Atlanta weather | Minute-by-minute updates

1:44 a.m.: There are nine confirmed deaths in Georgia --  seven in Catoosa County and two in Dade County.

1:35 a.m.: Monroe County EMS reported three tractor trailers were blown off I-75 near exit 196 and there are people trapped in the trucks.

1:32 a.m.: The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning in effect until 1:45 a.m. for portions of Green, Clarke, Morgan, Oconee and Walton counties. The weather service radar picked up indications that a tornado had touched down in western Morgan County at 1:17 a.m.

1:29 a.m.: Power and phone service was knocked out in Upson County, according a radio station with a transmission tower near Thomaston. Ted Taylor, whose family owns WKEU in Griffin, said the hospital in Thomaston was operating on a generator. As for Spalding County, he said the western part was "devastated." There have been reports of people trapped in their cars and of mobile homes that flipped or had trees on them. At lest two businesses and a house "are gone," he said. "It's very bad," Taylor said.

1:20 a.m.: The Georgia Emergency Management Agency tweets that there are seven confirmed fatalities in Catoosa County.

1:18 a.m.: GEMA tweets that four chicken houses have been destroyed in Pickens County and approximately 80,000 to 100,000 chickens are loose.

1:14 a.m.: Spalding County suffered extensive damage, especially on the west side of the county, according to the 911 center. There are reports of injuries and entrapment.

1:12 a.m.: Gwinnett County fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge reports that firefighters had responded to several incidents in the previous hour -- a tree down on a house Fort River Way in Dacula, a tree on a car on Empire Circle in Lawrenceville and a tree across Ga. 316 eastbound near Sugarloaf Parkway in Lawrenceville. There have been no injuries and no reports of major damage.

1:03 a.m.: A tornado warning is in effect until 1:30 a.m. for Butts, Lamar and Monroe counties. The National Weather Service radar showed a tornado near Barnesville that was moving northeast at 45 mph.

1 a.m.: Georgia Power is reporting 27,000 residential and business customers without electricity in metro Atlanta. The total number of power outages across Georgia is 78,000.

12:41 a.m.: The National Weather Service lifted its alerts for devastated Northwest Georgia as all the fury of the storms focused on counties south of Atlanta.

12:33 a.m.: Paulding's emergency operation center has closed and the county has resumed normal operations, Sgt. Brandon Gurley of the Paulding County Sheriff's Office reports.

12:15 a.m.: The Georgia Emergency Management Agency reports 12 buildings in Ringgold collapsed, according to Channel 2 Action News. The station also reported that rescuers in Pickens County were having to cut paths through downed trees so they can walk to houses where people are trapped.

12:08 a.m.: The weather service issued a tornado warning for more central Georgia counties. A warning is in effect until 12:45 a.m. for all or portions of Henry, Coweta, Meriwether, Pike and Spalding counties.

11:59 p.m.: Due to wind and weather, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is experiencing departure "gateholds" and delays of between 15 and 30 minutes. Arrivals are still being delayed up to 15 minutes. And traffic destined for Newark International Airport from Atlanta is being delayed an average of one hour and 43 minutes.

11:59 p.m.: The National Weather Service said a tornado watch remains in effect for 61 counties in Central and North Georgia until 2 a.m.

11:53 p.m.: Gov. Nathan Deal said he expects the list of counties where an emergency has been declared to grow. Earlier Wednesday the governor called a state of emergency in Catoosa, Floyd, Dade and Walker counties."The state of emergency designation releases all state resources to respond to dire needs in the affected counties, and it empowers [GEMA] Director [Charley] English to bring together all the resources at our disposal so that we can take the lifesaving actions needed at this hour," Deal said. "Right now, we're seeing fatalities, injuries and serious property damage in northwest Georgia." The governor also said, "We encourage Georgians to take every precaution tonight, and we will keep those who have suffered greatly in our thoughts and prayers."

11:49 p.m.: Bartow County rescuers were having trouble because of poor radio service and were having to depend on cell phones, according to radio transmissions.

11:42 p.m.: Power has gone out in parts of the city of Atlanta, specifically the East Lake neighborhood in DeKalb County.

