Atlanta
Hurricane Opal 1995
Hurricane Opal, which formed in the Gulf of Mexico, began threatening the Florida panhandle and Alabama on Tuesday October 3. At approximately 1645 EDT on Wednesday October 4, Hurricane Opal made landfall just west of Fort Walton Beach Florida and began a northward track through eastern Alabama, where it was downgraded to a Tropical Storm; and into Tennessee, where it was downgraded again to a Tropical Depression. As Opal tracked northward, thunderstorm winds knocked down close to ten thousand trees in more than 50 Georgia counties. More than four thousand trees were knocked down within the city of Atlanta alone. These trees fell across roads, and on power lines, homes, mobile homes, and automobiles. At least eight people died between Wednesday night (October 4) and Thursday morning (October 5), most of which were crushed either in their beds or automobiles. Another seven people reportedly died during the cleanup process when trees they were trying to remove fell on them. More than a half a dozen people were injured from falling trees in the early morning hours of October 5. Nearly half a million people (410,000) were without power initially after Opal moved through. Power crews from surrounding states helped to restore power to many, however several thousand residences remained without power through the weekend. There were more than 1200 power poles knocked down and almost 5,000 power lines snapped. An 80-foot gash was torn out of Interstate 285 between Roswell Road and the Glenridge Connector in Atlanta. Schools were closed Thursday and/or Friday throughout the cities of Atlanta, Marietta, and within Fulton, Coweta, Carroll and Douglas counties. Forty-seven of 101 schools were closed in Dekalb county. Four State parks were closed after Opal, Mocassin Creek Park, Black Rock Mountain, Vogel State Park, and Fort Mountain State Park. The Department of Transportation reported 273 damage sites statewide, most of which were downed traffic signals. Agricultural experts estimated that the state Pecan crop alone suffered more than $5 million worth of damage. Flash flooding associated with Opal occurred mainly in metropolitan Atlanta and in northwest Georgia. Several rivers exceeded bankfull. The Oconee River at Penfield crested at 19 feet on the 6th, resulting in flooding between October 5th and October 9th. The Ocmulgee River at Macon exceeded bankfull on October 6th, crested near 23 feet on October 7th and returned to below bankfull on October 9th; in Abbeville, the Ocmulgee River flooded on October 13th, crested near 14-feet on the 14th and returned to bankfull on the 17th. Sweetwater Creek in Austell exceeded bankfull on October 5th, resulting in several flash flooding events through October 7th after cresting at 14 feet on the 6th. The Chattahoochee River near Whitesburg flooded on October 5th, and crested near 21 feet on the 6th before returning to bankfull on the 7th. The Etowah River in Canton exceeded bankfull for a few hours on October 6th, cresting near 17.5 feet. The Savannah River at Carlton Bridge flooded on October 5, and crested near 18 feet before dropping below floodstage on the 6th. Courtesy NCDC
1998 Northside Tornadoes
The same supercell that had tracked from Alabama across Haralson and Paulding counties spawned another tornado in Smyrna. The touchdown was along Windy Hill Road just west of Cobb Parkway where a commercial building sustained heavy damage. A filling station and car dealership less than a block east also sustained heavy damage. There was $500,000 to $750,000 in damage to new cars. Trees over a foot in diameter were snapped or uprooted. In total, 59 buildings were damaged, but no injuries were reported. Aerial and ground surveys by NWS employees showed the path varied from 100 to 200 yards wide with a length of about 3 miles. The tornado crossed just into Fulton county near I-285 and the Chattahoochee River. Dime to quarter size hail and other wind damage were also reported in north and central Cobb county. The tornado continued into Fulton county before lifting temporarily. Large trees were snapped, power lines were downed and damage occurred to buildings. Four minor injuries were reported. The damage path began just northeast of Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody and extended well into Gwinnett county. There was significant widespread damage to trees and homes. One person was killed when a tree fell on his home. DeKalb College's north campus was closed after several buildings sustained major damage. Significant widespread damage continued into Gwinnett county in a path from Norcross through Duluth and Suwanee to north of Lawrenceville. Large trees were knocked down or snapped. Many of them fell on homes and apartments causing damage. Roofs were torn off of houses. At least 5000 homes were affected. Ten people at an apartment complex were treated for minor injuries. Courtesy NCDC
