Cindy and Dennis delivers double wallop to Georgia

<p>Tropical Storms Cindy and Dennis have left behind millions of dollars in damages to homes, businesses and crops in Georgia, state officials said Tuesday.</p><p>In less than two weeks, the state has seen more than a foot of rain in some areas _ more than twice the rainfall typically seen the entire month of July.</p><p>Some farms in north Georgia remained underwater Tuesday and significant damage has been caused to the state's peanut and tobacco crops. Damage to Georgia's crops could be well above $20 million, Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin said.</p><p>"We have not been able to compute an exact loss _ we know it's been substantial," Irvin said. "With the water damage and the storm damage, it's one of the worst years we've had in several years."</p><p>When asked if crop damage could exceed $20 million, he said: "I think it's more than that."</p><p>Dennis caused at least $3 million in damages, an estimate that Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine said Monday likely would rise.</p><p>Storm damage in Georgia from the remnants of Tropical Storm Cindy, which swept through Georgia on July 6, topped $100 million.</p><p>Irvin said the state's corn crop, which had been projected to be one of the best in years, was spared damage primarily because Dennis' aftermath did not bring strong winds. Georgia's cotton crop also escaped major damage.</p><p>But other crops, including watermelon and cantaloupe, were hurt.</p><p>"We just got more rain than we needed this time of year," Irvin said. "If we have another onslaught of rain on top of this, we'll have a lot of disease damage, too. That can be disastrous to us."</p><p>Cindy and Dennis have caused more than a foot of rain this month to fall, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Noffsinger.</p><p>Through Monday, 13 inches of rain was recorded at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, more rain than the 1994 Tropical Storm Alberto dumped on the area, Noffsinger said. The airport typically receives 5.12 inches in a typical July.</p><p>State officials have been working to calculate the exact damage the storms caused the state. They also are hoping for a better summer.</p><p>"Let's pray we'll have some favorable weather," Irvin said.</p>