Mar 15, 2008 - 2:47 PM
0 shoutsATLANTA (Ticker) -- The National Weather service on Saturday confirmed that a tornado did in fact touch down in Atlanta on Friday night.
The F2 twister, which moved through the area around 9:40 p.m., packed winds of up to 135 mph, according to weather service officials.
The tornado battered the Georgia Dome, where thousands of fans had gathered to watch the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament Friday.
With Mississippi State holding a 64-61 lead over Alabama with 2:11 remaining in overtime, the Georgia Dome roof rippled.
Spectators inside the dome reported seeing the large monitor over the court and television cameras showed scaffolding swaying and debris began falling from the roof inside.
The teams were sent back to their respective locker rooms and, following a delay of about an hour, both teams returned to the court as Mississippi State completed a 69-67 victory.
However, the ensuing quarterfinal matchup between Kentucky and Georgia was postponed and moved to Georgia Tech University. Georgia won that contest 60-56 in overtime earlier Saturday.
Georgia will have to play its semifinal game against Mississippi State at the same venue later Saturday.
Outside the dome, there was further damage, including overturned police barricades and large chunks of debris on the sidewalks around the facility.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, two people are reported dead as a result of the storm and the city is under a state of emergency.
The Georgia Dome was not the only building affected. So were Philips Arena, the home of the NBA's Hawks and NHL's Thrashers, as well as the CNN Center and the Omni Hotel, although damage was not as severe.
Atlanta remains under a tornado watch until 7 p.m. Saturday.
