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Deadly tornado blasts Atlanta, leaving two dead
Washington (AFP) March 15, 2008 The governor of the US state of Georgia declared a state of emergency Saturday after a violent tornado blasting winds up to 130 miles per hour tore through downtown Atlanta, killing two people. The storm on Friday night ripped roofs off downtown apartment buildings, blew windows out of high-rises and sent people fleeing from their seats in the middle of a university basketball tournament as debris fell from the ceiling. A spokeswoman for Georgia Emergency Management confirmed two people died in the tornado, one in Polk County and one in Floyd County, while Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in the affected Atlanta area. The storm struck at about 9:40 pm (0140 GMT Saturday), leaving 30,000 homes without power. "We have a lot of broken poles," said John Sell of Georgia Power. At midday Saturday 10,000 homes remained without electricity, and new storms in the state's northwest sector were causing more damage. Verona Murrell of the National Weather Service in Atlanta said their meteorologists had confirmed the damage was caused by a rare inner-city tornado measuring EF2 on a the Enhanced Fujita scale, with 5 the most intense twisters. The Atlanta fire department said 30 people were sent to hospitals for treatment. CNN showed images of homes crushed by huge trees, huge concrete flame pillars toppled in the city's Centennial Olympic Park, and office towers -- including CNN's own headquarters -- with scores of windows blown out. At the Georgia Dome, where the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament was underway, McClatchy newspapers sportswriter Jim Mashek said a silver washer fell from the ceiling to about 12 inches (30 centimeters) from his hand. "There was a huge crowd on hand, and when the tornado arrived, a rumbling, trembling noise dominated the Georgia Dome. The roof was shaking," he said. The National Weather Service meanwhile warned of more severe weather on the way for the region including Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. "The NWS Storm Prediction Center ... is forecasting the development of tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds over parts of the southeast US today," it said early Saturday. Search and rescue teams continued to comb damaged buildings in downtown Atlanta for possibly injured people, but said they had not found anyone caught in the wreckage. Related Links Weather News at TerraDaily.com
Britain braced for heavy storm
London (AFP) March 9, 2008Britain was braced for a heavy storm on Sunday night with forecasters warning of a "potent cocktail" of strong winds, rain and hail across the country. |
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