Storm rips through Atlanta by Frances Runnalls
A severe storm ripped through downtown Atlanta on Friday, injuring several people and damaging a number of buildings. The heavy rain and lightening originated north of the city and swept through downtown late on Friday night. At least 40 trees were destroyed by the strong winds, which gusted up to 60mph (95kph) in places.
As the storm struck a tornado was generated, touching down in downtown Atlanta. A tornado is a violently rotating column of air, whose narrow end often touches the earth and is often encircled by a cloud of debris.
Although tornadoes have been observed across every continent except Antarctica, most occur in the United States. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) the most recent tornado to hit a major cities downtown was in Jacksonville Florida in August 2004. Over the past ten years tornadoes have also struck Fort Worth, Texas, Salt Lake City and Nashville, Tennessee.
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