Georgia’s insurance and fire safety commissioner on Monday increased the damage estimate from last week’s tornadoes to $35 million.

“That’s a conservative estimate,” Commissioner John Oxendine said Monday after a helicopter flyover of Thomas and Grady counties in southwest Georgia.

He called Thomas “by far the worst hit of any county in the state,” noting extensive damage to a state mental facility and a more-than-16-mile path a twister cut through the county.

From the air, “it looked like a lawn mower plowed through the area,” Oxendine said.

More than 100 homes were damaged, and at least 25 homes were destroyed.

Southwestern State Hospital in Thomasville saw significant damage.

“The hospital could easily be $10 million by itself,” Oxendine said, promising to revisit more closely in the future. “Time didn’t really permit me to tour the hospital. Had I walked through, I had a feeling the number would inflate.”

Thomas and Grady were hit by two of the 11 tornadoes that pounded the state last Wednesday.

Gov. Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in Thomas and three other counties, opening the way to state assistance with cleanup

Source: http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/02/24/storm0224.html

Tags: tornadoes