Storm Tour

Jan. 25--ADEL -- Georgia's governor toured tornado-ravaged Cook County Wednesday, calling damage sites "a scene of total devastation" and promising that state and federal help is on the way.

Gov. Nathan Deal landed at Cook County Airport around 2:30 p.m. after visiting Dougherty County, where at least four people were killed by one of Sunday's twisters.

Tornadoes struck several counties in south central Georgia early Sunday, killing at least 15 people. One tornado touched down in Brooks County, killed a couple near Barney, then strengthened and skipped into Cook County, where it devastated a trailer park south of Adel. It then moved into Berrien County, where another couple died when a tree crushed their home.

Deal's motorcade left the airport for a drive-through of the trailer park, where seven people were killed. Crews were at work with heavy equipment, and volunteers from local restaurants were handing out food and bottled water.

The governor's entourage of state and local officials then headed for Bullard Farms, which was heavily damaged by the twister. Deal spoke with Cook residents, promising help.

Carla Bullard, whose family has owned the farm for more than a century, said their home was destroyed.

"The middle of the house just exploded," she said. Her 19-year-old daughter crawled from under a collapsed wall, then dug her father out of the rubble, she said.

Although both the husband and daughter were injured, everyone survived, Bullard said.

At a press conference after the tour, Deal said he had received a phone call from President Donald Trump promising federal disaster aid.

"He told me 'We have your back,'" the governor said. "We put in two requests for federal disaster aid; the first was approved in record time, and from what the president said the second is virtually assured."

The state has more than 700 workers helping with the cleanup efforts, including chainsaw crews from the Department of Natural Resources, Deal said.

State Rep. Gerald Greene, whose district includes Dougherty County, said state lawmakers have raised more than $1,000 among themselves for disaster relief.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.

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