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Looting Complaints After Storms
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Tornado victims in northwest Georgia are reporting thefts and scams in the wake of last week's deadly storms.
Buzz Weis of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency says, police have fielded six reports of looting, mainly in the hard-hit town of Ringgold.
"We have had reports about people who have reportedly been wearing FEMA shirts and asking people for money," Weis says.
Weis says, government workers will never ask for money and no one should pay for repairs up-front.
GEMA says, residents should report suspicious activities to authorities.
Meanwhile, when deadly storms last week cut power in North Georgia, public libraries helped fill a void.
The downtown Rome-Floyd County Library had power for days when more rural areas did not.
Library IT Director Dave Daniels says, about 1,000 people used library computers over the past week, when normally the number's about 300.
"Every outlet we had in the library in the public areas was full of people using laptops and trying to charge cell phones," Daniels says. "Mainly, a lot of Berry College and Shorter College students trying to complete homework and get their studies done as it's coming up to finals."
A Georgia Power spokesman says, the company yesterday restored electricity to all homes capable of receiving power.
Tags: Rome, Ringgold, GEMA, Georgia Emergency Management Agency, Catoosa County, library, computers, Floyd County, GPB News, cell phone, Georgia storms, Buzz Weis, Rome-Floyd County Public Library, Dave Daniels