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RELEASE: Thursday, May 6, 1999, 10 p.m. Severe Thunderstorm Leaves Flamingos DeadBARNES PLACE, ATLANTA, GA--A severe thunderstorm with high winds, heavy rains and golf ball-sized hail ripped through Midtown Atlanta early this morning, reeking havoc on Barnes Place and leaving two pink lawn flamingos dead. No other casualties were reported. The storm brought a solid line of severe thunderstorms across Northern Georgia, including Metro Atlanta. Two funnel clouds were reported, although none touched down. Hitting during the height of the morning rush hour, traffic was immobilized and thousands were left without power as wind gusts reach up to 46 m.p.h. Power was interrupted at Barnes Place momentarily, activating the emergency power systems and disrupting Blanche, Barnes Place's mainframe computer system. The two pink lawn flamingos who fell victim to this meteorological phenomenon were grazing in the Flamingo Grove, a flamingo habitat created at Barnes Place. During the most intense moments of the storm, an inflatable lounge chair on the porch was scooped up into the air and tossed into the center of the Grove. The two flamingos were crushed to their death by the rickie tickie floral covered plastic inflatable chair. Other damage was done to the porch area and gardens at Barnes Place and the basement has flooded, however, no one else was injured. A lawn duck was reported missing mid-afternoon. A seach-and-rescue team with a duck-shit sniffing dachshund was sent out to comb the neighborhood. By early evening the duck had been recovered from three-doors down and returned to the safety of the Barnes Place Flower Bed. Crews were called in immediately to restore the natural beauty of Barnes Place. While a majority of the clean up has been completed, efforts were hampered by the continuous rain throughout the day and evening. It will take crews through the weekend to complete the clean up. Director of Ambiance for Barnes Place, Timothy State, said Barnes Places will still host the Barbie-Que, a tribute to Barbie on her 40th Birthday this coming Saturday evening. "While we are saddened by the death of the two precious flamingos, we are now realizing we are coming up short on chicken, so the timing is just right," added State. The Flamingo Grove habitat was created to draw attention to the plight of the pink flamingo. The pink flamingo, unlike any other lawn ornament, has emerged from the days where it was viewed as a depressing form of low-class landscape design. Today, the industry is experiencing a flamingo boom and the blow-molded flamingos are selling more than 250,000 per year. The Barnes Place flock originally numbered nine, however, this morning's tragedy has wiped out over 20-percent of the population. Those interested in helping to bolster the pink flamingo population can send their contributions to the Barnes Place Conservation Efforts, Barnes Place, Atlanta, GA. The Barnes Place Conservation Efforts work to preserve American Kitsch for future generations. Flamingo ReboundEvent PhotosLost Dishes
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tim.state@barnesplace.com © Timothy State, 1999 |