Tornadic storm damage in Atlanta 3/14

[Pellaz]

Downtown Atlanta got hit pretty hard by a severe thunderstorm, probably (almost certainly, IMO) a tornado, last night. There's a lot of damage in the immediate downtown area, with at least two collapsed buildings and heavy facade and window damage from skyscrapers blocking streets. The Georgia Dome took some damage while the SEC finals were taking place inside.

The damage is primarily south of the ProgPower venue and hotels, although the Inn at the Peachtrees is right near the 'epicenter' of the damage, which was near CNN Center and Centennial Olympic Park. I doubt if anyone's planning on staying at the Omni Hotel for PP, but half of the hotel was evacuated.

Side note for Atlanta concertgoers: the Tabernacle sustained some minor damage, from what I could tell.

 

[Magius]

Sucks, but I'm sure the area will fully recover in far shorter than six months. No PPUSA impact I'm sure. If the Tabernacle got too damaged that could really be a problem though. The place is rickety enough as it is. Fortunately, on a personal level, everything I plane to see in the near future is at the Masq or Sidelines. It would still be bad to lose a local concert venue.

 

[kellsco]

I just saw all the damage on the morning news and WOW. What a mess. That all looks crazy! Some streets looked like a bomb went off. Thank goodness those hurt will be ok, and amazing no one was killed.




But.....I just couldn't help but think....careful what you wish (pray) for.

 

[Pellaz]

Sucks, but I'm sure the area will fully recover in far shorter than six months. No PPUSA impact I'm sure.

Yeah, which is why I didn't post this on the main Forum.... (I'm hoping the Inn at the Peachtrees didn't take any damage...it might have been just north enough to avoid the worst of the winds.)

We'll know a lot more after sun-up. I don't expect it to be pretty.

If the Tabernacle got too damaged that could really be a problem though. The place is rickety enough as it is. Fortunately, on a personal level, everything I plane to see in the near future is at the Masq or Sidelines. It would still be bad to lose a local concert venue.

I was just thinking after I entered that post "What if the Masquerade got knocked out?" Sure, it's usually a lousy place to see a show, but it's also the ONLY place in town to see a 1,000-ticket show.


Whee, I'm only awake right now due to a tremendous clap of thunder...and then the ominous sounds of the tornado sirens going off out here in the boonies...

 

[J-Man]

I saw this last night on the news, and it scared the shiite out of me, I just hope no members of the PP family were hurt in anyway form or fashion. I just saw on the weather channel that there are more storms on the way today. Granted the rain is needed there but keep the tornado,s and other crap away.

 

[Ostracised]

I'm glad nobody I know works down there. All the news seems to be focusing on is the sports arenas; the other damage is apparently is unimportant and barely worth a mention. And I hope the Tabernacle will recover-I haven't seen a show there yet!

 

[yardleybates]

Praying that all my local PP friends are safe and sound -- ok none of my friends are sound, but you know what I mean

 

[Rider of Theli]

yeah, it got nasty just south of our location between 10-11PM last night. We live in a direct line 25 miles slightly northwest of Atlanta (as the crow flies). And those storms kept following I-20 - about 8 miles south of our house - striaght into Atlanta, one after another pounding the city near the downtown connector.

And yeah, the aftermath looked like a warzone around Centennial Park, CNN, and the Georgia Dome. Quarter-sized hail busted many a window and windshield all over the west metro area (Douglasville, Lithia Springs, Mableton) as the worst activity moved towards the city. Pellaz gave a good description of the downtown damage. But what was messed up was the fact that the police had no choice but to block on and off ramps because of signs falling onto the expressway all around the downtown connector. It was wild. And on a Friday night in downtown Atlanta - people still headed home from work; headed into town for the bar scene; at the Dome for the SEC tournament; and all the folks enjoying the usual ATL nightlife. wow.

I'm just glad it skimmed south of us, but hope no one was seriously injured... or worse.

the east side of the city from Stone Mountain down towards Covington and Conyers got it pretty bad during all this time as well. And I think by the time I was headed to bed at around 1AM there was another system moving south east from Fulton County towards the airport and Jonesboro. Possible tornadic activity in that one as well. I hope it didn't get that bad for them.

