March 14, 2008 - A trail of uprooted and broken trees, downed utility lines, peeled-off roofs and collapsed brick walls marked the path of a tornado that tore through downtown Atlanta. The National Weather Service confirmed late Saturday morning that an EF-2 tornado with winds up to 130 mph struck the city Friday night. Trees blown down in Friday night's storm crushed a row of houses in the city's historic Cabbagetown district just east of downtown. Cabbagetown was among the hardest-hit communities. When daylight broke Saturday, residents woke up, looked around at the damage and were in shock. Initial estimates from the mayor's office said at least 20 of the historic homes were damaged or destroyed by the tornado. The top floor collapsed at one building in the Fulton Cotton Mill Lofts, a 104-year-old industrial complex redeveloped into residences. Roofs were torn from homes and businesses. 100+ year old trees crushed homes, took out sidewalks, streets and water lines. It will take a lot of work to clean up and even more to re-build.