UGA Study Shows Drought-Tornado Link

A University of Georgia researcher says there’s a surprising connection between periods of drought and the number of tornadoes that strike the Southeast.

The past two springs have produced numerous and damaging twisters. Several hit north, central and south Georgia this February through April. And it was the destructive March 2008 Atlanta tornado that spurred Marshall Shepherd to launch a study--is it rare to see such activity, coming out of drought conditions of the previous fall and winter seasons?

The associate professor with UGA’s Atmospheric Sciences Department went back through decades of records, finding this result 93-percent of the time in the southeast:

"The strongest statistical result that is related to the fact that when there’s drought there’s below normal activity. We haven’t been able to establish a strong link that suggests when the fall and winter is wetter, that you have even more tornadoes the following spring."

Shepherd says he wants to compare this research with that from the tornado-alleys of the Midwest. He says further study could lead forecasters to better predict seasonal tornado-activity…much like hurricane predictions made annually.

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.

Middle Georgia Twisters

Strong storms swept through several Middle Georgia counties on Wednesday night causing widespread damage from high winds and possible tornadoes.
All across Middle Georgia there were reports of damage. Jasper, Putnam and Hancock County were the hardest hit. Eighty year-old Johnny Frank Baker of Hancock County died when his mobile home was destroyed. His daughter and grandchildren were injured. Lynda Reynolds lives in Hancock County and describes the damage.

"Just debris everywhere. There was a log home that was completely lifted off of the foundation and set back down with trees on top of it. Hickory Grove Church was completely destroyed."

The storm also caused a suspected tornado in Eatonton. Putnam County Sheriff Howards Sills says it completely destroyed a bar called, "Robert Parham's Place," with four people inside.

"Mr. Parham himself was in there. He got down beneath the bar and everything else is gone, but I guess that protected him. The other two people were missing for a short period of time but we found them pretty quick."

The line of storms also destroyed several buildings in Jasper County.

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.

Tornado damage in northeast Georgia

Apparent tornadoes caused damage in Hall and Jackson counties Tuesday afternoon. Officials in Hall say two elementary schools sustained roof damage, but no injuries were reported. In nearby Jackson County, high winds damaged about 40 mobile homes in the city of Commerce--two people were injured there.

Macon soon to receive federal aid

After a meeting with state and federal emergency management officials, Macon is one step closer to receiving federal dollars for tornado relief.

The city qualified for the money after President Bush declared several Georgia counties disaster areas. The designation clears the way for federal help. Officials from Macon and Bibb County learned how to navigate their way through a ten step process.

Gary Rice is with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency. He says one of the first steps is what FEMA calls an applicants briefing.

"What we do is we come in from the state side and try to brief the cities and counties that's been affected on the policies and procedures that we'll have to follow in order to qualify for Federal reimbursement," said Rice.

Local agencies are now submitting their financial proposals to FEMA and plan to meet in the coming weeks to kick off the recovery. The Mother's Day tornado's caused millions of dollars in damage in several Middle Georgia counties.

(Josephine Bennett reporting)

2008 tornadoes could break record

This year's tornadoes may set a new record. Since January, tornadoes have killed 110 people, the highest fatality rate in a decade, and the year is not yet half over. The nation has also recorded 1,200 tornadoes this year…getting close to 2004’s set record of 1,800.

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.

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.

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.

On dead in overnight storms (updated 6PM)

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At least one person died after severe storms cut a swath through Georgia, downing trees and damaging homes and businesses in multiple counties.

Lisa Janak with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency said one person died in Laurens, downgrading an earlier report of two fatalities.

Authorities had reported a second fatality in Kite earlier today. The status of the second reported fatality is unclear as of this posting.

Janek said 19 counties were affected, as of Sunday at 1 PM.

Macon Mayor Robert Reichert, declared a state of emergency in the city on Sunday at 09:40, and asked residents to stay home and off the streets. He said the majority of the damage was in the southern and western areas of the city, and asked residents to avoid those areas.

"The federal government will be moving hard to help," President Bush said in response to the storm damage. "I'll be in touch with the governors and offer all of the federal assistance we can."

Click here for more on that story.

The National Weather Service reports numerous cases of damage to homes, business and other structures in several counties from overnight storms. There were many reports of downed power lines and trees, as well.

At least 80,000 residents were without electricity across the state, as of Sunday morning, mostly concentrated in the metro Atlanta area and the Macon area, according to Georgia Power officials.

(with the Associated Press)

Sumter Regional close to full service

Sumter Regional Hospital in Americus will be back open for full-service business starting tomorrow. Since a tornado ripped through the town March 1st, 2007, the facility has been able to provide only urgent care out of tents and modular buildings. Now the hospital will be able to offer the full menu of services--surgical to inpatient--in its 76-bed facility. A permanent replacement hospital will be opened in 2010 after ground is broken in October. Last March, the storms that swept through Georgia killed nine people in Sumter, Taylor, and Baker counties--accounting for more than 210-million dollars in damage.

Georgia storm victims get break from IRS

Victims of the storms and tornadoes that rolled through Georgia two weeks ago are getting a break from the Internal Revenue Service. It's not a break from paying taxes, but people who live in seven counties declared disaster areas have an extended deadline to file. Those affected taxpayers now will have until May 19th to file returns or make tax payments. Those counties include Fulton, DeKalb, Jefferson, Burke, Bartow, Floyd, and Polk. Affected taxpayers must write ‘Georgia Severe Storms and Tornadoes’ on the top of their return.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.