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the damages caused by the tornadoes.

Confirmed Savannah tornado last week

Weather officials confirmed it was a tornado that slammed Savannah late last week. A National Weather Service forecaster says a twister cut a mile-long swath through Savannah's south side on Thursday afternoon, with winds up to 100 miles per hour. Snapped trees, downed power lines and a blown-off church steeple made up part of the damage. 31,000 homes and businesses were without power. Throughout the storm however, no injuries were reported.

FEMA to close some state disaster centers

Seven disaster recovery centers set-up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the wake of recent spring tornadoes will be closing this weekend. Centers closing include in Darien, Dublin and Dry Branch. Those in Macon, Wrightsville and Carrollton will remain open for the time being. Residents in 10 affected counties can still apply for federal help until July 22nd to get assistance with things like temporary housing and home repairs.

Record year for storm damage

State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine says severe weather in 2008 has set a record for damage losses. He estimates Georgians have experienced more than $400 million in insured losses since January. That surpasses the previous record set in 1998. Oxendine expects the figures to climb as more losses are tallied from Tuesday night’s storms.

Storm damage tally rises about 100-mill

Monetary estimates of damage in the state from last weekend's storms have been revised. State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine has pushed the number of insured losses to now 125-million dollars. Oxendine Thursday took a helicopter tour of damage in Bibb, Clayton, and Douglas counties. He called the damage the worst he's seen in his 14 years on the job. 15 tornadoes touched-down in areas of central and northern Georgia on Mother's Day, with another few in the southern portion of the state. Two people died from the storms. There are 13 affected state disaster areas.

Seven more counties join 'state of emergency' list

Macon: a resident salvages belongings from building in the city's business district demolished by the EF2 tornado that struck early Sunday morning, May 11, 2008. (Josephine Bennet)

Governor Sonny Perdue issued an executive order on Monday declaring a state of emergency in seven additional counties affected by tornadoes that struck on Sunday.

Clayton, Crawford, Emanuel, Glynn, Jenkins, McIntosh, and Twiggs counties were added to Bibb, Carroll, Douglas, Jefferson, Johnson and Laurens, on the state of emergency list.

“We are working together to ensure response efforts reach all Georgians affected by these storms,” Perdue said. “Joint local, state and federal assessment teams will continue to determine the full scope of the damage to businesses, state facilities and residences.”

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) activated the state’s Emergency Operations Plan and an operations center to support the affected counties on Sunday. The Special Operations Center (SOC) will monitor the situation, and operate until further notice.

Perdue toured damaged areas in middle Georgia early Monday morning.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the aftermath of the severe weekend weather.

Macon: scenes of destruction

Photos of the twister's aftermath along Eisenhower Parkway near Pio Nono Avenue, one of Macon's business districts. (All photos: Josephine Bennet, WMUM 89.7 FM, Macon)










Thousands of Georgia residents, most in Macon, are still without power this morning in the wake of destructive storms that moved through the state early Sunday morning.

Click here for more GPB News reports about the tornado's swath of destruction through central Georgia.

Storm update: thousands still without power

Sandy Springs: a police cruiser blocks traffic along Johnson Ferry Road, near a telephone pole and power lines that were downed by high winds late Sunday afternoon. There were no injuries or damage to homes or vehicles, according to Patrol Officer Swinson of the Sandy Springs Police Department. Similar scenes occurred along nearby Riverside Drive, and in other areas of metro Atlanta. (Dave Bender)

Thousands of Georgia residents, most in Macon, are still without power this morning in the wake of destructive storms that moved through the state early Sunday morning. A spokesman for Georgia Power says 45,000 customers are without electricity--most are in the Macon area, with about 1,600 in the metro Atlanta region. A meteorologist with the National Weather Service confirmed that at least six of the storms spawned tornadoes. That includes a twister that struck Laurens County and killed a resident. Bibb, Clayton, and Carroll counties were also especially hard-hit by storms and tornadoes. Governor Sonny Perdue late Sunday declared a state-of-emergency for six counties: Bibb, Carroll, Douglas, Jefferson, Johnson, and Laurens. Perdue is in the Macon area today to assess damage. Several areas of the state cancelled classes for students.

Curfew imposed in Macon, Bibb counties

Macon and Bibb County are under a curfew as of 8 p.m. this evening until 6 a.m. Monday morning, Mayor Robert Reichert said at a press conference Sunday afternoon.

Law enforcement, medical and government administrative personnel are exempt from the curfew, and officials will allow residents to go home or to work, according to Andrew Blascovich, Reichert's director of external affairs. But Blascovich requested residents,

"...try to be cognizant of the areas that have been hard hit, and try to avoid them unless it's absolutely necessary," he said.

Reichert told reporters that the curfew was imposed to protect public safety, businesses and residences damaged by the severe weather. Authorities will decide Monday whether to extend the curfew, according to Macon.com.

Bibb County schools will be closed on Monday, according to Schools Superintendent Sharon Patterson, speaking at the press conference.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the storms that swept through the state overnight.

Bush issues disaster declaration for Georgia

President Bush has approved Governor Sonny Perdue’s request for a federal disaster declaration for Georgia, following last weekend’s severe storms. The move provides federal assistance for clean up and recovery efforts statewide, with monetary federal aid immediately available for victims in Fulton County. State officials say they expect other counties affected by the storms will become eligible for aid once federal workers begin assessments around the state.

Perdue requests federal help for storm damage

Governor Sonny Perdue has requested the federal government for a major disaster declaration to help the city of Atlanta and Fulton County in its cleanup and repair efforts from last weekend's storms. An approval would provide federal funds for emergency response measures and aid for losses.

Perdue made the announcement Monday after concluding a tour of storm-affected areas in northwest Georgia. Polk, Floyd, and Bartow counties were hit by strong storms and tornadoes on Saturday. Two people were reported killed and at least 20 homes destroyed. Perdue says as damage assessments continue to come in, areas of NW Georgia could be added to the declaration request.

State insurance officials now say that the storms that hit Georgia over the past weekend are the most expensive in the state's history--hitting the mark of 250-million dollars. In Atlanta, where a tornado struck the downtown-area Friday night, the damage number is well over 150-million dollars alone.

GA disaster aid tops $35 M

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security say the funds were a combination of federal, state and local aid to tornado and storm-ravaged areas as of March 1, 2007, according to a DHS statement:

• $24,021,156.23 in public assistance funds
• $3,558,027.60 state share
• $20,463,128.63 FEMA share
• $9,770,700 in U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loans
• $5,682,200 for homeowners and renters
• $4,088,500 for businesses and economic injury loss
• $1,354,036 in disaster assistance to families
• $906,502 for housing assistance.
• $447,534 for other needs assistance
• $247,450 in disbursed federal disaster unemployment payments

Click here for more GPB severe weather coverage.

Official: at least 10-million in damage from Tuesday storms

Cleanup is underway this morning in areas of Georgia hit hard by the severe storms of Tuesday morning. The state’s top insurance official puts the early estimate of insured damage at around 10-million dollars, with damage done to about one-thousand homes. Officials say two tornadoes touched down in Carroll County causing the bulk of the damage. Across other areas of north Georgia, downed trees damaged some homes and cars. The height of the storm caused a loss of power to nearly 100-thouand homes Tuesday.