By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Home demolished, cars overturned by storms
Placeholder Image

ADAIRSVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A storm that roared across northwest Georgia has left overturned vehicles on Interstate 75 northwest of Atlanta, and crews were responding to reports of people trapped in storm-damaged residential and commercial buildings, authorities said.

There were reports of some injuries, and crews were trying to get into the damaged areas to assess the situation, Bartow County Fire Chief Craig Millsap told The Associated Press.

I-75 was closed in both directions near mile marker 306 as crews responded to the scene, authorities said.

Atlanta station WSB-TV aired dramatic footage of a large funnel cloud bearing down on Adairsville -- about 60 miles northwest of Atlanta -- and cars strewn across a street in the area. Large sections of a sprawling manufacturing plant appeared to have been demolished in the storms.

The storm struck late Wednesday morning in Adairsville, said Chris Moseley, an administrative assistant with the Bartow County Emergency Management Agency. The possible tornado roared through the downtown area, demolishing a home and leaving at least 10 cars overturned, Moseley said.

"I haven't heard of any fatalities or any injuries so far," Moseley said.

Most of the damage was along Georgia Highway 140 near downtown Adairsville, she said.

The storms were part of a powerful system over Georgia bringing the threat of widespread damaging winds and isolated tornadoes to the state.

The National Weather Service early Wednesday morning issued a tornado watch for nine counties in northwest Georgia through 1 p.m. Wednesday. It included the cities of Calhoun, Carrollton, Cartersville, Dallas, Rome and Summerville.

An emergency manager reports that a tree fell on a house in Rome, though there were no immediate reports of any injuries. Earlier, high winds brought down power lines south of Summerville, the emergency manager in Chattooga County reported.

The line of storms was expected to track through the Atlanta metro area by mid-afternoon Wednesday.