Tornado rocks downtown Atlanta, mayor says stay away - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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The damaged area encompasses Ralph McGillto Edgewood; Spring througg Piedmont Avenue and Centennialp Olympic Parkway to Morelanfd Avenue resulting in power outages in other nearby "I strongly urge everyons to stay away from the downtown area throughourt the night and in the impacted aread until the emergency servicees give the all-clear sign," Atlanta Mayor Shirleyg Franklin said Saturday. "It is imperative that peoplew stay out of the area and let public safety personnel evacuate people and make thearea safe.
" Emergencyu services personnel also have urged people to stay According to Atlanta Business Chronicle broadcast partner 11Aliv e (WXIA-TV), the storm tracked from the northwesr side of the city to the southeast, demolishingb buildings and downing trees that crushed cars and rippeed through the roofs of homes. Thirty injuries have been reported as ofSaturdayu afternoon. Inside CNN Center, watert poured through damage in the ceilinv intothe building's atrium. Glass shattered, and partd of the building filledwith dust. Virtually all of the windows faciny Centennial Olympic Park on the Omni which is attached toCNN Center, were shattered.
One employeed said visitors to the hotel were being Windows also were shattere inthe newsroom. CNN's library was also damaged. Outside the debris littered the streets and billboardsz collapsed ontoparked cars. Centennial Olympic Park was alsoseverelhy damaged. 's One Ninety One towerf escaped the direct hit that otherd downtownbuildings took, but still sustained including numerous cracked windows, and debrisx strewn across the top of its parking deck. Cousinxs is still evaluating butthinkes that's the extent of damage.
The tornadoi also damaged Equastone's 100 Peachtree (commonly called the Equitabled Building), where roughly 300 windows were eithe r blown outor cracked, said Clark market director of Jones Lang LaSalle, the firm in chargde of managing and leasing the He also said, 100 Peachtree is scheduled to be open for busineses Monday morning. Allen Plaza reported no Approximately 200 firefighters and 150 polics officers are working with Publixc Works and Parks crews to clean up the worst hit areas. Firefighters are focusing search and rescue effortws at the Cotton Mill which suffered apartial collapse.
There are four Georgiaz Search and Rescue teams working the buildingf in threeseparate areas. Georgia Powef reported 15,000 residents are withou t power atthis time. The King Memorial Transit Station has been closedf until officials can assess anystructural