Is it just me or has there been an awful lot of shark news lately? Hint: it’s not just me.

Not one, but two attacks took place last Friday when a shark bit a 6-year-old girl in South Carolina and another shark bit a 13-year-old from North Carolina. And in early June a shark bit an 18-year-old girl in Georgia. Fortunately, no limbs (or lives!) were lost.

But there have also been several shark sightings in the Hamptons near New York City, and recently and a great white shark was caught and then released in Massachusetts.

Now the U.S. National Park Service has announced that they are issuing an “enter waters at your own risk” warning for the area around Santa Barbara Island in Southern California. The Wednesday warning was due to three great white shark attacks on sea lions in the area and is in effect until further notice.

Holiday weekend, beautiful locations, and great white sharks. This sounds either like a movie plot or one of my worst nightmares.

And in a crazy coincidence, this summer marks the 35th anniversary of the release of Jaws. Which, if you didn’t already know, features one of the creepiest movie scenes ever, where the old fisherman, Quint, recounts the story of the USS Indianapolis. Terrifying!

via Shark Attack 2010: Feds Warn Southern California About Great Whites – TIME NewsFeed.

(Jacksonville, FL)  –  An Atlanta woman says her 18-year-old daughter is “done with the ocean” after suffering a shark attack off the coast of Jacksonville on Thursday.

Hannah Mayo was on a boogie board when a shark, about four feet long, bit her on her leg and foot.

Mayo required 29 stitches on her left foot and leg.

Mayo's boyfriend pulled her to the beach and called lifeguards as the shark swam away after the attack.

Mayo's mother told the “Gwinnett Daily Post” that Hannah's foot was hanging off the boogie board and doctors said she easily could have lost it.

It was not Mayo's first scare in the ocean.

When she was nine, a Portuguese man-of-war stung her in the water off the South Carolina coast.

via Georgia Teen Swears Off Ocean After Shark Attack – MyStateLine.com.

Walter Wilson of Atlanta said he is recovering nicely after he was bitten by a rabid fox outside of a Tyrone automotive shop in May. He is receiving his last series of shots as another person starts treatment following a recent fox attack that happened in a nearby city June 3.

Local officials urge residents to be mindful that certain areas in and around Fayette County contain an abundance of green space and woodland areas that naturally harbor several indigenous species of animals that potentially carry rabies.

The reminder comes at an especially critical time as Newnan officials confirm another case of rabies in their city. The incident marks the second case of rabies in Newnan, after the first case that occurred in the city last year.

City of Newnan Animal Warden Cyndi Hoffman said an employee of Active Pest Control was attacked by a fox near a dumpster located at the business at 100 Werz Industrial Boulevard.

The employee killed the fox and turned it over to the animal warden where it was sent to the lab to be tested for rabies that results determined positive.

The employee started rabies shots at the hospital on that day and will continue the series.

Wilson said this can be an unwelcomed situation for anyone. However, he is fortunate the circumstances he faced left him with a punctured arm, opposed to a more life-threatening injury.

He is one of two victims in a fox attack that happened late May. Wilson was walking between two buildings near Walter's Auto in Tyrone, when he encountered a fox that jumped up and bit his arm.

Wilson and the unidentified victim of last month's case were immediately treated for their injuries and recovering well, according to officials. However, officials are urging everyone to use important tips to prevent the contraction of rabies.

The public is urged to avoid wildlife, vaccinate pets, avoid approaching any unfamiliar animals and secure trash in garbage cans with tight fitting lids. People can also reduce their chances of falling victim by feeding and watering pets inside of the home to avoid attracting wild animals.

via News, Classifieds, legal announcements, sports, advertising, Articles and information in Fayette, Coweta, South Atlanta, Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Newnan, Tyrone and Senoia, Georgia.

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A woman from Georgia has lost her breast after she was bitten by a poisonous spider and slipped into a coma.

Victoria Franklin is lucky to even be alive after being bitten by a spider back on April ninth, and calling her twin sister after she realized that something was very wrong.

According to her twin, Valerie Dapaa, 51, by the time she took her sister to the hospital, her breast was the size of a loaf of bread.

“Her breast was three times the size, black as tar and had a horrible smell,” she said.

“They call it the smell of death,” said Dapaa. “The doctors said they didn’t know if they couldsave her. She was diabetic and her sugar was up to 700.”

Doctors rushed her into surgery where her breast was cut away, effectively saving her life.

