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.

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.

Atlanta: Rain, Winds, Possible Tornadoes in S. Ga.

Click here or on the map for real-time weather updates from the National Weather Service.

There were reports of tornadoes in south and southwest Georgia Saturday night, while metro Atlanta was hit with wind and scattered showers.

The National Weather Service office in Tallahassee, Fla., said there were no confirmed reports of any tornadoes in the state of Georgia.

But they said there were two weather events they suspect were tornadoes, one in Worth County and the other in Turner County, both Saturday night.

A third weather event in Early County Saturday evening was reported as a tornado but has not been confirmed. Trees were reported down in all three incidents. There was minor property damage as well.

Meteorologist Kelly Godsey said there were no reports of any injuries.

Worth and Turner counties are in south Georgia. Early County is in southwest Georgia.

Although the Atlanta area has been drenched with rain, the National Weather Service says it may not be enough to put a dent in the state's drought or avoid a record-low year for rainfall.
Meterologist Robert Beasley of the National Weather Service says four-tenths of an inch of rain has fallen in the Atlanta area.

The low amount of rain this year - about 27.66 inches of rain as of Saturday - puts the area on pace to break a record low of 29.14 inches of rainfall set in 1931, according to the National Weather Service.

Beasley says the area likely will get up to 2-1/2 inches of rain before the end of the year.

(The Associated Press)

Click here for more GPB weather coverage.

Tornadoes confirmed: state of emergency declared

At least five tornadoes hit west central, north central, and central Georgia early Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Tornadoes may have also touched down in Johnson, Treutlen, Fulton and Troup counties, according to reports.

Governor Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in Bibb, Carroll, Douglas, Jefferson, Johnson and Laurens counties Sunday evening.

"Last night's storms left trees downed, houses damaged and roads blocked across western and central Georgia," Perdue said.

"Needed state resources are being made available to assist in the cleanup efforts, and we will continue to actively work with local officials to support them"

The step enables the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) to initiate emergency operations.

Damaged houses on Lake Tobesofkee. (Woody Marshall, The Macon Telegraph)

"As with all disasters, GEMA will coordinate the deployment of public safety agencies, utility companies and the volunteer community to meet the needs of our citizens," GEMA Director Charley English said.

An EF2 tornado packing winds of 111 to 135 mph hit Macon between 5:45 and 6 a.m. Sunday morning, local officials said.

Laurens Co. resident Tracey Clements, was killed in his mobile home by the storm, Laurens County coroner Richard Stanley said, according to Macon.com.

Clements' wife and children sustained varying degrees of injuries when the winds flipped over their double-wide trailer, Stanley said.

Macon Mayor Robert Reichert said Perdue is expected to visit the area on Monday to assess the damage.

A tornado touched down at Macon State College's campus, causing significant damage, and uprooting or breaking about half the trees on campus, according to the National Weather Service.

The college will be closed on Monday.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the twister and storm damage.

$28M for tornado recovery

Georgia will have access to $28-million state and federal relief funds to help recover from March tornadoes. Today Governor Sonny Perdue announced the money for eligible people and communities in Sumter and surrounding counties in southeast Georgia. 15 counties hit by tornadoes March 1st received a Presidential Disaster Declaration. One tornado destroyed Sumter Regional Hospital in Americus. Nine people died in the storms.

Click here for a breakdown of where the aid is going, and more GPB coverage of the twisters that swept through southwest Georgia.

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.

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.

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.

More than $17M for disaster recovery

Georgia has gotten more than $17-million dollars in federal disaster aid since tornadoes came through March 1st. The Americus Times-Recorder reports that the money has come through the Federal Emergency Management Agency – or FEMA. Federal funds were approved for 13 counties, mostly in southwest Georgia, where the tornadoes touched down. The money is helping small businesses and homeowners clean up and rebuild.

Feds expand storm disaster declaration

Georgia is getting more federal help in the cleanup and rebuilding to those affected areas following last week's deadly storms that hit the middle and southwest portions of the state. President Bush has expanded a 'federal disaster declaration' to include all nine counties affected by tornadoes. Sumter County had originally been named by the President--now he has added Baker, Clay, Crawford, McDuffie, Mitchell, Muscogee, Stewart, and Taylor counties to that list. People eligible can get assistance and grants to help pay for repairs and other expenses. However, according to a Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesperson, people in three of the counties are only eligible for public assistance. That means help from local government entities. Those counties are Clay, Stewart, and Muscogee.

