Heavy rain that drenched north Georgia overnight moved east of Atlanta by daybreak. And a flash flood watch posted for all of metro Atlanta was dropped for all but the far eastern suburbs before 5 a.m., and for Gwinnett, Rockdale and Newton counties just before 7 a.m.
Overnight rain totals: Rainfall totals of 3 to 4 inches were common across an area of Georgia east of Macon, while closer to Atlanta, rainfall totals ranged from .91 inch in Chamblee, 1 inch in Dunwoody and 1.11 inches in Marietta to 1.98 inches in Cartersville and 2.14 inches in Gainesville. Atlanta's official rain gauge at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport recorded 1.23 inches of rain through 6 a.m. today.
Overnight damage reported: There were isolated reports of downed trees scattered throughout north and central Georgia, and the National Weather Service reported early today that a "likely tornado" left a 2-mile path of downed trees and utility poles near Homer in Banks County just after midnight. In northern Cherokee County, Ga. 108 was closed between Waleska and Ga. 20 because of fallen trees. In Gwinnett County, lightning sparked a house fire near Lawrenceville just before 11 p.m. Wednesday. No injuries were reported from the overnight storms.
Cooler weather on tap: Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said skies will clear during the afternoon, but highs today will only reach the upper 60s, well below Wednesday's high of 82. Friday will be sunny but cooler, with morning lows around 47 and afternoon highs in the low 70s. Check today's full weather report and track changes.
Weekend outlook: There's a 20 percent chance of rain Saturday and Sunday, according to Minton. Highs will be in the mid-70s Saturday and low 70s Sunday, with lows in the low 50s.
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