Police Investigate Storm-Related Fatality

Police in Alpharetta are investigating a storm-related fatality from the severe weather to hit North Fulton Friday night.

An elderly woman was found dead in a creek, having apparently first climbed into a drain pipe in fear of the storm.

Late in the evening at the height of the severe weather hitting the city, the Alpharetta 911 center took a call from a man saying his elderly wife was missing. The last contact the husband had with his wife is when she told her husband she was going to take shelter in a closet due to the weather, according to George Gordon, spokesman for the .

Alpharetta police officers responded to the scene and began to search the area.

At the same time, Alpharetta dispatchers contacted the regional hospitals and the cellular carrier of the missing woman in an attempt to find her location. She was not at any of the hospitals and her cellular device was cut off according to her cellular carrier. The call was cleared after an exhaustive search, Gordon said.

At daybreak, as weather conditions improved, Alpharetta 911 contacted the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and filed a request to activate the statewide “Mattie’s Call” alert system for the missing person.

Additionally Alpharetta police and fire went back at daybreak to continue speaking with the family and use the improved conditions to continue an area search. Alpharetta police and Alpharetta fire began another check of the area using approximately 25 public safety personnel.

"Sadly, the missing elderly female was found deceased," Gordon said.

The investigation continues.