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State officials confirm at least 2 killed during devastating Georgia storms

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
Updated  January 13, 2023 8:18pm EST
Georgia
FOX 5 Atlanta

Kemp, Georgia officials give update on storm relief

Georgia Gov. Kemp and emergency officials shared an update on relief efforts after the severe storms and tornadoes hit the state Thursday.

ATLANTA - State officials confirmed at least two people are dead after storms left destruction in their wake on Jan. 12. 

Director of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency James Stallings said a 5-year-old was killed when a tree fell on a car and another person died elsewhere. The second person was a state employee. Both deaths were the result of falling debris.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Friday that a state Department of Transportation worker was killed while responding to storm damage. The Walker County sheriff identified the state employee as Sean Kornacki, 40, of LaFayette.

The sheriff says Kornacki was at a location off Georgia Highway 193 attempting to clear a tree with a chainsaw when the tree fell on top of him, killing him instantly. A deputy, who had been blocking traffic along the road, went up the embankment to where the worker was to check on him and found his body pinned under the tree.

Kemp said it would take some time for emergency crews to completely assess damage. Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and other state leaders toured tornado damage from a helicopter on Friday.

Butts County officials said Thursday night the child died after a tree fell on the vehicle in which he was riding. 

Butts County 5-year-old dies when tree falls on vehicle

Deputy County Manager J. Michael Brewer says it happened in the north end of the county near Jackson Lake.

"The five-year-old has a critically injured parent inside," Stallings said.

Right now, hospitals are dealing with dozens of injuries from the storm's fallout. 

"We've got a lot of injuries. … the two fatalities are all we have right now," 

Weather officials confirmed multiple tornadoes touched down in Georgia, including in Spalding and Butts counties. The same powerful storm system killed at least six people in Alabama.

Associated Press contributed to this report.