Strong and quick-moving thunderstorms plowed through downtown Atlanta on Thursday afternoon, flooding roads, impacting college students and prompting the evacuation of one of the city’s premier attractions.

According to city officials, rain gauges show that about three hours’ worth of rain came down in just 15 minutes in some areas of downtown Atlanta.

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Atlanta police investigate a fatal shooting on Cornell Boulevard early Monday. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

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