Three years ago tonight, Atlanta was rocked by a tornado that swept through downtown, damaging the Georgia Dome, the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel and dozens of other buildings.
Officials with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency are using the anniversary of that devastating storm to remind Georgians to take steps to prepare for the state's spring tornado season.
"March 1 marked the beginning of Georgia's official tornado season, and we want to ensure that all residents are prepared for the violent nature of tornadoes," GEMA director Charley English said in a statement. "Tornadoes are a real threat in Georgia, no matter where in the state you live."
English said that one of the best ways to prepare for tornadoes and other emergencies is to visit GEMA's "Ready Georgia" campaign website -- www.ready.ga.gov -- and create an online profile to generate a custom checklist and family communication plan. The website also offers information to help residents prepare, plan and stay informed about tornadoes.
The March 14, 2008, tornado hit downtown Atlanta about 9:40 p.m., tearing holes in the fabric roof of the Georgia Dome while the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament was being played inside.
Other buildings heavily damaged by the EF2 tornado, which packed winds estimated at 135 mph and cut a swath through the heart of downtown 200 yards wide and six miles long, included the Omni International hotel and the landmark Westin Peachtree Plaza, which only recently completed the replacement of all 6,250 windows begun after the twister damaged more than 300 of the hotel's guest rooms.
Insured property damage from the tornado was estimated at more than $500 million, but miraculously, only one person died in the storm. The body of Gregory Lee, a 45-year-old homeless man, was discovered a week later when workers clearing bricks from the collapsed wall of a DeKalb Avenue store found him beneath a three-foot pile of rubble.
The downtown twister was just one of 45 confirmed tornadoes that struck during a 24-hour period that March weekend from Alabama to the Carolinas.
Ten of those tornadoes touched down the following day in Georgia, including one in Polk County that killed two people.
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