Ga. Official Says Tornadoes, Storms Caused $15 Million Damage

Thunderstorms and tornadoes that raced into Georgia from the west Tuesday morning caused about $15 million damage to some 1,300 homes, a state official said Wednesday.

Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine earlier estimated insured losses to 1,000 homes across north Georgia at $10 million, but after surveying the damage he said “the destruction around Carrollton and Bowdon was more extensive than first reported.”

He said the damage ranged “from broken windows to total losses in some cases.”

Two tornadoes touched down in Carroll County. Officials said the first one hit the Smithfield area, just inside the Alabama state line, and left a path eight miles long and 100 yards wide with winds estimated at 140 miles per hour. The second tornado was smaller, with winds of 90 miles an hour and a swath two miles long.

Despite the destruction, the county had only three injuries – two requiring hospitalization and one minor injury, Carroll County fire-rescue Chief Gary Thomas said.