Confirmed tornado hit Lumpkin and Hall counties

LUMPKIN COUNTY, GA - It may have been a low level one, but it's official: an EF1 strength tornado touched down in Southeast Lumpkin County and just across the line in Hall County during Thursday night's severe thunder storms.

After inspecting hundreds of downed trees and more than a dozen damaged homes, the National Weather Service confirmed the twister touched down at 9:23 pm about 6 miles Southeast of Dahlonega, ending at 9:29 pm about 2.5 miles Southeast of Garland.

With peak winds of 90-105 MPH, it cut a 4 mile long, 250 yard wide path.

Power and tree crews were already busy Friday afternoon trying to clean up the mess that seemed the worst along Bridgestone Way.

Scores of trees fell all around Frania Cartledge's home where a roommate was home alone.

At first the roommate thought someone was trying to break in when a huge tree suddenly came right through the kitchen roof.

Cartledge and friends were out for dinner and had trouble making their way back to the house, where they also found two smashed cars.

"I knew it'd be bad, but I didn't expect the live trees, I mean any of the trees to be just ripped out of the ground like they are and I didn't expect the kitchen to be pretty much cut in half," she told 11 Alive News.

The roommate suffered a few bruises, but there were no reports of any serious injuries in the touchdown.

Next door to Cartledge, Vincent Carrella and his wife ran for cover with their two dogs when the power went out and winds began howling.

They barely had time to hit the floor between two beds as a huge tree came crashing down on their home.

"Problem is we have no place to hide, the house is on a slab and once this house is repaired, I'm thinking about getting some kind of cellar built in where we can jump in because it's just too scary," he told 11 Alive.

11Alive News crews in Haralson County witnessed downed power lines and downed tress during a storm that swept through the area around 8 p.m. Thursday night. Although some homes and businesses were damaged and without power -- there were no reports of injuries in the immediate area. 

WEATHER ALERTS | Sign up for text alerts 
MORE | Interactive Radar

In Rome, the entire roof of the Southern Pipe and Supply Company collapsed as a result of the heavy winds, in the area. Witnesses say large portions of the roof flew into nearby backyards. 

A home in Duluth sustained fire damage after a bolt of lightening struck the home, igniting it. The fire happened on the 3000 block of Oak Hampton Way around 9:30 p.m. Three adults in the house said the power went out in then lightening struck the attic. 

Everyone in the house was able to get to safely before the fire spread to other areas. 

15.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Details of standoff, gunman emerge during Gwinnett police news conference

SUWANEE, Ga. -- Police have confirmed 55-year old Lauren Holman Brown was the suspect who held firefighters hostage in Suwanee Wednesday.

On Friday afternoon, Brown's family released a statement: 

The family would like to express its appreciation to the Gwinnett County Police and Fire Department for all they did to bring this situation to resolution and for their support of our family. We are very grateful that no one else was killed during the standoff.

A SWAT team stormed the house on Walnut Grove Way in Suwanee just after 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

PHOTOS | Firefighters held hostage

During the Thursday afternoon press conference, 11Alive learned more details of the standoff. 

Wednesday, dispatchers got a call from Brown at 3:41 p.m. He was complaining of chest pains. Firemen arrived to Brown's home at 3:48 and found him lying in bed. At 3:52, Brown produced a handgun and took the five firemen hostage.

Shortly after, Brown demanded the routine fire truck and ambulance be removed from the front of his home. He released one firefighter to do so, leaving four hostages inside. 

Brown made an order that service be restored to his utilities, including cable and phone. At that time, negotiators began making contact with the gunman. 

Negotiators continuously tried to convince Brown to let the four hostages go, but he refused. Brown told police that he was in control - the authorities were not. 

As the evening came, Brown ordered that food be delivered to the home for him and his hostages at 6:30 p.m.  SWAT members arrived under the guise that they were bringing him food from his choice restaurant, Captain D's Seafood Kitchen.

Upon delivery at 7:30, SWAT initiated their operation and quickly evacuated the firemen who Brown let go to receive the food when it arrived.

SWAT entered Brown's home to begin their rescue. Police used a flash-bang grenade to distract the suspect when they felt the firefighters were in "immediate danger." 

Brown fired at the first officer to enter the room, striking him in the arm. That officer returned fire and killed Brown.

Brown had set a second deadline for 7:30 p.m., when he wanted his demands met. However, authorities believed Brown would not release the hostages even if his demands were met.

