Sighs of relief are likely continuing through today as City and State officials assess damage and realize what could have happened. With no known fatalities and 30 people injured (though one is listed as life-threatening), Atlanta’s leaders are probably feeling a little lucky.

Questions remain, however, about why a college basketball game continued (through overtime) in the 71,000 seat Georgia Dome while there was a tornado warning in effect.  According to CNN:

A tornado warning was in effect when Friday night’s storm struck. The storm tracked from the northwest side of the city to the southeast, demolishing buildings and downing trees that crushed cars and ripped through the roofs of homes.

Meanwhile, City officials say they had little notice. Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin is quoted by the Atlanta Journal Constitution:

“It’s pretty major,” Franklin said, flanked by fire, police and city officials. “… Most of us did not get any warnings in advance that this storm was brewing.”

Meanwhile, perhaps the Georgia Dome should have delayed the game and moved fans to secure areas as soon as the tornado warning was issued.

In Phillips Area: (according to the AJC)

John Hisey, 49, of Marietta, was at the Hawks game when the storm touched down.

“I heard a noise — it sounded like a big rumble,” he said. “I looked up, and the wall was just flexing.”

Some people hustled for the exits. “They just took off. They knew something,” he said.

At the College Basketball game in the Georgia Dome: (AJC)

Sandy Smith of Douglasville was at the SEC tournament game. It had gone into overtime when she heard a loud boom. The ceiling started waving like a sheet.

“The lights started moving and the TV monitor started swaying back and forth,” she said. Then a pole and sign tore a hole in the roof.

From CNN:

Amanda Reimann, an iReporter and University of Georgia cheerleader, said she and her teammates heard a loud noise.

“It sounded like the fans were banging on the seats or stomping their feet, but it kept up and got a lot louder,” she said. “Then the ceiling of the Dome started waving, the giant TV screens were waving, and light fixures and dust started falling.

“My teammates and I thought it was a bomb but our coach came running for us and a security guy and said it was a tornado. We all ran for the locker room.”

TV news reports Friday night suggested Georgia Dome fans were moved to a more secure location in the Dome after the storm hit. The AJC reported fans were moved outside– and then back inside.

As another strong thunderstorm appeared to be approaching the downtown area, police and began to order everyone back inside the dome at 10:25 p.m. saying “another one is coming.”

The chronology of events was discussed by Weather Channel Senior Meteorologist Stu Ostro.

A tornado warning was issued at 9:30PM by the National Weather Service. That didn’t give the Georgia Dome much time to implement protective actions… but it appears as if the first signs of a tornado — and any game delay — occurred after 9:40PM.

According to the AJC:

Basketball fans inside the Dome reported seeing the large monitor over the court and some scaffolding swaying around 9:40 p.m., and then debris began falling from the roof inside the Dome as fans left their seats and huddled in the concourse looking for safety.

Fans were still in their seats when bolts began to fall from the ceiling. (AJC)

Complicating that scenario is damage to the Georgia Dome. The roof of the tarpaulin-covered facility rocked to and fro when roaring winds struck at about 9:40 p.m. with 2:28 remaining in overtime in the game between Alabama and Mississippi State. Huge steel tresses swayed two and three feet in each direction and at least four people —- most of them in the area of sections 106 and 107 near the center of the arena —- reported being narrowly missed by sheered off half-inch bolts that fell from the ceiling. A large panel of fabric on the north side of the building ripped in half, and 8-foot chunks of sheet metal fell onto the concrete stairs and sidewalks on that side of the building.

Someone should be asking: What plan did the Dome have? Who was in charge? Was there any coordination with the City, State, or Weather Service?