“I don’t even remember being bit,” Franklin stated.

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A Dothan man has died from apparent snake bites.

Henry County coroner Derek Wright says 65-year-old Larry D. Lewis died Friday. Wright said he thought at first that Lewis died from heat stroke but then found two puncture wounds on Lewis’ body. Wright says Lewis was bitten on the right side of the neck and the right hand.

Wright says Lewis’ son found his father collapsed next to a tractor in a field on the family farm in Henry County. Wright estimates Lewis was bitten around 12 p.m. Friday, according to a story in The Dothan Eagle.

Wright says rescue workers didn’t find the snake, but he believes it was likely a rattlesnake.

Wright says the fact that Lewis was bitten in the neck is probably what made the attack fatal.

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A Winder man died Saturday morning after a rattlesnake bit him while he was hunting in Oglethorpe County with his grandson.

Dick Rupert, 68, got bitten in the calf at about 7:30 a.m. by a small rattlesnake in the woods off Thaxton Wynne Road south of U.S. Highway 78, Oglethorpe County Coroner James Mathews said.

Rupert died at Wills Memorial Hospital in Washington about an hour later, Mathews said.

The rattlesnake bit Rupert in the calf as he climbed down from a tree stand, he said.

Rupert tried to get back to the road on a four-wheeler driven by his 12-year-old grandson, but he passed out and fell off twice, Mathews said. He was unresponsive when Oglethorpe EMS workers arrived at 7:44 a.m.

“The grandson was doing CPR when our crew got there,” Mathews said. “But Mr. Rupert was already in full cardiac arrest.”

The puncture marks on Rupert’s calf could barely be seen, Mathews said.

Thaxton Wynne Road runs between U.S. 78 and Georgia Highway 22 about seven miles southeast of Lexington, not far from the Wilkes County border.

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Man Says Pit Bulls Attacked Him Twice In City Park

Posted: 4:26 pm EDT May 18, 2009Updated: 5:54 pm EDT May 18, 2009

ATLANTA – Animal control officials in Atlanta spent Monday trying to locate two very large pit bulls that a southwest Atlanta man said attacked him twice in a city park. The man said after he complained about the first attack, the owner let the dogs bite him again. 

After the man was attacked in the park, he walked two blocks and found some men to help him get an ambulance. While he was being helped, he said he saw the dogs and their owner getting away as police were arriving. 

Herbert Martin was working on his car on Ira Street when the victim walked up and asked someone to call 911. He was bleeding. 

“(He was bleeding) very badly, both arms. (It) seemed like he had a bit to the face. (It) tore his pants,” said Martin. 

As Martin called 911, the man told him he’d been in Pittman Park two blocks away when two pit bulls being walked by a woman attacked him. 

JEFF DORE: Man Says Dogs Attacked Him Twice At Park 

“And they attacked him. And she got the dogs off of him but then when he complained, he said, ‘You know you shouldn’t let those dogs do that to people,’ and she just let them go again on him. Like on purpose, is what he said,” said Martin. 

The victim described the dogs’ owner and her car to Martin and neighbor R.W. Smith. 

“He pointed to her,” said Smith. 

The victim pointed to a woman who lived on that block and who keeps two very large pit bulls chained on the porch of a vacant house across the street, according to Martin and Smith. 

Martin said when he sees the dogs, he “walks on the other side of the street.” 

Animal control cruised the neighborhood and left a message for the owner, but by then she had put the dogs in her car and left. 

Witnesses described the car as a 1998 or 1999 gold Grand Am with a temporary tag. 

The victim was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital to be treated. There is no word on his condition.

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STORMS: Tornadoes sighted, power knocked out

A line of storms that spawned at least four tornadoes in northwest Georgia on Sunday left roughly 10,000 Georgia Power customers in the dark.

The outages were concentrated in Tucker and Decatur, said Georgia Power spokesman Mark Williams. “We have customers without service all through the metro area.”

Tornadoes were sighted in Bartow, Polk, Floyd and Cobb counties between 5:30 and 7 p.m., but there were no apparent touchdowns and no reports of any significant damage.

In Atlanta, two large trees were reported down off Clifton Road near the Fernbank Science Center. No injuries were reported.

Today’s forecast calls for a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms. After a respite on Tuesday, thunderstorms are likely on Wednesday. As of 6 p.m. Sunday, Atlanta had received 19.45 inches for the year, a half-inch above normal.

