Georgia Airport Ravaged by Tornado

Paulding Northwest Regional Airport near Atlanta was heavily damaged when it was struck by an F-3 tornado on the night of March 2. Among the airport’s casualties was a hangar that partially collapsed, destroying 18 aircraft including a Cessna Citation III. A Learjet 25 that was parked nearby on the ramp escaped with only minor damage. The airport’s main building also suffered structural damage. No one was present at the airfield when the twister hit. According to airport authorities, the storm caused more than $7 million in damage to the aircraft and the facility. It will remain closed indefinitely, with its runway available for emergency landings only.