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• Atlanta Mart Apparently Escapes Serious Damage From Downtown Tornado
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Atlanta Mart Apparently Escapes Serious Damage From Downtown Tornado

Just four days after the Spring Show closed, streets surrounding AmericasMart were blocked due to debris and falling glass from surrounding buildings after Friday's tornadoes.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA -- The first tornado ever to strike downtown Atlanta in its 160-year history inflicted serious damage to several buildings adjacent to AmericasMart on Friday night, March 14 at 9:45 p.m., but, from external appearances, the Mart sustained little damage. The most obvious damage was to a bridge between Buildings 2 and 3 (Gift and Apparel) over Harris Street. News reports stated that the bridge over Peachtree Street between Building 1 (Merchandise) and Peachtree Center may have also been damaged although that could not be confirmed. Other bridges at the Mart appeared intact. The new unfinished addition appeared to have sustained very minor damage, if any at all. It was not clear if the rooftops of the buildings were damaged.

A tree caught falling debris from the damaged bridge between Buildings 2 and 3 over Harris Street.

Because of debris on the streets and falling glass, Atlanta Police closed Baker and Spring Streets between Buildings 1 and 2 as well as Andrew Young International Boulevard between Building 1 and the Westin Peachtree Hotel, which was severely damaged with scores of its signature glass panels blown out on both the hotel and the external elevator shaft.

The Westin Peachtree Hotel had many glass panels blown out. The Merchandise Mart (Building 1) is at left.

The confirmed 130-mile-per-hour, EF-2 tornado cut a 200-yard swath six miles long through some of the most popular destinations in the heart of Metro Atlanta. The storms which raged across the South Friday night disrupted the SEC finals at the Georgia Dome, forcing postponement of the game between Georgia and Kentucky. Damage to the roof of the Dome, which is about five blocks from the Mart, was severe enough that the second game could not be played until Saturday at a venue at Georgia Tech. Phillips Arena, also seriously damaged, was hosting an Atlanta Hawks basketball game when the tornado hit. At least one nearby two-story office building was demolished.

The Georgia World Congress Center sustained damage to its roof, resulting in the cancellation of the annual Home Show and a Dentist Convention. Also damaged was Centennial Olympic Park. Two of the decorative light poles were knocked down. Perhaps the most extensive damage was inflicted on the CNN Center and Omni Hotel. 30 people were hurt but none were killed Friday night, reports say. However, new tornadoes claimed one life in Polk County north of Atlanta Saturday afternoon.

Looking South on Spring Street the bridges seem untouched.

Residential damage to the city included 20 homes in Cabbage Town east of downtown and nearby Fulton Cotton Mill lofts, where the top floor collapsed. Miraculously no one was hurt.

On Saturday, OmegaNet Inc. owners Toni and Gary Ivey went downtown to see the damage in order to report to their clients. They were about 100 yards away when another glass panel broke loose from the Westin Peachtree Hotel and fell about 15 stories to crash on International. Spokespersons for the Mart were unavailable on Saturday afternoon to provide additional information. OmegaNet will relay more information when it is available.

Featured Vendors in GiftsWholesale.Com
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American Picture Company: Great quality framed art at very competitive price points for gift & décor retailers. Primitive, Folk, Americana, Landscapes, etc. Always adding fresh new art images while maintaining top repeat sellers! Available glassed or textured.

Aspen Bay Candles: The best candles on the market--a result of our continual and diligent application of superior candle science. Take a moment to visit our unique high quality line of candles. Once you have experienced the superb fragrances and long burn times, we are sure you will be back again and again.

Ata Boy makes a variety of licensed products such as magnets, nite lites and keychains featuring Elvis, Lucy, Barbie, Betty Boop, DC Comics characters and much more.

Badash Crystal: Our 24% hand-cut lead crystal is produced in the finest factories in Europe by the same artisans that manufacture for Mikasa, Waterford, Lenox, and Sasaki. Every piece is individually and safely gift boxed. We offer superb quality and value for all your gift giving and/or personal pleasure.

Don Mark Lifelike puppies & kittens that actually breathe. These adorable pets offer a real pet ownership experience without the work or expense. Perfect petzzz -------the ultimate pet. We now offer 30 breeds of puppies and kittens to choose from. Visit our web site to see our entire line of petzzz plus over 180 other unique gifts and gadgets.

Frankoma Inc. You can feel the difference when you touch a piece of Frankoma Pottery. Since 1933, Frankoma has the perfect gift. Whatever you’re looking for - heartfelt keepsake, kitchen or home accent, or even a new collectible - you’ll find it here. In fact, Frankoma collectibles are consistently listed among the top ten collectibles on EBay according to Martha Stewart.

Gallery Art Glass is the leading resource for all-weather stained glass - fun and functional garden giftware and home décor. We offer affordably priced, handcrafted home and garden accessories that add beauty and color to any setting. Collections include windchimes, birdfeeders, plant stakes, nightlights, windows, holiday and wine accessories.

Intrada: Since 1979, Intrada has been the pioneer in bringing the best of Italian Ceramics & Pottery to the rest of the world. These exclusive collections comprise of the most exquisite Tabletop & Decorative Accessories, 100% handcrafted in Italy.

Mud Pie: Mud Pie products are now featured in three catalogs: Mud Pie Baby, Mud Pie Gift, and Mud Pie Pet. It has always been our goal to offer innovative giftware that's affordably priced and adorably packaged.

Spring Street is proud to offer the finest assortment of personal, home, and office accessories. Our extensive product lines are all theme oriented, from baby to bride and beyond. All of our gift items are hand epoxy enameled and adorned with faux jewel encrusted motifs. Many of our designs are inspired from the famed Soho district of New York City where the very real Spring Street is located.

Wellspring: Stationery products that help keep you organized by giving you fashion with function--wherever you are in your home, office, or on the go. Includes: Pencil Pads®, Auto Notes™, Flip Notes, Wiggle Pens™, note cards, note pads, and recipe books.