Olympic Monuments on the Ground as Atlanta Measures Tornado Damage

(ATR) Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta is closed until further notice while damage from weekend tornadoes is assessed, spokesmen tell Around the Rings. Other key venues during the 1996 Games suffered heavy damage.

Two of the park’s eight lighted pillars known as the Hermes Towers crashed to the ground Friday night during a tornado with winds as high as 135 mph.

The storm broke windows and inflicted serious damage to CNN Center and the Georgia World Congress Center across the street. Debris -- including luggage sucked from rooms at the Omni Hotel -- littered the park after the twister.

Three days later, the main public space for the 1996 Games was closed as more than 50 workers continued to collect the smallest pieces of shattered glass, metal shards and other potentially dangerous debris.

Statues of Pierre de Coubertin, Atlanta Games leader Billy Payne and athletes in the Park appear intact.

"At the moment, we have not identified any damage yet," says park spokeswoman Nicole Rateau of the statues.

But the full assessment is still underway and a park opening date will not be named until that is done, she tells Around the Rings.

"We want to get it open again as soon as possible," she says.

Lawns and plazas are closed to the public, but pedestrians may walk along Andrew Young International Boulevard, which bisects the park.

The funnel cloud first touched down near the Georgia Dome, just southwest of Centennial Olympic Park. It skipped roughly northeastward toward the Park, hitting the Georgia World Congress Center and CNN Center along the way. It damaged other downtown buildings and a residential area further east before dissipating.

The Georgia Dome, venue for gymnastics and basketball in 1996, suffered a hole ripped in the roof as fans were inside at a basketball game. No serious injuries were reported.

The Georgia World Congress Center, host venue for fencing, judo, table tennis, weightlifting, wrestling and handball, suffered exterior damage, some broken windows and water damage inside.

The Omni Hotel at CNN Center, just across from the park, is among the worst-hit buildings. It must close more than 450 rooms for two weeks due to broken windows and other damage.

The storm forced the closure of a travelling sports photography exhibit, which had been set up in the park.

With reporting by Maggie Lee in Atlanta. The Golden 25 special edition magazine is now available in PDF. Click here to see who will be most influential in the Olympic Movement in 2008.