11:39 p.m.: Catoosa County authorities were trying to get to a 4-month-old who was dependent on life support equipment but was in danger because there was no electricity to run the machine, according to radio transmissions. At the same time, onlookers had begun gathering around houses that were damaged and empty. "We've got a lot of devastation and a lot of young people out just looking around and the next thing you know we have looting," one rescuer said.

11:33 p.m.: According to radio transmissions from Catoosa County, rescuers trying to reach people were hampered by trees across roads forcing them to search for alternate routes. Some responders were "on foot." There were numerous reports of broken bones and requests to check on houses where people may be trapped.

11:31 p.m.: The Georgia Emegency Management Agency reports that two people have died and two other injuries have been reported in Catoosa County. The agency also says a Super 8 Motel has been damaged and evacuated and that "major damage" has been reported at Ringgold High and Middle schools. A total of four people have been confirmed killed in Wednesday's storms.

11:21 p.m.: The National Weather Service had tornado warnings for all or portions of 18 counties stretching from central Georgia to the North Georgia mountains. Those counties included Bartow, Cherokee, Coweta, Dawson, Fannin, Fayette, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Habersham, Harris, Lumpkin, Meriwether, Pickens, Rabun, Towns, Troup and Union.

11:11 p.m.: The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning in effect until midnight for south and central Fulton, Coweta, Fayette and Heard counties. According to Channel 2 Action News, that storm is moving northeast at more than 50 mph.

11:08 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for Harris, Troup and Meriwether counties.

11:01 p.m.: Alabama emergency official reports the storms have killed 10 more people in the state, bringing the regional death toll to 64, the Associated Press reports.

11 p.m.: Georgia Power is reporting about 38,000 residential and business customers without electricity statewide. In metro Atlanta, about 800 customers are without electricity, spokesman Jeff Wilson said.

10:57 p.m.: PETA offers advice for taking care of pets during dangerous weather. The most important tip is to bring your pet with you when you seek shelter. Do not leave your pet tied up or confined outdoors.

10:52 p.m.: The Bartow County Fire Department reports people are trapped in damaged houses between Adairsville and Snow Springs.

10:50 p.m.: Two fire stations in Bartow County report seeing a tornado "on the ground" along Ga. 140, according to Channel 2 Action News.

10:47 p.m.: The National Weather Service issues a tornado warning in effect until 11:30 p.m. for all of Dawson and Pickens counties and for northern Cherokee County, southeastern Gilmer County, northeastern Bartow County and southeastern Gordon County.

10:43 p.m.: Cox Radio reporter Jamie Dupree tweets that President Obama has signed an emergency declaration for the state of Alabama after storms and tornadoes there.

10:43 p.m.: Gov. Nathan Deal has declared a state of emergency in several Georgia counties. Deal spokesman Brian Robinson told the AJC the state of emergency is being called now for Catoosa, Dade, Walker and Floyd counties at the request of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency. Robinson said the declaration frees up all necessary state resources to assist the hardest hit areas of the state.

10:36 p.m.: Metro Atlanta remains under a tornado watch until 2 a.m. as severe storms bear down on the region. The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for southwestern Cobb County as well as Douglas and Carroll counties. "High risk" areas of severe weather now include portions of metro Atlanta.

10:33 p.m.: Dade County EMS reported to the weather service that the town of Trenton was hit hard and several people were injured. Trauma centers are being activated.

10:31 p.m.: Tornado sirens reportedly going off in Cartersville.

10:30 p.m.: The National Weather Services reports extensive damage in Floyd, Haralson and Polk counties with trees and power lines down. Floyd County EMS said the damage includes 300 downed trees, 157 damaged houses and 13 damaged business. Thirty-two roads are closed. Shorter University and Berry College have lost power.

10:23 p.m.: Rep. Steve Davis, R-McDonough, says Rep. Martin Scott, R-Rossville, has confirmed to him that two people died earlier today in Dade County and that Rep. Jay Neal, R-Lafayette, has reported widespread damage in Walker County. Davis has been in touch with his colleagues across North Georgia.

