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.

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

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

Perdue asks Bush for disaster declaration

Governor Sonny Perdue on Wednesday requested that President George Bush declare Cherokee County a major disaster area.

Perdue says such a declaration will assist residents and local governments with emergency response measures and aid for losses from the severe weather and tornadoes on May 20, according to a statement from the Governor's Office:

“This is the third tornado event this spring that has disrupted the lives of our citizens and devastated one of our communities,” Perdue said.

“I am hopeful that our federal partners will recognize the extent of this damage and will render the appropriate assistance to help the residents of Cherokee County recover in the aftermath of this severe weather.”

Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) officials estimate initial governmental response and clean up efforts will exceed $2.9 million, the statement said.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the storms and tornadoes that have repeatedly struck the state in recent weeks.

Tornado damage, hefty expense

Damage claims from last week’s north metro-Atlanta tornadoes have climbed to more than $40 million…and are expected to increase. Now, the year-to-date total for Georgia’s weather damage stands at $415 million. The Georgia Insurance Commissioner’s office says it will take a little more time to announce final numbers of insured and uninsured damages.

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.

Stormy weather forces street re-closures in Atlanta

Police and fire officials in Atlanta re-closed several streets in a section of the downtown area yesterday, and many still remained closed early this morning. The reason is the possibility of falling glass and debris from some buildings in the midst of another weather system that moved through the area yesterday. Strong winds and rain hit the area Wednesday, and winds were still a concern into Thursday. Atlanta is continuing its cleanup and repair from last Friday’s destructive tornado that ripped through a six-mile section of the city.

Downtown clean-up after tornado

Voices and scenes of the results of the destructive twister that pummeled downtown Atlanta, on the night of Friday, March 14th, 2008, and the cleanup operation on Sunday morning.

Tornado cleanup causes massive Atlanta traffic problems

Commuters heading into Atlanta today are dealing with massive traffic backups as the city cleans-up from tornado damage over the weekend.

Traffic on at least two of the major interstates heading into downtown Atlanta was backing-up for several miles late this morning. Numerous street closures and dozens of traffic light outages across the city are causing drivers to look for alternate routes, or be stuck in long backups.

The city is in cleanup and repair mode following a destructive tornado that cut through Friday night. The twister was the first in recorded history to slice through Atlanta’s downtown. It struck a tourism district around the Centennial Olympic Park, and hit nearby neighborhoods in its 6-mile path.

Damage includes blown-out windows on high-rises, buildings with walls torn away, and a loft-residence complex with a completely collapsed roof. The city’s main convention center took significant damage.

Officials say early damage estimates in the city total at least 150-million dollars.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the tornado and the aftermath.