Intense severe storms that rolled into metro Atlanta on Tuesday evening and stayed for hours overnight left behind a trail of damage and at least three confirmed tornadoes.
The front, which led to widespread flooding, also produced numerous tornado watches across the state. An EF0 tornado was confirmed to have touched down in Coweta County, according to the National Weather Service.
It hit in the area of Sullivan Road just east of Newnan on Tuesday evening, with maximum winds of 80 mph.
“My back door started slamming open and shut, and I said, ‘Oh, we got to go.’ I went to look out the window, and I could see the wind kind of twirling,” Newnan resident Brian Moose told Channel 2 Action News. “My wife Ellen said, ‘Get away from there.’ So I did, and then it was over in about 15, 20 seconds ... This one missed us by three houses.”
Credit: WSBTV Videos
No injuries were reported, even though a tree fell on top of an occupied car, according to the news station.
Another tornado, an EF1, was confirmed in Heard County along Roosterville Road, where a single-wide mobile home was leveled Wednesday morning. No one was inside at the time.
The tornado, which was on the ground for more than two miles just after 5 a.m., had wind gusts as high as 105 mph. It was estimated at about 100 yards wise, Channel 2 reported.
“My mind was blown,” neighbor Jaden Williamson told Channel 2. “It was just straight up banging and then, like, a loud gush of wind.”
The NWS also confirmed an EF1 in Washington County, just north of Sandersville, that touched down at about 8:50 a.m. Wednesday. A survey team determined it had maximum winds of 100 mph and was on the ground for nearly four miles.
The latest weather problems came just a week after much of the state was dealing with sub-freezing temperatures that left many with burst pipes and without power.
Flooding was the major concern this time.
Several Atlanta roads and portions of interstates had standing water Wednesday morning. Just on I-285, at least five areas had flooding that caused all or partial lane closures, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.
All of Atlanta Memorial Park was underwater Wednesday morning, and many waterways, including Peachtree Creek, were flooded due to heavy downpours that brought 3 to 5 inches of rain to parts of North Georgia.
On Glen Street just past Humphries Street in southwest Atlanta, cars became submerged as they tried to go under a railroad overpass where water had pooled. The area is not far from Rosa L. Burney Park.
Elsewhere, a MARTA bus driver made the questionable decision to trudge through standing water along Pollard Boulevard. Several routes were canceled or delayed due to flooding.
And in Athens, a sinkhole swallowed a sedan. Police said Olympic Drive suffered major damage between Hancock Industrial Boulevard and Athena Drive, and photos showed the car teetering between two remaining stretches of road before tipping into the hole.
After hours of rain, a cold front moved into the area, ushering in cooler, dry air that made for a sunny Wednesday afternoon.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
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