 

[Rider of Theli]

I saw this last night on the news, and it scared the shiite out of me, I just hope no members of the PP family were hurt in anyway form or fashion. I just saw on the weather channel that there are more storms on the way today. Granted the rain is needed there but keep the tornado,s and other crap away.

Thanks J-Man and everyone for the thoughts and prayers for all of your ATL area PP Family. You don't know how much we all appreciate it. And yeah, the rain is welcome but mother nature can keep everything else.

 

[Rider of Theli]

I'm glad nobody I know works down there. All the news seems to be focusing on is the sports arenas; the other damage is apparently is unimportant and barely worth a mention. And I hope the Tabernacle will recover-I haven't seen a show there yet!

that may be all some folks are seeing on the national news - and I do not doubt it - but the local news was on the scene last night covering everything and interviewing folks on the street. Yeah, initially the focus was on the Georgia Dome and the Omni Hotel because those places were full of people. But then they covered every square inch of the damage afterwards.

 

[Ostracised]

Being in Korea means I don't see anything local, unless I go to local news websites. I do have friends and family out around Douglasville/Temple, though. I haven't heard anything about them getting anything damaged; I guess no news is good news.

 

[Metal 99]

First off i'm glad everyone is okay from last night it was scary, Even though i don't live in downtown Atlanta, but i saw all the damage, and this morning i saw The tabernacle on the news and it looks like it got hit a little but a building beside it look destroyed, that could have been even worse if there had been a concert there last night plus all the Basketball fans in the Dome and at phillips and everywhere else downtown, I really hope they can save everything i hope we don't lose the Tabernacle because Gigantour in April then Dream Theater comes in may, plus all the other shows that come there, It was awful to see Centennial Olympic park too. So i really hope all can be repaired, thankfully noone Lost their lives last night..

 

[kittybeast]

hoping all in GA are doing well. was shocked to see the news this a.m.

 

[sh0kr0k]

Wow what a mess, to say the least! I hope ya'll are alright!!! Last night I was talking to MetalOperaChick until she had to sign off due to the massive electrical storm over her house late last night/early this morning. We were talking through a voice chat system and I could hear the thunder through her microphone, loud and clear! Some wicked storm! My question is, the reports aren't sure if it was a tornado or not. Just curious, what else could possibly cause that much damage in that pattern?

 

[freakchylde]

Just logging in. The storm was awesome, but I'm used to living in Tornado Alley, so it wasn't out of the ordinary for me. Only irritation was the one thing worth watching last night was out because the storm was disrupting our satellite feed (but I did get to watch my John Denver special and Doowop segment on PBS, eventually).

From my understanding, from my roommate, CNN and the OMNI are ok (I believe he spent most of the night on the phone about it). Just lots of damage, no one killed.

 

[Rider of Theli]

oh it's nasty north/northeast of Atlanta right now - hail up to 2" in diameter and a possible tornado on the ground heading east/NE towards Gainesville.

I hope you're all ok up that way.

There was one confirmed fatality in the last couple of hours literally 20 minutes west/NW of my house due to tornado activity that they are saying stayed on the ground for more than 40 minutes. I've got family in that same area. But my Dad says everyone's ok. whew.

 

[Rider of Theli]

Being in Korea means I don't see anything local, unless I go to local news websites. I do have friends and family out around Douglasville/Temple, though. I haven't heard anything about them getting anything damaged; I guess no news is good news.

the worst of that system last night actually developed as it was on top of and then east of D'ville. So the Temple area was fairly safe I believe. The area between D'ville and Lithia Springs was where it started going from bad to worse, and then it was all over Six Flags and moved southeast of there for the most part. That was the one that was moving toward the airport by around 1AM or later with possible circulation and lots of hail. Although I have not seen any reports of damage at the airport yet today.

 

[Rider of Theli]

crap, crap, crap ... tornado is on the ground south and east of Cumming, GA. due north of Atlanta moving east/SE toward Buford, Flowery Branch and Commerce.

 

[Magius]

Yeah. That's my area. We're currently being drummed by dime sized hail.

Edit: dime to quater sized hail with a few egg sized chunks.

 

[Metal 99]

Yeah we got Hammered up here with Wind, Hail, Just northeast of Gainesville ga, may even get some more, Sad about the Person Getting killed today.