One of the large decorative lights surrounding
Centennial Park, one of the city's signatures, is blown
over and destroyed. Downtown Atlanta including
Centennial Park, CNN Center and the Georgia Dome was
damaged by a severe storm that hit the core of the city
around 10 p.m., Friday. Witnesses said it was like a
train going down Marietta Street, which fronts CNN
Center. Property damage was extensive along the east.
David Tulis / AJC
Tornado pummels downtown
Atlanta, Georgia Dome
Meteorologist Mike Griesinger at the National Weather Service in Peachtree City said Saturday morning that was indeed a tornado that hit downtown.
"Hard to argue with that," he said.
A survey crew of two — including Meteorologist In Charge Lans Rothfuse was heading to Atlanta shortly after 8 a.m. to meet with Emergency Management officials from Fulton County. They will determine where the tornado touched down as well as the width and length of the path and how strong it was.
Rothfuse said information will be released at a news conference in the city — probably early afternoon.
This morning's storm system came through with little power, Rothfuse said. "We got some hail in this system, but nothing big."
The NWS is now watching a storm system currently in north Mississippi. It should arrive in the metro area at about 3 p.m.
The storm hit fast and furious — and with little warning.
Shortly before 10 p.m., winds whirled through downtown Atlanta, taking aim at CNN Center, the Omni Hotel and the Georgia Dome, which was packed with thousands of Southeastern Conference basketball fans.
Hours later, at a 1:30 a.m. news conference at a fire station on Edgewood Avenue, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin reported what weather officials had not yet done: that the damage was caused by a tornado.
"It's pretty major," Franklin said, flanked by fire, police and city officials. "... Most of us did not get any warnings in advance that this storm was brewing." Another Franklin news conference has been scheduled for noon. The bulk of the storm's wrath fell on the core of the city.