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I would be pretty terrified to see an 8 foot long rattlesnake. I can’t really even fathom what that would look like. Think of the striking range that snake would have!

A diamondback in the rough

At last, a naturalist finds his Holy Grail: A rare rattler in remote Florida park

The eastern diamondback rattler struggles to stay alive as a species, no thanks to humans.John Serrao

April 26, 2009 6:00 AM

I don’t know what it was that suddenly brought my eyes to ground level after an hour of scanning the branches of the pines and oaks for birds along a remote trail in Florida’s vast Appalachicola National Forest. Was it the sunlight reflected off the glossy, yellowish skin? Or the wide, heavy shape stretched straight out among the thin, curving fallen branches that littered the ground? Or — most likely — the regular pattern of big, dark diamonds that extended four feet in a straight line just a few feet from my and my wife, Felicia’s, feet.

Even though I’d never seen one before, I immediately knew what the animal was, and after a glance of just a fraction of a second, I repeated three or four times in an excited but hushed voice to Felicia: “Diamondback rattlesnake!”

The eastern diamondback rattlesnake has been my “Holy Grail” — the number one item on my “bucket list” — for more than 30 years. Quite simply, it’s the biggest, most dangerous snake in the United States. A handful of snakes, including the indigo snake and our own black rat snake, may slightly exceed the diamondback’s maximum recorded length of eight feet, but none can match its sheer bulk and weight, nor the immense size of its head. I’ve seen timber rattlesnakes in the Poconos that measure 4½ feet long and 8 inches in circumference, and I can’t possible imagine an eastern diamondback rattlesnake almost twice that size.

What an impressive creature to encounter in the pine forests of Florida, Georgia or the Carolinas! But, despite countless visits to the wilderness areas of these southern states over the past three decades, including places highly recommended by other naturalists, foresters and park rangers, I’ve never seen one — until March 24, 2009, a date I’ll never forget.

After my initial shock at the sight of such a big snake just a few feet off the trail, I quickly assessed the situation. It appeared very calm and remained completely motionless, stretched out lengthwise in the sunlight. Its beautiful, yellowish-tan skin was shiny and almost iridescent, indicating that it had very recently shed it skin.

The conditions for photographing it could not have been better, and, since no people were in the forest except for Felicia and me, I could take my time and just enjoy this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime (I hope not) experience. I photographed it from every angle for at least 15 minutes, and it remained motionless.

Then, before we moved on, in order to prevent it from being detected by anyone who might harm it, I gently tapped it with a branch. This caused the rattlesnake to slowly withdraw beneath the cover of a shrub, where it coiled up to face me and began to rattle, warning me not to come any closer. It seemed both fearless and non-aggressive at the same time — an animal completely secure with its own status at the top of the food chain, with no natural enemies except humans.

Unfortunately, humans have taken a terrible toll over the years on populations of eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, just as they have with timber rattlesnakes in the northeastern states and various species of western rattlesnakes. Unbelievably, unlike our own timber rattler, the eastern diamondback enjoys no laws to protect it — no restrictions against killing, collecting, habitat destruction or the insanity of “rattlesnake roundups,” a community snake-hunting tradition started long ago by ranchers who thought rattlesnake populations were too high.

Dr. Bruce Means, the expert on this species, conducts research in the Florida Panhandle and has written extensively on its biology and population declines. I read his excellent book, “Stalking the Plumed Serpent” (Pineapple Press, Sarasota, 2008), this past winter and became even more obsessed with finally seeing an eastern diamondback in the wild after vicariously experiencing his adventures with this magnificent reptile (the first chapter, which relates a nearly fatal bite and his struggle to crawl back to civilization, is sure to raise the hairs on the back of anyone’s neck). However, Dr. Means, in a letter written to me in February, sadly informed me that the eastern diamondback rattlesnake now survives in good numbers only on a few isolated, remote barrier islands and within vast, protected wildernesses like the 500,000-acre Appalachicola National Forest.

During our 10 days in Florida, we saw 125 species of birds and almost 40 reptiles and amphibians. We saw the dusky pygmy rattlesnake; the beautiful and rare Gulf Hammock rat snake; the unusual, legless eastern glass lizard; and hundreds of butterflies of a dozen species flitting from flower to flower along the long, sandy trails. Alligators were common, including a mother with seven babies. And a big water moccasin coiled up, opened its mouth widely, and displayed its sharp, venomous fangs and famous “cottonmouth” while I photographed it.