During the standoff, Brown requested rope and tape to restrict the firefighters' movements.  Police later found a total of six guns inside Brown's home.  

Police said Brown wanted his family to know what was going on, but he never made his ultimate goals clear. 

At the time of the standoff, family members of the personnel were notified.  Police will not release the name of the officer injured who killed Brown, nor the names of the hostages until Friday at the earliest. 

Police said they're saddened that the standoff ended in a death, but they are thankful for the rescue of all firemen taken hostage. Authorities said the firefighters remained calm throughout the incident, which helped tremendously.

Cpl. Jake Smith said the investigation is nowhere near closed, and they have yet to learn of Brown's mental health history. The gunman was struggling with financial issues, but police have yet to determine exactly what those were. 

When dispatchers were called to the scene, police said they were unaware if power was on or off at Brown's home, partially because the standoff began during daylight. They found that Brown lived alone. 

According to authorities, the responding Fire Station 10 had resumed normal operation before the standoff came to a close, and is still running normally today. 

The police chief said Brown claimed to have been planning this event for several weeks. It is believed that Brown had occupied the home for more than a decade. 

According to neighbors, the house recently began to look unkempt and that the grass hadn't been cut.

According to property tax records, Brown's home was foreclosed on last November and the mortgage switched hands from Wells Fargo to Freddie Mac. 

Although Brown demanded that the lights and utilities be cut on to release the firefighters, neighbors say they saw the lights on in the house as recently as Tuesday.

The family of Brown released the following statement on Friday night, "On behalf of the family of Lauren Brown: The family would like to express its appreciation to the Gwinnett County Police and Fire Department for all they did to bring this situation to resolution and for their support of our family. We are very grateful that no one else was killed during the standoff.

This is the only statement that we will be issuing to the media.

We ask that you please respect our desire for privacy so that we can process the events and begin the healing process."

15.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Alpharetta officer shot during traffic stop

ALPHARETTA, Ga. -- An officer-involved shooting turned deadly after a high-speed pursuit through Alpharetta on Friday evening.

According to Alpharetta Police, the shooting happened on Main Street in the parking lot of a Christian bookstore.  Authorities say, the suspect was stopped for an expired tag before he opened fire. 

Police say the officer was shot three times: once in the left shoulder, once in the lower abdomen and once in the left leg above the knee.

After the shooting, the suspect led authorities on brief high-speed pursuit which ended when the suspect wrecked on GA400 SB, just north of the Northridge exit.

On the scene of the wreck the suspect, described as a "white male," was shot and killed by authorities after he exchanged fire with about five or six officers who had responded to the accident. 

According to George Gordon of the Alpharetta Police Depratment, a passerby was also struck in the crossfire. She was transported to a nearby medical center.

The officer and the passerby were transported to North Fulton Hospital where the officer is expected to make a full recovery. Traffic on GA400 was re-routed to the Holcomb Bridge Road exit.

Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes, at this time.

15.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Details of standoff, gunman emerge during Gwinnett police news conference

SUWANEE, Ga. -- Police have confirmed 55-year old Lauren Holman Brown was the suspect who held firefighters hostage in Suwanee Wednesday.

A SWAT team stormed the house on Walnut Grove Way in Suwanee just after 7:30p.m. Wednesday.

PHOTOS | Firefighters held hostage

During the Thursday afternoon press conference, 11Alive learned more details of the standoff. 

Wednesday, dispatchers got a call from Brown at 3:41 p.m. He was complaining of chest pains. Firemen arrived to Brown's home at 3:48 and found him lying in bed. At 3:52, Brown produced a handgun and took the five firemen hostage.

Shortly after, Brown demanded the routine fire truck and ambulance be removed from the front of his home. He released one firefighter to do so, leaving four hostages inside. 

Brown made an order that service be restored to his utilities, including cable and phone. At that time, negotiators began making contact with the gunman. 

Negotiators continuously tried to convince Brown to let the four hostages go, but he refused. Brown told police that he was in control - the authorities were not. 

As the evening came, Brown ordered that food be delivered to the home for him and his hostages at 6:30 p.m.  SWAT members arrived under the guise that they were bringing him food from his choice restaurant, Captain D's Seafood Kitchen.

Upon delivery at 7:30, SWAT initiated their operation and quickly evacuated the firemen who Brown let go to receive the food when it arrived.

SWAT entered Brown's home to begin their rescue. Police used a flash-bang grenade to distract the suspect when they felt the firefighters were in "immediate danger." 