The storms could end-up as the costliest insurance disaster in state history. The tally right now is 135-million dollars in 'insured losses'. That includes damage to homes, autos, and commercial buildings. State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine says the lion's share of that damage is in the Sumter County-Americus area. Columbus and Muscogee County saw the second largest amount of damage. When the final count is in, Oxendine says it could be a new record for Georgia disasters, possibly passing 150-million dollars. That is the amount from damage in the north-Atlanta area, when tornadoes hit there in 1998.

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.

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.

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.

Emergency responders reflect on tornadoes

Tornadoes were at the top of the agenda today at the Governor's Emergency Management Conference in Savannah. Sumter County emergency officials told colleagues from across the state about the steep challenges they faced three months ago when deadly twisters struck.

For example -- nine emergency operators were handling 400 911 calls an hour from seven counties. Americus police and firefighters lost radio communications for up to three hours. Sumter Regional Hospital in Americus, which serves eight counties, was nearly destroyed by a direct hit from a tornado.

Since then, Sumter County officials say they have made improvements such as adding a phone bank to the 911 center … and getting backup generators for radio systems.

Storms could stifle commute

Storms are forecasted for north Georgia during tomorrow morning's commute. Forecasters expected up to 2 inches of rain starting around 6am. The forecast calls for damaging winds with a line of storms and says isolated tornadoes are possible. The stormy weather should reach Macon and Athens by midafternoon and hit the coast by sunset.

'Big rain storm' marches west

Bands of heavy rain continued to march west across South Georgia this afternoon, as Tropical Storm Faye turned out to be the "big rain storm" that forecasters expected. After two days of waiting with overcast skies and only spotty rain on Wednesday and Thursday, Friday's worst in the Savannah area brought spotty power outages, localized flooding, some traffic tie-ups and downed tree limbs.

Possible tornadoes spotted this morning by National Weather Service doppler radar in counties north of Savannah, including Effingham, Bulloch, Jenkins and Screven Counties, did not result in calls to emergency services, those services reported this afternoon. Roads were clear and "all quiet here" was the going phrase among emergency services personnel contacted by GPB.

Today, residents in the Savannah area awoke to no power. As many as 9,000 people were without power at the height of an early morning outage, but crews restored power to most before noon. Tybee Island and Savannah's Southside were the most effected. Georgia Power brought in extra crews, but didn't have to use them, because local crews were sufficient, company officials said.

Georgia's southern coast appears to be getting the heaviest rain. There were reports of some minor street flooding in St. Mary's, some traffic tie-ups on Interstate-95 and a lot of disruption in Jacksonville, where officials attributed several traffic fatalities to the storm. Officials in three South Georgia counties, Camden, Glynn and McIntosh, and officials at Valdosta city schools cancelled classes today for those safety reasons.

But even in South Georgia, the storm, so far, has been a bigger wait than anything. Lowndes County spokesman Paige Dukes said, "People in South Georgia are prepared for storms. They've been through this before. But, this is the longest we've had to wait for a storm." Fay made landfall in the Florida Keys on August 15.

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.

Disaster relief centers open

Two disaster relief centers open today to help those in Fulton and Jefferson County affected by the severe storms and tornadoes.

The centers open from noon to 7 p.m. today and then operate from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. They are located at the Morris Brown College campus gymnasium in Atlanta and the Mt. Moriah Campground in Matthews.

Storm victims can apply for disaster relief at the FEMA and state agency-run centers.

Storm Damage Estimate: $25M

Twenty-five million dollars is the early damage estimate of the violent storms that tore through Georgia earlier this week.

Governor Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in four Georgia counties: Hancock, Jasper, Thomas and Warren.

The storm spawned eleven tornadoes, killing one person and injuring

One insurance company has reported it expects as many as 750 claims from homeowners and businesses. 1,000 claims for damaged vehicles.

In the Hancock county town of Sparta, Johnny Frank Bakers was killed when his home was destroyed by the storm.

Severe storms hit; planes delayed at Hartsfield

Severe storms are sweeping across much of north Georgia, generating heavy rain, hail and winds thatdowned trees and powerlines. Flights were delayed for up to 90 minutes at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as dark gray clouds swirled in from the west. A possible tornado was reported in northwest Georgia's Chattooga County. Meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Peachtree Citywere so busy tracking the storms that they could not immediately confirm the twister. Georgia Emergency Management Agency spokesman Ken Davis says there's a report of three possible tornadoes striking in FranklinCounty, more than a 100 miles away in northeast Georgia. Heavy storms also pelted several counties south of Atlanta.

(Associated Press)