I’m sure that all of these sightings will remain in my memory over the years, but none will be more treasured, vivid and indelible than my first experience with America’s most impressive snake, the eastern diamondback.

Let’s hope that, before it’s too late, laws will be passed to protect this relatively inoffensive reptile so that it can continue to give nature lovers unforgettable experiences in the southern pine forests of which it is such a magnificent part of the natural heritage.

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Macon Water Authority Investigating Sinkhole

MACON, GA –The Macon Water Authority plans to use video equipment to investigate a large sinkhole in Central City Park.

Assistant Executive Director Ray Shell says they don’t know for sure what caused the 10-foot deep hole.

It appeared about 2 weeks ago near the Ocmulgee River levee and at the end of the Ocmulgee Heritage walking trail.

Shell says a large sewer line and the river may have helped cause the hole.

He says the authority found raw sewage in the hole.

“It all depends on what we find as the cause as to how long it will take to affect a repair. It could be anywhere from one week to several weeks, depending on the extent of the cause of this sinkhole,” Shell said.

Shell says the city of Macon found the hole first, and then contacted the Water Authority.

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Tornado Confirmed For Damage In Cherokee County

 

The severe storms of Sunday night for parts of the state did result in at least one confirmed tornado. The National Weather Service says a twister did touch down for a few seconds in a Cherokee County neighborhood. That’s all it took for more than 100 homes to sustain some level of damage, and 12 to be completely destroyed. Officials say the tornado was a half-mile wide and left a destructive path over a mile long. Reported twisters in north Georgia’s Cobb County, and west Georgia’s Muscogee County have not been confirmed.

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UPDATE: Sinkhole shuts down northbound traffic on Doug Barnard Parkway; Repairs on hold due to economy

By Rich Rogers rrogers@nbcaugusta.com

Story Published: Apr 21, 2009 at 8:57 AM EDT

Story Updated: Apr 21, 2009 at 10:42 AM EDT 

AUGUSTA, Ga. – A sinkhole has caused a major Augusta road to be closed indefinitely.

The sinkhole occurred on the northbound side of Doug Barnard Parkway, also known as State Highway 56 Spur, north of its intersection with Bobby Jones Expressway.

The sinkhole was caused by a broken sewer line that was installed in the early 1960s.

The Georgia Department of Transportation says northbound traffic on Doug Barnard will be detoured via Bobby Jones Expressway, Mike Padgett Highway, and Gordon Highway.

The sinking economy also plays a role in the repair of the sinkhole. Construction workers say it could be as late as next Thursday before repairs are completed because they have been forced to take furloughs.

Drivers are advised to avoid this area if possible.

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Florida wins, hands down.

# 1	Florida:	337
# 2	Texas:	15
= 3	Georgia:	9
= 3	South Carolina:	9
# 5	Alabama:	5
# 6	Louisiana:	2
= 7	Arkansas:	1
= 7	North Carolina:	1

DEFINITION: Number of documented alligator attacks since 1948. There have been 17 fatal attacks in Florida and one fatal attack in Georgia. Additional deaths which were previously reported have been ruled out because the wounds appeared to be post-mortem. The most common cases were lacerations or scratches on the hands, whereas the most common activity attributed to the attack was an attempt to capture, pick up or exhibit the alligator. Other common activities that led to an alligator attack were swimming, fishing activities and retrieving golf balls.

SOURCE: Alligator Attacks on Humans in the United States, Ricky L. Langley, MD, MPH. Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, 16, 119 124 (2005). Additional figures taken from news reports.

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Tornadoes spotted in Fla. as storm line roars over

By CHRISTINE ARMARIO – 6 hours ago

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A strong line of storms spawned at least two tornadoes Tuesday as it tore across central Florida, scattering roof shingles, uprooting trees and forcing schools to evacuate children from trailer classrooms.

No injuries were immediately reported and the storms eventually moved offshore. It was the latest round of bad weather to hammer the South after heavy rain and strong winds Monday that hit Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky and northern Florida, already reeling from storms and tornados last week.

The National Weather Service was still tallying damage information, but initial reports were that two tornadoes had touched down north of Tampa and two others may have struck in central and east Florida.

Twenty Florida counties were under a tornado watch for much of the day.

“To our knowledge, there’s been no true structure damage and no injuries,” said Jim Martin, Emergency Management Director for Pasco County north of Tampa, where at least one twister was spotted Tuesday morning,

Martin said about 25 homes suffered damage from high winds and one car was flipped over. Students were evacuated from trailer classrooms at some Tampa-area schools.

