Tornado confirmed in North Georgia storm that damaged Gilmer County
A tornado was confirmed among the strong storms that rattled North Georgia on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
“Survey teams were sent out to assess damage from this week’s severe storms,” the agency posted on social media. “So far, we have 2 confirmed EF-1 tornadoes with the results of a third assessment in north Georgia pending.”
The storms brought widespread rain to metro Atlanta throughout the morning, prompting a tornado watch and ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The Gilmer County school district canceled Friday classes due to “ongoing road conditions and power outages.”
TORNADO SAFETY
Here are tips from the National Weather Service if there is a tornado threat in your area.
- Understand the difference between a tornado watch and a warning. A watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop but there is not an imminent threat. A warning means a tornado has been detected and there is a threat to life and property.
- Know your exact location so you can monitor storm activity via radio, TV or internet.
- Make sure all of your devices are fully charged and have backup batteries.
- If a tornado has been spotted near you, move to the lowest, most interior room of a building. This could be a basement or a closet, bathroom or hallway. If you can, try to get under a sturdy piece of furniture. You want to put as many walls as possible between you and the outside.
- Stay away from windows.
- If you’re in a vehicle, get out. Do not try to outrun a tornado. If you’re caught outside or in a vehicle, lie flat in a nearby ditch and cover your head with your hands.
- Mobile homes are not safe. If you live in one, try to get to a storm shelter or another more sturdy building.
In southwest Atlanta, three trees were toppled or snapped in half along Cherokee Avenue near Grant Park, bringing a couple of power poles down with it, Channel 2 Action News reported.
John McVeigh, who lives in the area, was walking his dogs at the same time the trees fell.
“The wind picked up for probably five or 10 minutes,” he told Channel 2. “Kinda crazy, these guys — these dogs — were terrified and hid inside, and next thing I know, the trees were down.”
No one was hurt, and the trees didn’t hit any homes or vehicles.
Hurricane Helene
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Helene storm photos from Atlanta and Georgia | Photos from North Carolina and Tennessee
The storms were part of a deadly system that delivered torrential rain and tornadoes across the country this week, from the Plains to the Midwest and now the southeastern U.S., the Associated Press reported. At least four people died.
At least three people were killed in storms that spawned damaging tornadoes and massive hail in Tennessee and North Carolina, according to the AP.
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About the Author
Rosana Hughes is an award-winning bilingual (fluent in Spanish) journalist with a passion for explanatory public service journalism. She has been a reporter on the breaking news team since January 2022.
