TORNADO CAUSES DELAY AND DAMAGE IN GEORGIA AND DOME

[KFDM COOP]

SEC tournament delayed as Georgia Dome sustains damage

ATLANTA -- A severe storm ripped a hole in the roof and two panels off the side of the Georgia Dome during the Southeastern Conference tournament Friday, delaying the quarterfinal round for more than an hour.

With Mississippi State leading Alabama 64-61 with 2:11 left in overtime, a loud blast was heard inside the dome. The girders near the dome's roof began to swing, and a gaping section of the north part of the roof was ripped open, dropping debris.

Mississippi State went on to win 69-67.

Both teams were sent to the locker room along with the coaches' wives and children, and stadium officials began to evacuate fans. The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the Atlanta area at 9:26 p.m. ET after radar indicated a storm capable of producing a tornado located about six miles west of Atlanta.

Tyler Williams, from Knoxville, Tenn., said he was sitting in section 128, six rows behind the home-team bench.

"It sounded like a freight train," Williams said. "The rafters were swaying, and the roof of the dome was starting to ripple.

"It was a little frightening to say the least."

On the exterior of the north side of the dome, panels littered the parking lot and lawns. Full-grown trees lay uprooted, and large, 30-foot traffic signs directing patrons where to park sat turned over.

Eddie Smith, a bus driver who was shuttling media members from the dome to a downtown hotel, said the bus parked in front of him in a Georgia Dome parking lot began rocking back and forth and nearly tipped over during the storm.

"It blew up the hatches on top of the bus," he said. "I thought it was going to tip over."

With crews on hand to fix downed power poles across the street, security personnel began to usher people back inside around 10:20 p.m. as another storm approached.

Next door, at the Georgia World Congress Center, where an ROTC ball hosting 11 high schools was underway before the storm hit, windows were blown out throughout the area.

At the adjoining Philips Arena, the Atlanta Hawks were able to finish their 7:30 p.m. NBA game against the Los Angeles Clippers, a 117-93 win for Atlanta.

The NCAA released a statement late Friday.

"We are in touch with the SEC offices," the statement said. "The first business at hand is the safety of everyone in Atlanta. Our colleagues with the SEC and our friends at the Georgia Dome are tending to the safety of the student-athletes, fans and everyone else inside the venue."

[KFDM COOP]

They're moving to Georgia Tech. The league also will limit attendance in the 9100-seat arena to only the players' families, cheerleaders, bands and other credentialed individuals. He said further announcements were pending about refunding tickets. (from espn.com)

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

they should have moved it to Phillips arena