Emergency management officials in Marion County in north-central Florida received reports of possible tornado sightings, downed power lines and other damage, including one home under a fallen tree. No injuries were reported, a sheriff’s spokeswoman said.

Randi Cecil, 24, was on her porch in the town of Sparr, about 90 miles north of Orlando, when the wind turned gusty and trees started swaying. Then a tree cracked so loud that it sounded like a car crash and smashed into her neighbor’s bedroom.

“It was the most horrible feeling I ever went through,” Cecil said.

Progress Energy spokeswoman Suzanne Grant said 35,000 customers were without power as of noon, mostly in the Ocala area in central Florida and in southern Pasco County, just north of Tampa. The Tampa Electric Company said about 770 customers had lost power.

The storms also passed through the Orlando area, knocking down trees and blowing shingles off roofs, but no significant damage was immediately reported. Orlando International Airport reported delays of up to one hour.

A day after high winds were blamed for toppling trees that killed one person each in Tennessee and Georgia, more blustery conditions were reported across the region.

Atlanta-area crews were still clearing up fallen trees and working to restore power and traffic lights after squalls Monday pushed through Georgia. Thousands of utility customers in Georgia and Alabama were waiting for power to come back on.

Associated Press writers Mike Schneider in Orlando, Mitch Stacy in Tampa and Amanda Thomas in Montgomery, Ala., contributed to this report.

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Weather Service Confirms 7 Tornadoes

Strongest Tornado Reported In Abbeville

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The National Weather Service said its surveyors determined that seven tornadoes touched down in the Upstate during Friday night’s storms, the strongest of which was reported in Abbeville.

According to a survey report posted on its Web site, the NWS said that the Abbeville tornado touched down about three miles northwest of the city near Highway 71 and Rock Hill Road. They said the tornado eventually lifted about a mile southeast of town. 

Surveyors said that numerous large hardwood and pine trees were uprooted or snapped off along the damage path. They said that there was considerable structural damage to several homes, six of which had roofs ripped from them. Many mobile homes were destroyed as well, they said. 

The NWS said the damage that was observed was consistent with wind speeds of between 120 and 130 mph, making this tornado an EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. That scale ranges from EF0 to EF5.

2 Tornadoes Reported In Greenwood

Surveyors said that in Greenwood, the tornado touched down about three miles west of Greenwood and traveled west to southern parts of the city. 

The report said that numerous medium to large hardwood trees and pine trees were uprooted or snapped off along the damage path. Serious damage was largely related to trees falling on structure, they said. 

The NWS said that a second and shorter damage track was seen about two miles north of Karlie Road on the north side of Greenwood. They said that tornado damaged several homes and blew down several trees. 

Surveyors said that the damage that was observed near Greenwood was consistent with winds speeds between 100 and 110 mph, making these EF1 tornadoes. 

Tornado Confirmed In Townville 

The NWS said that their damage assessment team found an area of tornado damage south of Townville in Anderson County. They said the storm that produced this tornado also produced a tornado in Franklin County, Ga., a few minutes before. 

Surveyors said they observed a four-mile-long path of damage that was about 400 yards wide from near the Georgia state line to near the city of Anderson. 

Damage included uprooted or snapped-off trees and damage to homes from felled trees. This storm packed winds of between 100 and 110 mph, making it an EF1 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. 

Tornado Reported In Jonesville 

Surveyors also reported an EF1 tornado in Jonesville that damaged trees, homes and businesses in the area. 

The NWS said that four-mile-long path of damage began near the intersection of Proctor and Zig Zag roads, where several trees were uprooted and snapped off. They said a fence was also blown over. Not far from there, a mobile home was destroyed and another severely damaged, they said. 

The damage culminated with considerable roof damage at the Milliken Plant off Bob Little Road, surveyors said. 

The tornado packed winds of about 105 mph, surveyors said. 

A few other locations also experienced tornadoes on Friday night. To read the entire damage assessment report from the NWS, click here.

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Published: April 13, 2009

A tornado warning is in effect for northeastern Pierce, Wayne, and southeastern Appling counties until 430 pm.

At 3:44 pm national weather service doppler radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado 7 miles northwest of Patterson…moving east at 40 mph.

In addition to the tornado…this storm is capable of producing penny size hail and destructive straight line winds.

