Georgia to Release Storm Damage Estimate

Georgia is set to get its most detailed accounting yet of damage from the tornadoes that tore through the state leaving 15 people dead.

State Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens will release damage estimates from the storms at a news conference Monday in Atlanta.

Gov. Nathan Deal has declared state of emergency in 16 Georgia counties from the deadly storms and President Barack Obama has approved a federal disaster declaration for those counties.

A 2007 tornado that hit Americus and other parts of South Georgia had estimated insurance losses of $210 million, which then-state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine said was a record for disasters of its type at the time. That storm affected nine counties and left nine people dead.