Two killed as storms maul Georgia

A state of emergency has been declared in the US state of Georgia after two people died in storms, a day after a tornado hit the city of Atlanta.

Emergency officials confirmed one woman died in Polk County and another in Floyd County as storms lashed the south-eastern state.

Friday's 130mph (209km/h) twister left almost 30 people injured and damaged hotels, skyscrapers and sports arenas.

Some 10,000 people were still without power on Saturday.

As the National Weather Service issued a string of tornado warnings on Saturday, a state emergency management official said: "We're bracing for another round of whatever mother nature throws at us."

'Disaster'

As officials priced the damage from Friday's twister at up to $200m (£99m), Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue declared it a "disaster".

Basketball fans watching a game in Atlanta's Georgia Dome had scrambled for cover as the stadium roof rippled and debris rained down.

The nearby Philips Arena, where the Atlanta Hawks were playing the Los Angeles Clippers, was also hit.

And the headquarters of news network CNN in the city was left with damaged ceilings and windows after being battered by Friday's storm.

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Georgia Governor's Office
National Weather Service
CNN
Georgia Dome
Philips Arena
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites