Dougherty County memorial to victims of 2017 tornado unveiled at Radium Springs – The Albany Herald

ALBANY On the evening of Jan. 22, 2017, Leon Gohman was looking forward to watching an Atlanta Falcons playoff game after evening church services. Instead, after receiving a warning, he and wife Patricia found themselves hunkered down in the bathroom with their two dogs due to threatening weather.

When a powerful tornado hit the Radium Springs area, it sent a tree limb through the roof of the Gohmans house on Holly Drive, fatally wounding Patricia, who died four days later.

On Thursday, Dougherty County officials dedicated a memorial to Patricia Gohman and the four other county residents who died in the storm.

Wed been married for 51 years, Gohman said. We lived in the home for 25 years.

The memorial unveiled on Thursday is a white column with a piece of steel wrapped around it. The names and birth dates of Patricia Ann Gohman, retired USAF Maj. Paul J. Freeman, Cathay McMahan Mosley, James Edward Mosley and Oscar Reyna are engraved on the steel.

I think its a nice remembrance, Gohman said.

The memorial sits next to the renovated gazebo and near the renovated ticket booth on the site where the former Radium Springs casino stood. The casino was torn down after it was struck by a fire and inundated by floodwaters in 1994 and 1998.

(They) talked about it back in the past; it was so beautiful, Gohman said of the site. Its becoming that way again, but its very different.

This year the county received $1.5 million in funding from the state to renovate a historic bridge that will be part of a trail system that begins at the former golf course nearby and eventually will connect the area to downtown Albany.

Dougherty County Administrator Michael McCoy recalled during the ceremony being in the nearby emergency management center when the tornado struck. Afterward, he and other officials walked through a wooded area to get their first view of the aftermath.

We could hear destruction ripping all around us, he said. It didnt last long, but it seemed like an eternity. We had no idea what we would find when we emerged.

Looking all around us, we saw nothing but destruction. We heard, at a distance, people in distress, but we could not get to them. The loss of lives was terrible.

Soon after the disaster, McCoy said, County Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas suggested placing a monument at the county-owned site, and the gazebo area became the natural spot to place it.

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We had to do something that would have meaning so their lives would be remembered forever, McCoy said. May it serve as a reminder for years and decades to come that they are still with you.

Cohilas recalled taking a group from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources on a tour of the site less than a week before the tornado struck and the contrast to the storms aftermath.

The place looked absolutely beautiful; the water was pristine, he said. It was fascinating, and it was beautiful, and then five days later

I remember being overwhelmed and overcome by the destruction. I was awestruck by how much devastation could happen so fast.

The memorial is intended to be part of the renewal of the area near the blue hole spring, the largest natural spring in the state and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Georgia. The gazebo area includes benches and will be a place for reflection.

The county is dedicated to the renovation of the park, which includes recreation and exercise facilities, for years to come, Cohilas said.

Today is a happy day, he said. It is also a somber day because we are remembering and acknowledging those citizens who lost their lives. While we celebrate the refurbishing of Radium Springs, (I) think we should also remember and keep in our hearts our citizens who died that day.

Our hope for this memorial is it will serve as an eternal reminder, not only to the lives that were lost but to the spirit of Dougherty County. This is publicly owned space. It is available to anyone, and I think that is very important.

The spring and much of the surrounding land is owned by the state, while the county owns the site where the former casino stood and an adjacent park.

Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler recalled one detail of when he arrived in the area after the storm a child of 2 or 3 who was alone and dressed only in a T-shirt.

He was asking: Wheres my mama? he said.

This community lost on that day a father, a brother, a friend, a neighbor, Dougherty County Commissioner Victor Edwards said. This memorial will not restore your loved one, but it will stand as a symbol of love to your loved one. To the family members, I hope today this will bring a smile and happy thought of the family member you lost.

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Dougherty County memorial to victims of 2017 tornado unveiled at Radium Springs - The Albany Herald