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lsanderson
Powerful Tornado Damages Downtown Atlanta
By SHAILA DEWAN and BRENDA GOODMAN
ATLANTA — A powerful tornado scored a direct hit on the commercial center of downtown Atlanta on Friday night, blowing windows out of dozens of high-rise buildings, tossing trees and cars, and severely damaging many of the city’s landmarks, including the CNN Center, the Georgia Dome, Philips Arena, Grady Memorial Hospital and Centennial Olympic Park.
At least 27 people were injured and transported to local hospitals, said Capt. Bill May of Atlanta’s Fire Rescue Department, most with cuts and bruises from flying glass and debris.
The weather service said the tornado’s winds reached 130 miles an hour and in only 20 minutes cut a path six miles long and 200 yards wide through the downtown area. There was considerable damage to the area’s older trees, which was made worse by the region’s long drought, weather officials said.
Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin declared a state of emergency in the city at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, a designation needed to make the city eligible for federal recovery money. More
