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| Lee, Gregory/GAM080314; tornado fatality | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 24 2008, 05:29 AM (134 Views) | |
| ELL | Mar 24 2008, 05:29 AM Post #1 |
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UPDATED: 7:27 p.m. March 22, 2008 Body found in tornado rubble; Atlanta's 1st death By RHONDA COOK The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 03/22/08 As Atlanta continued to clean up from crushing storms a week ago, a worker using a Bobcat to remove debris discovered the body of a man who apparently was killed when a tornado skipped through central Atlanta. "This will be the first fatality from the tornado," said Atlanta police Officer James Polite. Hyosub Shin/AJC Atlanta Police officer James C. Polite, Jr. points out the spot where the body were discovered. The storm left a six-mile-long path of shattered glass, uprooted trees and damaged buildings downtown, in adjoining Vine City and Cabbagetown and in other areas. Saturday's find brought to at least three the number of people killed by tornadoes in north Georgia the weekend of March 14-15. Also Saturday, Georgia was notified that Fulton County and two counties in east Georgia qualified for federal reimbursement for 75 percent of the initial emergency response and the public cost of cleaning up and repairing government buildings. At the same time, President Bush declared six more counties in the state federal disaster areas. Now, individuals living in Bartow, Burke, DeKalb, Floyd, Jefferson, and Polk counties can apply for federal grants and low-interest loans to make repairs. They join residents of Fulton County, which was declared a federal disaster area Thursday. Gov. Sonny Perdue, who requested the disaster designation, said in a prepared statement the money means "much needed assistance will be available in the areas where it is most needed." A spokeswoman for Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin did not respond to requests for comment on the importance of the designation to the city. Until Saturday, officials believed the only tasks from the EF-2 tornado a week earlier was to repair buildings, remove debris, haul fallen trees, secure weakened windows, return traffic to all downtown streets, pick up broken glass so Centennial Olympic Park could reopen -- and find ways to recoup the cost of an estimated tens of millions of dollars in damage to public buildings and private homes. But that morning, as a Bobcat operator approached a three-foot-high pile of bricks, cinder blocks and stucco in a parking lot across Decatur Street from the Martin Luther King Jr. MARTA station, he saw a hand sticking out of the debris. "It's unfortunate we found this gentleman [who died] trying to find shelter from the storm," Polite said. Still, the police spokesman was thankful. "It is truly a miracle we didn't have an astronomical number of serious injuries or fatalities," he said. Authorities not only are trying to find out officially how the man died and if he was killed instantly -- it appeared the cause was falling bricks; an autopsy is pending by the Fulton County medical examiner -- but to determine who he was. "Nobody called -- no wife, no brother, no sister," Polite said, nor were there missing persons reports of anyone fitting the man's description. Police and fire officials said they have received no reports of anyone missing because of the storm, and they are not looking for any more bodies.Capt. Bill May of Atlanta Fire and Rescue said all the obvious areas that might have had people buried under rubble have been searched, including the severely damaged Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts and a building near Centennial Olympic Park that collapsed. . May said the parking lot where the unidentified man was found "wouldn't have been somewhere we would have searched in the aftermath of a tornado." Police could not tell from the man's dress -- a blue hoodie and black pants -- if he was homeless or simply someone trying to get out of the March 14 storm. "I don't know if the storm hit so fast he was seeking shelter. He clearly was not in the building" when a wall collapsed, Polite said. Shortly after the body was removed Saturday afternoon, two cadaver dogs from the DeKalb County Police Department were brought in to search for others. Initially, rescue workers feared they would find a second victim when one of the dogs acted in a way that aroused suspicion. The Bobcat gingerly removed debris down to the pavement. Officers then concluded there were no other bodies in the rubble. While for a week it was believed no one died in Atlanta's storm, people in Floyd and Polk Counties were burying two residents who were killed in a second string of storms to pass through North Georgia the next day http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atl...age_tab_newstab |
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| ELL | Mar 24 2008, 05:31 AM Post #2 |
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http://z10.invisionfree.com/usedtobedoe/in...pic=30394&st=0& |
