ATLANTA - Severe storms ripped through north Georgia on Wednesday morning, downing trees, blowing out a window in a hospital and ripping part of the roof off an elementary school.
Numerous counties reported damage from possible tornadoes - and nearly 30,000 homes and businesses were without power - after the powerful storms charged through the state. Authorities say there were no reports of injuries in Georgia, but at least one person was killed in Alabama.
"The wind was blowing so hard it felt like my truck was going to blow over," motorist Dan Montgomery said. "People were panicking and turning and trying to get out of the way."
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency said five nursing home patients in Dade County werer moved to Chattanooga, Tenn., because of power outages. At least two school districts, Floyd and Dade counties, closed early for the day and students from a Dade County elementary and middle school damaged by the storms were sent home.
Superintendent Patty Priest said awnings were blown off at both schools, a greenhouse was damaged and cars were hit with debris from a nearby business. She said power is out at the county's three schools and students were being sent home.
"We're all safe," she said.
At Redmond Regional Medical Center in Rome, the storm knocked out the power, smashed a window and damaged the roof, said spokeswoman Lisa Brown. She said the hospital was running on generators but had not needed to reroute patients to other hospitals.
"We did get hit with some pretty strong winds," she said.
The state gripped for more severe weather later Wednesday as authorities issued tornado watches for north and central Georgia. The weather system is expected to clear out by early Thursday.
Monday
October 14th, 2024
6:18PM