Brown fired at the first officer to enter the room, striking him in the arm. That officer returned fire and killed Brown.

Brown had set a second deadline for 7:30 p.m., when he wanted his demands met. However, authorities believed Brown would not release the hostages even if his demands were met.

During the standoff, Brown requested rope and tape to restrict the firefighters' movements.  Police later found a total of six guns inside Brown's home.  

Police said Brown wanted his family to know what was going on, but he never made his ultimate goals clear. 

At the time of the standoff, family members of the personnel were notified.  Police will not release the name of the officer injured who killed Brown, nor the names of the hostages until Friday at the earliest. 

Police said they're saddened that the standoff ended in a death, but they are thankful for the rescue of all firemen taken hostage. Authorities said the firefighters remained calm throughout the incident, which helped tremendously.

Cpl. Jake Smith said the investigation is nowhere near closed, and they have yet to learn of Brown's mental health history. The gunman was struggling with financial issues, but police have yet to determine exactly what those were. 

When dispatchers were called to the scene, police said they were unaware if power was on or off at Brown's home, partially because the standoff began during daylight. They found that Brown lived alone. 

According to authorities, the responding Fire Station 10 had resumed normal operation before the standoff came to a close, and is still running normally today. 

The police chief said Brown claimed to have been planning this event for several weeks. It is believed that Brown had occupied the home for more than a decade. 

According to neighbors, the house recently began to look unkempt and that the grass hadn't been cut.

According to property tax records, Brown's home was foreclosed on last November and the mortgage switched hands from Wells Fargo to Freddie Mac. 

Although Brown demanded that the lights and utilities be cut on to release the firefighters, neighbors say they saw the lights on in the house as recently as Tuesday.

15.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gun law compromise inches forward while debate intensifies

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Lawmakers and gun rights advocates are keeping a close watch on the gun bill compromise reached in the US senate this week that would require new rules for background checks at gun shows and online.

Dealers with a federal firearms license who sell weapons at gun shows already have to conduct background checks on their customers. The new senate compromise would close the so-called "gun show loophole," where guns are sold between private parties without background checks.

'What's being supported by the US senate is a near universal background check," said state senator Vincent Fort. "It's not everything I would have liked; but it's a long way toward making sure that people who should not have guns don't get them.'

"I don't think it's going to do any good," countered Jerry Henry, executive director of Georgia Carry. "People who are going to get guns are going to get guns. They will steal them from you; they'll buy them from someone whose already stolen them from someone else. There's just no way it's not going to happen. They're going to continue to get them."

The debate over gun control has divided Americans as well as congress, where a vote in favor of the compromise could cost some lawmakers their "A" ratings with the NRA. The group has promised to weigh in immediately afterward.

"Plus, if you look at the bill, there are several other things that are not good," said GeorgiaCarry.org's Henry.

"A doctor can send a letter to the ATF and tell them that you are mentally unstable; and you become a prohibitive person regardless of what you did."

"There are tens of thousands of attempts every year by criminals and the mentally ill to purchase guns," said state senator Fort. "So, the fact of the matter is background checks at gun shows and on the internet is the way to go."

15.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Metro area homes damaged during Thursday storms

WXIA -- Residents around the metro area are dealing with fallen trees, wind damage and lightening fires as a result of a cluster of storms that moved through metro Atlanta on Thursday.

RELATED |Tornado Watch until 4 a.m. 

11Alive crews in Haralson County witnessed downed power lines and downed tress during a storm that swept through the area around 8 p.m. Thursday night. Although some homes and businesses were damaged and without power -- there were no reports of injuries in the immediate area. 

WEATHER ALERTS | Sign up for text alerts 

In Rome, the entire roof of the Southern Pipe and Supply Company collapsed as a result of the heavy winds, in the area. Witnesses say large portions of the roof flew into nearby backyards. 

A home in Duluth sustained fire damage after a bolt of lightening struck the home, igniting it. The fire happened on the 3000 block of Oak Hampton Way around 9:30 p.m. Three adults in the house said the power went out in then lightening struck the attic. 

Everyone in the house was able to get to safely before the fire spread to other areas. 

And in North Georgia, about 2000 customers are still without power as a result of earlier outages According to crews on the scene, the second floor of the home and the attic suffered heavy smoke and water damage.  

MORE | Interactive Radar 

The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for all of metro Atlanta until 4 a.m. Friday morning. 

