Two dead as fresh storms spawn tornado near Atlanta

By Matthew Bigg

ATLANTA (Reuters) - A tornado in northwest Georgia killed two people and left others seriously injured on Saturday, one day after a twister battered Atlanta's downtown, officials said.

One person died in Polk county and a second died in Floyd county, said Buzz Weiss of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency. Both counties are on Georgia's border with Alabama.

The National Weather Service issued a string of tornado warnings moving east across north Georgia throughout the day. It said there was a risk of "isolated tornadoes" across central Georgia and South Carolina, where local media said storms left thousands without power.

Workers were clearing debris in the heart of Atlanta following Friday night's storm, which damaged landmark buildings, overturned cars and injured dozens of people.

"It was a very significant, very serious storm. There's lots of damage," said Weiss.

Some 30 people were taken to hospitals and one was in serious condition after the storm, which packed winds of 130 mph (216 kph), police and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin said.

Damage could be up to $150 million, according to an initial estimate by John Oxendine, state insurance commissioner, who was quoted in local media.

Franklin declared a state of emergency in the city after the storm, which local media said was the first recorded tornado in Atlanta's history.