Georgia Preliminary Storm Damage Estimate at $40M

Georgia’s state insurance commissioner says the estimate to repair damage from Friday’s storms has hit $40 million in insured losses.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said in a statement Tuesday the figure is preliminary. He says it takes weeks to fully assess the extent of damage.

The National Weather Service has said an EF-3 tornado with winds up to 165 mph hit Haralson and Paulding counties, causing damage over a 29-mile path. The weather service has said an EF-1 tornado with winds estimated at 100 mph hit the ground in east Cobb County.

Fourteen homes were destroyed and dozens of others were damaged in Paulding County. Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport director Blake Swafford says damage there is expected to reach at least $7 million.