UPDATED: Disaster Area Declared after Tornado Hits Adairsville, Killing One

UPDATED 8:15 p.m.: Facebook Page Gives Info on Relief, Recovery Efforts

Do Your Part, a nonprofit that supports disaster relief and long term recovery, set up a Facebook page called Adairsville Georgia Tornado Info to serve as "a clearinghouse of information and resources in response to the January 30, 2013 Adairsville, Ga Tornado.

Atlanta Red Cross is activating mobile feeding units in partnership with The Salvation Army, the agency said on Twitter.

A second shelter at Living Way Community Center, 118 E. George St. in Adairsville, will provide hot showers, hot food, clothes and a place to sleep for those in need, according to Shirley Clay. 

UPDATED 8 p.m.: Coroner ID's Man Killed in Storm, 17 Injuries Reported

Up to 100 homes and a number of businesses were damaged in downtown Adairsville. One of those homes belonged to a man killed as a result of the tornado.

Bartow County Corner Joel Guyton identified the deceased as 51-year-old Anthony Raines, who was was lying in bed watching TV when a tree fell on his Cass Street mobile home, CBS Atlanta reports.

"We tried to help him, but we couldn't get the tree off the trailer," a neighbor said, according to the station.

The quarter-mile wide tornado touched down and traveled two miles through Adairsville, flattening Daiki's plant and flipping cars, trucks and even tractor-trailers, emergency management officials told Fox Atlanta. Seventeen injuries were reported, according to WSB.

UPDATED 5:45 p.m.: Hospital in Cartersville treats two for minor head injuries.

Cartersville Medical Center spokesman Ginger Tyra said the Emergency Department received three patients as a result of the reported EF-2 tornado that swirled through Adairsville. 

Two female patients, ages 53 and 46, with minor head injuries, were treated and released. The third, a man, was dead on arrival.

"In accordance with emergency operations procedures, all hospital patients were moved from patient rooms to hallways during today’s tornado warnings," Tyra continued. "The severe weather situation did not affect patient care."

UPDATED 4:45 p.m.: Disaster area declared in Bartow and Gordon counties.

Gov. Nathan Deal announced he had declared disaster areas in Bartow and Gordon counties this afternoon.

Deal held a press conference this afternoon, during which he announced the disaster declarations.

Deal said one fatality and nine injuries were reported in Bartow. At the time of his announcement, the governor said 80 percent of the area affected by the tornado being searched at the time.

UPDATED 3:45 p.m.: Shelter set up, curfew in effect in storm affected areas.

An emergency shelter has been set up for those people displaced by the tornado at the Manning Mill Road gym near Adairsville off Highway 41, according to the Bartow County Sheriff's Office.

Don't go looking to check out the storm damage: A mandatory curfew has been enacted for storm stricken areas. No one except emergency personnel are to be out between dusk and dawn for the affected region.

The American Red Cross Northwest Georgia Chapter is coordinating with Atlanta's Red Cross to assess community needs. They'll dispatch emergency response vehicles and volunteers to Bartow and Gordon counties, where tornado touchowns left damage in their wake.

"A team of shelter volunteers and supplies have been mobilized and the Red Cross is preparing to open a refuge for displaced residents in the hard-hit Adairsville area later today," said Jeffrey D. Putnam, executive director of the Northwest Georgia Chapter in an email alert today.

The Red Cross is partnering with the Salvation Army in Bartow, Gordon and Floyd counties to provide mobile feeding.

For information about the shelter, call 770-387-5151 or 770-387-5089.

UPDATED 2:45 p.m.: Bartow County Sheriff's Office describes scenes of accidents, injuries and building entrapments.

Sgt. Jonathan Rogers, Bartow sheriff's office spokesman, said major tornado damage has occurred in Adairsville as a tornado hit the area.

"There are accidents, injuries and building entrapments. All available assistance is enroute to the area," Sgt. Rogers said.

He warned residents and other people to avoid the area.

"If persons do not have to be in this area, we are urging them to stay away for emergency assistance to be able to get through," Sgt. Rogers said.

More information will be released later, and will be updated on Cartersville Patch.

UPDATED 2:30 p.m.: Georgia Power reports outages.

Widespread damage can be seen throughout the downtown Adairsville area after a tornado hit earlier today, and one person is dead.

The long-time Adairsville Grocery store, a fixture in downtown for years, has been leveled. The victim was removed from the area where the store collapsed, on Hwy. 141 in downtown Adairsville.

Bartow County Sheriff's offices have limited travel and motorists in the affected area. Wireless service is limited at this time.

Georgia Power reported at 2:24 p.m. that 8,700 customers were without power  statewide, with approximately 5,500 of them in northwest Georgia and another 1,700 across metro Atlanta. The power company was working on 140 separate incidents.

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