Student’s terror in Atlanta tornado

Mar 23 2008 by Phil Doherty, Sunday Sun

A YOUNG golf star from the North caught up in a terrifying tornado in the United States has spoken about her ordeal.

Anna Scott, 22, is living in student accommodation in Atlanta, Georgia, where the twister ripped through the city centre, destroying a wall of her building and devastating neighbouring houses.

Anna — one of the UK’s top young golfers — is studying PR and journalism in the US and was living on the 12th floor of a 14-storey building when the tornado struck.

She said: “I heard strange noises coming from outside and I went to the window and saw parts of trees and other materials flying past.

“Looking down, I could see the traffic lights had just vanished and the street was in chaos.

“Suddenly, a voice came on the tannoy telling everyone to stay away from the windows. So me and my friends went out into the hallway and the wall started collapsing towards us.

“This was because the occupiers of the apartment across from my room had left their window open and the force of the wind was so strong it wrecked the flat and caused the internal wall to collapse. The building was so structurally damaged we all had to be evacuated.

“It was quite scary as I’ve never experienced winds with so much force before. Luckily, no one was injured . . . but everyone was freaking out.”

Anna, of Shotley Bridge, County Durham — a member of the Consett Golf Club — has one year left of a four-year course at Georgia State University in Atlanta. She is now a star on the US college golf circuit.

The tornado hit home on Friday, March 14, and left a trail of destruction in the city.

According to reports, the force of the wind was so strong that it moved a hotel three feet off its foundations.

Over 20 homes were completely destroyed, and scores more had their roofs ripped off.

The windows of many buildings, including a hospital, were blown in.

Scores of trees were uprooted and flung around like matchsticks.

At least 15 people were hurt, but no one was reported to have died in the storm.