WEATHER UPDATE: Kemp orders state of emergency after North Georgia storms

[8 p.m.]: A tornado was spotted in the Brookhaven area at 3:51 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. The storm is said to have touched down near Oglethorpe University and Peachtree Golf Club. The NWS has not said if anything was damaged.

It was the seventh report of a tornado the NWS is investigating in the state, but an analysis on wind speeds and damage has yet to be done.

Another tornado was reported in Warren County at 5:15 p.m., according to the Weather Service, and left debris blocking a road near the Ogeechee River.

The NWS said a tornado was confirmed by radar and damage reports on the southeast side of LaGrange at 3:37 p.m. Nearby, a second tornado was reported near Ridley Lake at the same time.

In Griffin, the NWS will be investigating reports of a tornado that caused significant damage to numerous structures at 4:26 p.m. Nearby, two other tornadoes were reported at 4:28 p.m. and knocked down several trees and flipped a semi-truck, the NWS reported.

Countless residents throughout the metro remain without power as efforts to fix downed power lines continue. Georgia EMCs are reporting that 40,000 people are without power in metro Atlanta. That number is lower for Georgia Power, at about 25,000 customers without power.

[7 p.m.]: Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency after severe weather stormed across the northern half of the state Thursday afternoon.

Reports of fallout continued to pile up in the hours after the quickly advancing storm left a disquieting calm around metro Atlanta. The Henry County School System will be closed Friday, though some employees will be asked to report to work.

In yet another demonstration of the strength of Thursday’s storms, three train cars were derailed in Butts County, blocking some intersections in the area north of High Falls State Park, officials said.

In Spalding County, where the 911 emergency contact system remains inoperable, officials have declared a local state of emergency. Authorities are continuing to use social media to communicate with residents and have been posting frequent updates.

Cobb County saw several instances of serious damage beyond the dramatic collapse of the wall of a truck parts warehouse. Cobb fire officials reported 18 damaged homes resulting in 14 displaced families, as well as multiple calls for downed power lines and trees across roads.

In Douglas County, most damage reported was minor, but a driver was trapped in their car when a tree fell on top of it, according to a county spokesman. Rescue workers had to cut the driver out of the car, but the scene was quickly cleared, the spokesman said.

[6:15 p.m.]: A trickle of damage reports from around metro Atlanta has transitioned into a flood of photos and videos showing downed trees, snapped power lines and damaged buildings as the National Weather Service shared reports of two radar-confirmed tornadoes in Troup and Spalding counties.

The NWS said a tornado was confirmed by radar and damage reports on the southeast side of LaGrange. In Griffin, the NWS will be investigating reports of a tornado that caused significant structural damage to numerous structures.

Elsewhere, photos from downtown McDonough show where a massive tree fell across Ga. 20, pulling down a power pole outside of an insurance brokerage. A tree also fell in a parking lot on Buford Highway in DeKalb County, barely missing two cars as it landed directly in between, Channel 2 Action News reported.

In some cases, county officials tasked with helping residents were left scrambling. Spalding County’s 911 system remains inoperable, and in Troup County the sheriff’s office warned residents not to get in their cars.

“We have no way to post all the roads that are shut down,” the Troup sheriff’s office said. “Please do not get on the roads!”

Troup officials said 20-30 homes had been destroyed in the storms, according to Channel 2, but no injuries have been reported. Red Cross volunteers will be arriving in the area to help with those displaced from their homes.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Credit: Channel 2 Action News

Closer to metro Atlanta, transportation authorities are playing a cat-and-mouse game with trees that are blocking roads. A downed tree blocking I-75 South in McDonough was cleared around 5:45 p.m. However, another tree was reported down in Gwinnett County where it blocks some lanes of Steve Reynolds Boulevard at Club Drive, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

According to Georgia Power’s outage map, about 25,000 customers are without power in core metro Atlanta counties, including Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton.

[5:40 p.m.]: “Just stay home right now,” Spalding County EMA Director Glenn Polk said late Thursday afternoon.

There were reports of numerous trees down and vehicle crashes around the county, he said. He had not been informed of any injuries, but crews were continuing to assess the damage.

[5:30 p.m.]: Amid physical damage left in the wake of strong storm systems around metro Atlanta, technical issues have affected Spalding County’s 911 emergency alert system, officials confirmed.

In addition to 911, calls to other phone numbers for the Spalding sheriff’s office and jail fail without ringing. County officials are using Facebook to communicate with citizens as a stopgap while they work to restore technical operations.

Serious damage was reported in Spalding, including to the Walmart and Hobby Lobby locations in downtown Griffin, according to Channel 2 Action News.

In DeKalb County, a downed tree blocks most of the ramp from I-285 South to I-20 East, forcing cars to move past on the shoulder. In Cobb, another downed tree crushed the roof of a single-family home, shattering some windows, Channel 2 reported.

[5:25 p.m.]: Storms ripped off the wall of a warehouse in the Austell area, according to Ross Cavitt, Cobb County communications director. The building is located on Oak Ridge Parkway, where fire crews earlier said they were working to clear roads in the area.

Numerous trees were also reported down in nearby neighborhoods, Cavitt said, adding that damage to homes had displaced nine people.

There were no reports of serious injuries, but one woman complained of chest pain.

[5:15 p.m.]: The last tornado warnings around metro Atlanta expired at 5:15 p.m. as the fast-moving storm front raked over North Georgia.