Seek shelter on the lowest floor of the building in an interior hallway or room such as a closet. Use blankets or pillows to cover your body and always stay away from windows.

If in mobile homes or vehicles…evacuate them and get inside a substantial shelter. If no shelter is available…lie flat in the nearest ditch or other low spot and cover your head with your hands.

A tornado watch remains in effect until 7:00 pm Monday evening for northeastern Florida and southeast Georgia.

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Largest project to study tornadoes to start in May

In what’s described as “the largest attempt in history to study tornadoes,” more than 50 scientists are preparing to hit the road next month to explore the origin, structure and evolution of the killer storms, the National Science Foundation says.

From May 10 to June 13, scientists will focus on the central Great Plains — southern South Dakota, western Iowa, eastern Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, the Texas panhandle and western Oklahoma.

The project, called VORTEX2 — Verification of the Origins of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment — involves 40 research vehicles, including 10 mobile radars.

This year’s tornado season has been punishing. Today, severe weather swept across much of the South, killing at least two people, toppling trees and cutting power to tens of thousands of homes. More than 92,400 customers still did not have power this afternoon after a strong thunderstorm blew across Alabama, spawning an apparent tornado and wrecking a yacht marina near the Mississippi line. Most of the Florida Panhandle and areas east and southeast of Tallahassee have been under tornado watches or warnings most of the day.

A twister Friday killed a woman and her infant daughter and damaged 500 buildings in Tennessee.

Late Thursday a tornado killed three people in Arkansas.

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Eyewitness accounts of the disaster. Scary stuff.

Tornado survivor: ‘Sounded like 7 freight trains’

By JUANITA COUSINS – 14 minutes ago

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — The worst sound Eric Funkhouser said he has ever heard was a 10-second “voom” followed by a man’s screams.

A tornado hit Funkhouser’s home in Murfreesboro, about 30 miles southeast of Nashville, on Friday, part of severe storms that spawned tornadoes across the Southeast that’s been blamed for three deaths and dozens of injuries.

“It sounded like seven freight trains and 22 vacuum cleaners all going at the same time,” Funkhouser said Saturday as he returned to what is left of his home and neighborhood.

Funkhouser ran outside and found his neighbor John Bryant laying in Funkhouser’s front yard, covered with blood and screaming.

“He kept saying that his wife and baby were out there with him and he had to find them,” Funkhouser said.

Twenty minutes later, Funkhouser and other survivors found Bryant’s wife, Kori, dead in the gravel driveway under debris and 9-week-old Olivia Bryant was found dead buckled into her car seat, beneath carpet and a tree.

Family friend Laura Lawrence said Bryant, a self-employed construction worker, had just gotten home on his lunch break. He, his wife and daughter were seeking shelter when the tornado rolled through.

National Weather Service officials say a preliminary report shows the EF3 tornado tore a 15-mile path through the university town of about 100,000 with winds as high as 165 mph. Hundreds of homes were destroyed or damaged and more than 40 people were injured.

John Bryant is in critical condition with a broken back, Lawrence said Saturday, as she gathered the family’s clothes and pictures from their neighbors’ yards.

During a tour of the damaged areas on Saturday, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen walked past a pile of pink baby clothes topped with the Bryants’ wedding album, paused before yellow and gray tarps marking where the mother and daughter were found and bowed his head.

“My thoughts and prayers are with them. It’s very sad,” Bredesen said.

He then walked through the neighborhood that was hardest hit, listening to survivors share stories of how they hid in bathrooms and pantries.

“I am astonished,” Bredesen said. “Where it hit is very very intense.”

Bredesen said he may request a presidential declaration of emergency after Tennessee Emergency Management Agency officials completely survey the area.

“I want to get all the assistance we possibly can for people,” Bredesen said. “For right now, the community is doing a great job.”

Church members and neighbors joined survivors in cleaning up debris, patching up roofs with blue tarps and sawing tree branches from cars and houses.

Murfreesboro Mayor Tommy Bragg said water is running on generator power but power and gas remain off in the areas worst hit. Code inspectors were going door to door to determine the amount of damage done and whether the homes are destroyed.

They condemned the Funkhousers’ home with a sticker that read “Unsafe. Do not enter or occupy.”

The Bryant’s home, the only wood house on the block, was destroyed and most of the siding was in Funkhouser’s yard.

Churches and utility companies passed out hot dogs, hamburgers, ham sandwiches, chips and water to families and volunteers.

