Good Friday brought some bad storms to Georgia last week.

Dawson News & Advisor
by Kristen Mangum

TheBrown fell under a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service just after 6 p.m. Friday, April 10. Dawson County activated emergency sirens and Swift Reach notifications were issued for the county.

"Two-thirds of the county had answered the emergency phone notifications within nine minutes," said Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Director Richard Sims. "Within 91/2 minutes the first cycle of calls was complete with the system approaching 1,500 calls per minute."

While the National Weather Service had not officially confirmed a tornado touching down in Dawson County at presstime Tuesday, the severe storm caused moderate damage in the northwest portion of the county, beginning in the Wildcat Community of Big Canoe to New Hope Road, according to Dawson County Emergency Services Director Billy Thurmond.

The storm's path was one and one-half mile wide and five miles long through the county.

"Hundreds of trees were downed from the storm, along with numerous power lines," Thurmond said.

Dawson County remained under the tornado warning for two hours during which time 35 roads were closed due to downed trees and power lines.

Roads were re-opened and passable by 2 a.m. Saturday, April 11.

Seven homes were damaged during the storm, including a home on Bearden Road that incurred significant damage. A female occupant was initially entrapped in the structure but was able to get out of the home under her own power.

Thurmond reported that Dawson County Emergency Services responded to two storm-related medical calls, including a patient whose shoulder was struck by a tree limb, as well as to a member of the Big Canoe Emergency Response Team who experienced a heart attack while helping cut fallen trees in the Big Canoe area.

Power was restored to all homes in the area by 5 a.m. Sunday, April 12.

Gov. Sonny Perdue requested a Presidential disaster declaration for 33 counties in Georgia affected by heavy rain and severe weather since March 27. The request would provide federal aid for severe weather and flood damages. Dawson County, nor its surrounding counties, was included on the disaster declaration.

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