[4:50 p.m.]: Serious damage to a building in Austell was reported by Cobb County officials. Drivers are being asked to avoid the area of Blairs Bridge Road and Oak Ridge Parkway while firefighters and work crews clear the roads. In addition to damaged buildings, multiple downed trees have been reported, officials said.

[4:45 p.m.] A downed tree on I-285 South near Ga. 166 has been cleared, but another tree was reported down on I-75 South in McDonough just before Ga. 20 that left only one lane open, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

[4:35 p.m.]: Tornado warnings in Henry, Newton, Butts and Spalding counties have been extended until 5:15 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

A strong line of storms continued to barrel across North Georgia on Thursday afternoon, reaching speeds of up to 65 mph as the weather system advanced past metro Atlanta, Channel 2 Action News chief meteorologist Brad Nitz said. Swirling winds are expected in the areas under the tornado warning, even if no tornadoes touch down.

[4:15 p.m.]: New tornado warnings have been issued for metro Atlanta in Clayton, Newton, Henry and Rockdale counties, according to the National Weather Service.

The storms rushing across North Georgia have already torn through Fulton and DeKalb counties, with the most dangerous winds leading the system now hitting counties further east of Atlanta, Channel 2 Action News chief meteorologist Brad Nitz said.

The new tornado warnings will remain in effect until 4:45 p.m., according to the NWS.

Warnings also remain in effect for Meriwether, Spalding and Pike counties south of Atlanta.

[4 p.m.]: Tornado warnings in the metro Atlanta area have been canceled as quick-moving storms continue to blow across North Georgia.

The warnings lasted just a few minutes as the weather system moved west to east at about 45 mph, according to Channel 2 Action News chief meteorologist Brad Nitz.

Severe weather threats still remain as strong winds and heavy rain beat down on the region, particularly affecting ground and air travel. The weather station at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport measured winds of up to 60 mph, Nitz said.

Hundreds of flights have been delayed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Thursday. More than 270 Delta or Delta Connection flights through Atlanta have been delayed, or about 18% of the airline’s scheduled flights in Atlanta. Southwest has more than 45 delays in Atlanta, or about 24% of its schedule here. A handful of flights on each airline have been canceled, and a ground stop remains in effect for the Atlanta airport.

Reports of damage are already appearing on social media, including downed trees and snapped power lines, Nitz said. A downed tree is blocking most of I-285 South near the exit for Ga. 166, causing traffic backups on the Perimeter’s outer loop, the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center reported.

[3:45 p.m.]: The National Weather Service issued tornado warnings in metro Atlanta.

Fulton and DeKalb counties are now under tornado warnings, with a specific focus on East Point, College Park and Panthersville, according to Channel 2 Action News chief meteorologist Brad Nitz. The tornado warning will remain in effect until 4:15 p.m.

[UPDATE 3:15 p.m.]: Tornado warnings have been issued for multiple west Georgia counties as a strong line of storms moves toward the metro Atlanta area Thursday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

The warnings have been issued for Heard and Troup counties, both along the Alabama state line, as well as Meriwether County. The warnings for Troup and Meriwether will remain in effect until 4:15 p.m.

In the metro area, the NWS issued a special weather statement for several metro area counties, including Cobb, Cherokee, Douglas and Fulton, warning of strong storms, 40-50-mph winds and pea-sized hail.

Serious tornadoes already swept through northern Alabama, including Selma, where the city’s mayor reported “significant damage,” CNN reported.

Those storms continued over the state line into Georgia, with one funnel cloud dissipating north of LaGrange while a second developed just south of the city, according to the WSB 24-hour Weather Center.

[ORIGINAL STORY]: After several days of clear, sunny weather, it’s time for storms to visit metro Atlanta again.

“No storms to worry about early on. It’s gonna be a mild day (Thursday).” Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said. “We’re in the upper 60s, but when you’re talking about chances for storms in January, upper 60s and near 70, that’s not the best thing. That means our storms are going to have some energy as they come on in” and cold air mixes with the unseasonably warm air.

Around noon, that line of strong and severe storms will start to reach North Georgia as a cold front pushes the warmer air eastward. By about 3 p.m., they’ll be in Atlanta. There will be about five to six hours of storms, Monahan said, with a severe weather risk at a level three of five.

That means there is a low-to-moderate risk of brief, spin-up tornadoes, a moderate-to-high risk of damaging wind gusts and a high flood risk with about half an inch to an inch of rain possible.

“It doesn’t sound like much, but after all the rain we saw last week, it will not take much to cause some additional flooding for today, so an inch of rain certainly could do that,” Monahan warned.

There is a 5% risk of a brief tornado forming across much of the state.

“That sounds low, but when we talk about tornadoes, that’s actually an elevated risk,” Monahan said. “Tornadoes aren’t all that common to begin with, so you talk about 5%, that means we have a higher-than-average risk of brief, spin-up tornadoes today.”

By 7 p.m., most of the severe weather will be done, and much colder air will be setting in with lows dipping into the upper 20s and low- to mid-30s over the weekend and a little-to-no chance of rain.

It’ll be chilly, but otherwise great, sunny weather in Athens for Saturday’s parade to celebrate Georgia’s second consecutive national championship win, according to the forecast. The high is projected to be 50 degrees in the Classic City.

The parade will begin making its way down Lumpkin Street to Sanford Stadium at 12:30 p.m. followed by the Dawg Walk at 1 p.m. and a special program inside the stadium at 2 p.m.

Channel 2 Action News will broadcast the parade and ceremony.

Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi contributed to this article.

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