Student witnesses downtown tornado

Published: The Collegian (http://www.collegiannews.com), February 2008

On February 14^th a tornado came through the heart of downtown Atlanta, causing severe structural damages to major buildings including the Georgia Dome, the CNN Center, and significant damage to residential areas, especially in Cabbagetown and East Atlanta. The events caught residents off guard, especially as it is not often a tornado rips though the middle of a major city. Heyward Adams, a Georgia Perimeter College student on the Clarkston campus, shared his personal experience with the tornado:

As a resident of the East Atlanta area how did the tornado affect you and your community?

The tornado knocked out the power, sent debris flying and closed off a lot of streets. The debris included roofing nails, which caused some flat tires, but in my case I was lucky. The neighborhood next to mine was destroyed. I think about 30 homes had major damage.

What was it like when the storm hit, did you realize you were in the midst of a tornado?

The rain was coming up from the ground. (We were on the fourth floor of the building).

But to be honest, we heard the noise, saw the wind, but didn’t realize it was a tornado. (It was too dark to see anything.)

What sort of specific damage did you notice after the storm came through that evening?

Trees down everywhere, and roofs torn to shreds.

Were you scared?

No, not really, I personally like the danger.

Were you, or anyone you know, hurt in the tornado? And, did you, or anybody you know, suffer property damages?

My next door neighbor lost all the shingles off his roof but I was not personally hurt and my house was not damaged.

Have you experienced anything like this before?

Yes once, but on the ocean (water spout)

Are there many other Georgia Perimeter students living near you, and, if so, were they affected?

I am not aware of any.

The Georgia Dome was hosting the SEC Championships when the tornado came through and actually tore part of the roof off the stadium during the overtime of the Mississippi State-Alabama game, halting the game and leaving players and fans stunned. Buildings all over Atlanta were left with their windows blown out, including Ted’s Montana Grille, the Tabernacle, and numerous skyscrapers. The aftermath of the tornado left a number of Atlanta residents in Cabbagetown with major damage to their homes. Some are compelled to look for new residences, and some who worked in the downtown area are now looking for new jobs.