Deadly Storms Kill At Least 18 People As Tornadoes Menace Several States

A dangerous weekend weather system has killed at least 18 people in the U.S. South, as Georgia officials on Sunday reported more than a dozen deaths after severe thunderstorms and tornadoes buffeted several states.


Georgia Governor Nathan Deal declared an emergency for seven counties in the south-central part of the state, warning that dangerous conditions persisted and could reach north to the Atlanta area.

“I urge all Georgians to exercise caution and vigilance in order to remain safe and prevent further loss of life or injuries,” Deal said in a news release.

Photos from the affected areas showed collapsed buildings, homes with roofs destroyed, toppled trees and fields littered with debris.

Eight deaths occurred in Cook County, Georgia, state emergency managers said in a statement, with local reports that a mobile home park was particularly hard hit.

First Baptist Church Adel, located in the county seat near the Florida-Georgia state line, was sheltering more than 50 people, said pastor Bill Marlette, who had just helped inform a family that two of their relatives were among the dead.

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