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| Begood | Mar 4 2009, 03:35 PM Post #3 |
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http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atl...age_tab_newstab UPDATED: 5:38 p.m. March 24, 2008 Man found dead in tornado rubble identified By RHONDA COOK The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 03/22/08 As Atlanta cleaned up from crushing storms a week ago, a worker using a Bobcat to remove debris discovered the body of a man who apparently was killed when a tornado skipped through central Atlanta. The man was identified Monday as Gregory Lee, 45. No other information about him was currently available. "This will be the first fatality from the tornado," said Atlanta police Officer James Polite. Until Saturday, officials believed the only tasks from the EF-2 tornado a week earlier was to repair buildings, remove debris, haul fallen trees, secure weakened windows, return traffic to all downtown streets, pick up broken glass so Centennial Olympic Park could reopen -- and find ways to recoup the cost of an estimated tens of millions of dollars in damage to public buildings and private homes. But that morning, as a Bobcat operator approached a three-foot-high pile of bricks, cinder blocks and stucco in a parking lot across Decatur Street from the Martin Luther King Jr. MARTA station, he saw a hand sticking out of the debris. "It's unfortunate we found this gentleman [who died] trying to find shelter from the storm," Polite said. Still, the police spokesman was thankful. "It is truly a miracle we didn't have an astronomical number of serious injuries or fatalities," he said. The storm left a six-mile-long path of shattered glass, uprooted trees and damaged buildings downtown, in adjoining Vine City and Cabbagetown and in other areas. Saturday's find brought to at least three the number of people killed by tornadoes in north Georgia the weekend of March 14-15. Also Saturday, Georgia was notified that Fulton County and two counties in east Georgia qualified for federal reimbursement for 75 percent of the initial emergency response and the public cost of cleaning up and repairing government buildings. At the same time, President Bush declared six more counties in the state federal disaster areas. Now, individuals living in Bartow, Burke, DeKalb, Floyd, Jefferson, and Polk counties can apply for federal grants and low-interest loans to make repairs. They join residents of Fulton County, which was declared a federal disaster area Thursday. Gov. Sonny Perdue, who requested the disaster designation, said in a prepared statement the money means "much needed assistance will be available in the areas where it is most needed." A spokeswoman for Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin did not respond to requests for comment on the importance of the designation to the city. Authorities nare trying to find out officially how the man died and if he was killed instantly -- it appeared the cause was falling bricks; an autopsy is pending by the Fulton County medical examiner. "Nobody called -- no wife, no brother, no sister," Polite said, nor were there missing persons reports of anyone fitting the man's description. Police and fire officials said they have received no reports of anyone missing because of the storm, and they are not looking for any more bodies. Capt. Bill May of Atlanta Fire and Rescue said all the obvious areas that might have had people buried under rubble have been searched, including the severely damaged Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts and a building near Centennial Olympic Park that collapsed. . May said the parking lot where the unidentified man was found "wouldn't have been somewhere we would have searched in the aftermath of a tornado." Police could not tell from the man's dress -- a blue hoodie and black pants -- if he was homeless or simply someone trying to get out of the March 14 storm. "I don't know if the storm hit so fast he was seeking shelter. He clearly was not in the building" when a wall collapsed, Polite said. Shortly after the body was removed Saturday afternoon, two cadaver dogs from the DeKalb County Police Department were brought in to search for others. Initially, rescue workers feared they would find a second victim when one of the dogs acted in a way that aroused suspicion. The Bobcat gingerly removed debris down to the pavement. Officers then concluded there were no other bodies in the rubble. While for a week it was believed no one died in Atlanta's storm, people in Floyd and Polk Counties were burying two residents who were killed in a second string of storms to pass through North Georgia the next day, March 15. |
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| tatertot | Mar 4 2009, 08:00 PM Post #4 |
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Administrator
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RIP (edit -- accidentally reposted an article) |
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