“This is something we have to do because you can’t just look over this damage,” church volunteer Lacie Young said. “We were so blessed and have to share these blessings.”

Rescue teams concluded a 5-hour search Friday night for survivors who may have been trapped in the rubble, but no more victims were found, said Donnie Smith, a spokesman for the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

Reports of destruction were widespread across the region Friday, with funnel clouds spotted in Kentucky and Alabama and devastating winds, huge hail and heavy rain reported in several states.

In South Carolina, a driver trying to avoid storm debris in the eastern part of the state was killed Friday, state Emergency Management Division spokesman Derrec Becker said.

Several possible tornadoes were reported in north Georgia as heavy rain, hail and winds downed trees and power lines.

On Thursday night, a black funnel cloud packing winds of at least 136 mph descended on the western Arkansas hamlet of Mena, killing at least three, injuring 30 and destroying or damaging 600 homes.

There, emergency officials are trying to collect ice chests and tarps to prepare for another round of storms projected to hit the area Sunday. Crews have already used 1,000 tarps to cover damaged roofs, and workers are struggling to keep perishables refrigerated because power is still out in Mena.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Not confirmed, but several reported sightings.

The morning after: What exactly happened?

Unconfirmed reports of tornados, strong winds and hail throughout Georgia

By JEFFREY SCOTT

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Friday, April 10, 2009

Tornado warnings were sounded as storms lashed the state and metro Atlanta Friday with wind, rain, and the rat-a-tat-tat of hail pounding cars and roofs.

But, as of Saturday morning, Georgia still wasn’t sure what hit it — bad storms, or twisters?

With all the sound and fury nobody was killed or seriously injured in Friday night’s weather beating, said Ken Davis, spokesman for the Georgia Emergency Managment Agency.

National Weather Service crews were out early Saturday trying to figure out if it was tornados, or high “straight line winds” that downed trees and damaged property in Cordele, Summerville, and Sparta, where Friday night tornados supposedly were sighted.

Investigators should know by late Saturday afternoon if it was twisters that took the toll, said a Weather Service spokesman.

Across the city and state more minor damage was being assessed and dealt with: home owners removed branches from yards; power companies restored electricity.

On Lake Lanier, according to Forsyth County officials, boat and dock owners were dealing with boats that tipped over in the torrent of rain and wind that also damaged ramps and docks.

The biggest hail laid seige to northwest Georgia, where there were reports of the ice balls about as big as baseballs, two-and-three-quarters inches diameter, said the Weather Service. In other areas across the state hail more resembling the size of golf balls and English peas.

In Augusta, wind blew off the roof of a nursing home and about 135 residents had to spend the night in a hospital, according to Georgia Emergency Management Agency. Several trees were knocked down in Polk County, including one that crashed on two homes in Rockmart.

In Franklin County about 25 homes, and chicken houses, were damaged by hail, wind and rain. In Gwinnett County, a tree landed on a home near Buford.

Almost all power was restored across the state by Saturday morning, said GEMA spokesman Ken Davis. At one point more than 10,000 Georgia Power customers —- roughly 7,600 of them in northwest Georgia — were without juice, according to utility spokeswoman Lynn Wallace.

In metro Atlanta, about 1,700 customers lost power in the north Druid Hills area of Dekalb County. Another 217 were without electricity in College Park.

A man was trapped in his care by downed power lines, but was rescued without injury.

For a time Friday night arriving flights were delayed almost three hours as the rain, hail and winds stormed through the city, and the Atlanta Braves home opener against the Washington Nationals before a sellout crowd was delayed for more than two hours.

The Braves won 6-5 in 10 innings in a game that didn’t finish until 1:26 a.m.

Saturday’s forecast is without hail: mostly sunny, high near 68, northwest breezes of 10 to 15 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph, the Weather Service said. The forecast low: 45.

Easter Sunday will be sunnier and warmer, with a high near 72. Rain may return Sunday night. Showers and thunderstorms are likely Monday.

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Tornado touches down in Jackson County

By Ken Bonner
The Daily Sentinel

Published April 10, 2009

It was a tornado.

That word came through loud and clear from rural parts of Jackson, Marshall and DeKalb County late Friday after a strong storm system moved through the area at mid-afternoon even thoght there had been no confirmation from the National Weather Service. Tornado warnings were in effect and warning sirens had gone off all across the area prior to the storm’s arrival.

