Georgia Storm Damage Estimated At $32 Million

ATLANTA,None — Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens told Channel 2 consumer investigator Jim Strickland he estimated damage from overnight thunderstorms to total $32 million statewide. Hudgens and his team toured damaged areas in Clayton County on Tuesday afternoon with Strickland.

At least six storm-related deaths were reported following thunderstorms and high winds that knocked down trees and power lines across the state.

Commissioner Estimates Storm Damage At $32M PHOTOS: News Chopper 2 Aerial Tour Of Storm Damage PHOTOS: Storm Damage Across Metro Atlanta

At the storm's height, more than a half-million residents were without power statewide. About 64,000 Electric Membership Corporation customers and 55,000 Georgia Power customers were still without electricity on Tuesday night, and officials said some could be without power until Wednesday evening.

Officials told Channel 2 that power crews from Missouri, Tennessee and Louisiana were headed to Georgia to help restore electricity.

"We did have a lot of heavy wind damage in north Georgia," Severe Weather Team 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said.

Using the new StormTracker 2 HD, Chief Meteorologist Glenn Burns tracked storms and a super cell thunderstorm as they moved across north Georgia on Monday night. At one point, Burns reported winds of over 100 mph had blown through northwest Atlanta.

Skies remained clear throughout Tuesday, but there was a wind advisory in effect until 8 p.m.

FULL STORY: Father, Toddler Killed In Severe Storms

The storm damage proved fatal across Georgia. Lightning hit a tree that split a Butts County home, killing a father and his 3-year-old son. A mother and another son managed to escape.

"That's when I realized my youngest son was through the ground, so I pulled him out and took him next door." mother Marcie Moorer said in tears.

News Chopper 2 Ch 2 Weather Fatality Ch 2 Weather Fatality A man was killed when a tree crushed his car at West Marietta Street and Tilden Street, in northwest Atlanta She and her surviving son were being helped by the Red Cross.

A tree also crushed a man in his car in the Howell Station neighborhood in northwest Atlanta. Emergency officials also reported deaths in Dodge, Irwin and Colquitt counties.

FULL STORY: Tree Crushes Driver In Storm FULL STORY: Weather Service Says Tornado Hit Ga. Mobile Home

Channel 2 Action News reporters fanned out across metro Atlanta and reported:

-- In Gwinnett County, firelighters said they were busy throughout the night responding to storm-related incidents, including fallen trees on dozens of homes. They said they also responded to two house fires sparked by lightning.

Channel 2's Kerry Kavanaugh visited one Gwinnett home where a tree punched a hole through the roof and a second home where multiple trees fell but somehow avoided the house.

-- A Sandy Springs woman told Channel 2's Mike Petchenik a pine tree from a neighbor's yard fell onto her home and crashed into the living room.

-- High winds tore off a portion of the roof of the Barrow County Administration Office and the Barrow County Health Department. Crews worked to remove vaccine, medicines and to secure medical records.

FULL STORY: Barrow Co. Health Department Damaged In Storms FULL STORY: Trees Fall On Museum, Emory Campus

-- In Clayton County, Channel 2's Tom Jones reported 18 trees down in one yard in Riverdale. One of the trees fell on a house causing damage to a bedroom and a second room.

-- In DeKalb County, Trees littered the lawn in front of Emory University's Law School. There were no reported injuries to students or staff. Channel 2's Richard Elliot reported a crane had been brought to the campus to remove a tree from the roof of the Michael C. Carlos museum on the campus. Elliot also witnessed neighbors creating their own detour on Cooledge Road. A large tree had fallen and made the street impassable.

Many metro intersections remained closed because of fallen trees and power lines. Check a list of the latest incidents at the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

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