15.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Severe storms likely Thursday, Thursday night

The probability of seeing severe weather Thursday, ramping up from brown (5%), yellow (15%), red (30%) to purple (45%) - (NOAA/NWS/SPC)

ATLANTA - 11Alive Chief Meteorologist Mike Francis says to expect significant severe weather late Thursday afternoon and into Thursday evening.

The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center has placed much of the Southeastern states under a "Slight Risk" category for severe weather for Thursday, and Francis says there is a likelihood that portions of that area - including parts of Georgia - could be placed into a "Moderate Risk" area for Thursday.

Severe thunderstorms, hail, vivid lightning and isolated tornadoes are possible across portions of the state as a result of this storm system.

Francis says storm development will occur in the late-morning or early-afternoon hours over much of Alabama, before the storms move eastward toward Georgia. He said the heaviest storms could land in Metro Atlanta in the early evening hours.

Any rain would provide at least some relief to the extreme levels of pollen that has gripped the area since the weekend. Wednesday's pollen level is up to 4151. According to the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic, any level above 1500 is considered in the "extremely high" category. 

11Alive's Weather Information Zone team will be updating and fine tuning the forecast on Wednesday and into Thursday, to refine the timing on exactly when the storms may be expected in north Georgia.

15.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gunman who took firefighters hostage killed after standoff

SUWANEE, Ga. -- After nearly a four-hour standoff, the gunman who took five Gwinnett County firefighters hostage is dead.

Just after 7:30p.m. Wednesday SWAT members stormed the house on Walnut Grove Way in Suwanee.

PHOTOS | Firefighters held hostage

Police say the suspect died during an exchange of gunfire.  One police officer was shot in the hand but will be okay.

Police used a flash-bang grenade to distract the suspect when they felt the firefighters were in "immediate danger".

Five firefighters were originally taken hostage after responding to a reported medical call at the residence near Collins Hill Rd. and Taylor Rd. 

The suspect let one man go to move the fire truck.  The four remaining firefighters are all okay.

According to property tax records, the home where the firefighters were held hostage was foreclosed on November 2012.  After the house was foreclosed on, the mortgage switched hands from Wells Fargo to Freddie Mac. 

11Alive learned, on the scene, that the suspect had been living in the home for more than a decade. Neighbors say that lately the house began to look unkempt and that the grass hadn't been cut. 

Although the suspect demanded that the lights and utilities be cut on to release the firefighters -- neighbors say they saw the lights on, in the house, as recently as Tuesday.  

Authorities confirmed that the gunman made demands, during his initial contact with dispatch, that service be restored to his utilities which included cable and phone. 

15.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

APD crusiers pummeled with bricks during protest

ATLANTA -- Authorities are investigating a peaceful protest that turned hostile in a northeast Atlanta neighborhood Tuesday afternoon. 

According to Atlanta Police, the incident happened near 1500 Hardee Street in the Edgewood Court Apartments. 

Witnesses say upset neighbors were staging a peaceful demonstration due to an alleged case of police brutality that happened in the neighborhood on Monday night. 

According to Sgt. Greg Lyons, authorities were dispatched to the community and met by "brick-wielding" individuals. Two police cruisers sustained damaged during the incident and authorities retreated to a nearby MARTA station. 

Police say two people were arrested on the scene; however, investigators will open an investigation to identify, arrest and charge everyone involved in the incident. 

In regards to the alleged police brutality, Lyons says no formal complaint had been filed as of Tuesday afternoon but authorities will be opening an investigation. 

15.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tuesday's pollen count tops 2,500

ATLANTA -- It's that time of year again. Tuesday's sky-high pollen count is bound to leave many Atlantans with runny noses and itchy eyes.

The pollen count is 2,607, higher than Monday's count of 2,093, according to the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic.

RELATED | Atlanta Pollen Report
MORE | Pollen problems only getting started

The biggest contributors are oak, pine, sweetgum and birch.

Dr. Stanley Fineman says the yellow pollen that heralds the start of spring is not typically the culprit for allergy sufferers. The yellow pollen, Dr. Fineman says, is produced by pine trees. 

Dr. Fineman says it's an irritant but doesn't normally trigger an allergic reaction.

Dr. Fineman suggests allergy sufferers avoid the outdoors during the morning and early afternoon when pollen counts are at their highest. He says taking an over-the-counter allergy medication can minimize symptoms but suggests making an appointment with a doctor if problems persist.

Did you take any pictures of the pollen? Send them to photos@11alive.com.

15.20 | 0 komentar | Read More