In Section at least two people were transported by ambulance to Highlands Medical Center in Scottsboro with what were described as non-life threatening injuries.

The Good Friday storm first struck in the Preston Island Community in northern Marshall County. It made its way across the Tennessee River before striking in the Langston area of southeastern Jackson County. From there the storm hop-scotched across Sand Mountain striking near Macedonia, in areas outlying Section before making its way through Powell in DeKalb County just east of Northeast Alabama Community College.

Ernest Fernandez, 19, and Ivan Garcia, 13, whose home on County Road 430 in Jackson County was totally destroyed, were transported for medical treatment by Highlands Medical Center Ambulance.

“The wind blew too hard,” Thomas Fernadez,Jr. said. “We were about to leave when we heard it coming so we jumped on the couch and then everything was blown away.”

The Fernandez family’s mobile home was gone. Debris was scattered for hundreds of yards and a car that had been parked near the residence had been picked up and set back down approximately 30 feet away with no apparent damage, according to Fernandez. 

From there the tornado severely damaged a two-story wood frame home nearby. No one was at home when the storm hit but two horses still roamed about, seemingly unfazed, in an adjacent pasture less than an hour afterwards.

At least six people were in the home when the storm struck. Fernandez and his young sister, Anna, received minor injuries. Fernandez shoulder was hurt by flying debris and Anna had a cut on her hand.

“It blew everything away, Thomas Fernandez, Sr., said. “We’ve lost everything. What you see is what we’ve got.”

“It scared me,” Anna Fernandez, who sat quietly in the front seat of a nearby van, said. “It was loud.”

Kenneth Cisco and his family, who live on County Road 38, a mile or so from the Fernandez, were lucky too. Most of the roof was blown off the family’s single-story ranch style home and the majority of the windows were blown out. 

The family huddled in a closet during the storm. Their cattle and three dogs tied up outside were unharmed.

“It scared the heck out of me,” Melody Ellis said. “It didn’t last long. Boom – and it was over. We felt the whole house move.”

Ellis said the storm hit at 3:45 p.m.

Wilson and Loretta Thomas were in their home just down the road when the storm hit. Their two-story brick home withstood the storm well with moderate roof damage and broken windows. A barn style shed behind the home that contained an office and a small living area was totally destroyed.

“I was cleaning the stove,” Loretta Wilson said. “I thought boy it’s windy. And it was hailing big.”

“Wilson said. ‘it’s a tornado’,” Loretta said. “So we already knew where we were going and got in a triple-walled stairwell going into the garage. It’s covered from above with another stairwell and is the safest place in the home.

“We could hear the scream. It hailed and knocked windows out, but we’re alive,” Loretta said.

“We’re safe,” Wilson said as friends and neighbors drove up to help clean up downed trees and scattered debris at the home.

In Scottsboro eight power poles along Alabama Highway 35 were downed as the storm, packing strong straight line winds, made its way through the city. Three of the poles fell on vehicles traveling the roadway but there were no reported injuries to any of the four people trapped inside.

The roadway was blocked for some time while emergency personnel set up barrel barriers to allow traffic to move in both directions.

It took power company and emergency personnel about 30 minutes to get the people safely out of their vehicles. Work crews remained on the scene into the early evening hours resetting poles and restoring power to the area.

South of Scottsboro, Preston Island was devastated, according to early reports from the scene. Alabama Highway 79 from Scottsboro to Guntersville was blocked in the area of Waterfront Grocery in Marshall County due to downed trees, which made it difficult for emergency personnel to reach the scene.

Reports indicated at least 20 homes were totally destroyed and many more severely damaged by the storm. There were no immediate reports of injuries on the island that is home to permanent residents as well as weekend and summer homes. But some people were unaccounted for and work crews were trying to clear roadways into the community as night fell.

Across the river at Langston major damage was reported at campgrounds in the area. One report indicated that at least 20 recreational vehicles had been tossed into the water at a resort area. Many more were damaged by falling trees and flying debris. There were no immediate reports of injuries. 

The storm was part of a large system that struck the southeast Friday. Tornadoes were reported in Mississippi,Tennessee and Kentucky as well as other parts of Alabama. Storms were also threatening Georgia into the early evening hours.

Early reports indicated at least two people were killed and 30 injured when a tornado hit downtown Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 25 miles southeast of Nashville, at about midday. The city, Tennessee’s fastest growing, is home to Middle Tennessee State University.