10:21 p.m.: House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, said he has been in touch with Gov. Nathan Deal's office and "is confident in their response." "They are on top of this situation," Ralston told the AJC.

10:20 p.m.: Birmingham's mayor says a tornado has killed 15 people in his city, bringing the storm's death toll to 54 around the South, the Associated Press reports.

10:19 p.m.: According to the FAA, flights bound for New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport departing from Hartsfield won't be allowed to leave until after 10:30 p.m.

10:16 p.m.: Ralston, who is in Atlanta Wednesday night, said his thoughts are with all Georgians in the path of the storms. "While the state faces a tough night ahead, we have a great team in place to handle the response," Ralston's spokesman Marshall Guest said.

10:15 p.m.: Paulding County said it has opened a storm shelter at Lighthouse Church at 205 Pace Road in Hiram. People also can call 770-505-3681 for more precise directions or for information.

10:14 p.m.: The National Weather Service issues a tornado warning until 11:15 p.m. for Troup County and portions of southeastern Heard County. The weather service radar started tracking a tornado about 30 miles west of LaGrange, and it was moving to the northeast at 50 mph.

10:10 p.m.: Capt. Frank Reynolds with the Pickens County Sheriff's Office told Channel 2 Action News that several mobile homes have been damaged and there is an elderly woman who was injured when the storm passed over.

10:06 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for Lumpkin, Union and Towns Counties and northern White County and southeastern Fannin County. It is in effect until 11 p.m. Law enforcement reported a tornado northwest of Jasper just before 10 p.m. It was moving northeast at 55 mph.

10:05 p.m.: State Sen. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, said his home near Cartersville was threatened by a tornado and that he has been put on call by the Civil Air Patrol, according to Rep. Steve Davis, R-McDonough, who has been communicating with fellow lawmakers Wednesday night.

10:05 p.m.: Georgia Power is reporting about 35,000 residential and business customers are without power statewide. Most of the new outages are in Cartersville. Utility crews won't start restoring power until the threats of tornadoes and strong storms are gone. "We're not going to send crews out in those conditions," Georgia Power spokesman Jeff Wilson said.

9:58 p.m.: The Ringgold Waffle House, Krystal, Pizza Hut and Wendy's were damaged, and the McDonald's and Taco Bell were "wiped out," according to the EMS in Whitfield County, which is handling calls for Catoosa.

9:52 p.m.: Walker County EMS reports 50 damaged housed, including 30 that have been destroyed, in the Eagle Landing area near Flintstone. There are some minor injuries.

9:49 p.m: Whitfield County 911 confirms they are sending "mutual aide" crews to neighboring Catoosa County to help rescue people who have been trapped under collapsed restaurants -- McDonald's, Taco Bell and others -- that are along Ga. 155, the main road through Ringgold.

9:37 p.m.: Whitfield County EMS has received reports of damaged cars and "tossed" tractor trailers near the Ringgold exit off I-75 in Catoosa County.

9:34 p.m.: Channel 2 Action News meteorologist David Chandler says the next super cell racing across Alabama toward Georgia is moving at 75 mph. A tornado warning is issued for Cherokee, Dawson, Gilmer, Lumpkin, and Pickens Counties, and local law enforcement reported a funnel cloud spotting near Talking Rock.

9:30 p.m.: The Floyd County Emergency Management Agency reports the storm has destroyed a house near Cave Spring. The National Weather Service issues a tornado warning until 10:15 p.m. for Polk and Haralson Counties and for south Floyd County.

9:25 p.m.: The National Weather Service cancels the tornado warning for Paulding County.

9:23 p.m.: An emergency official says the storms have killed 25 people in Alabama, bringing the regional toll to 37, the Associated Press reports.

9:20 p.m.: The first storm moves out of the Cartersville area, and more are queued up in Alabama to take a similar routes, Channel 2 Action News reports.

9:19 p.m.: Paulding County Emergency Management has a storm shelter available for residents in need of a safer place to take cover. Individuals requiring shelter from the approaching storms are asked to call 770-505-3681 as soon as possible, authorities said.

9:16 p.m: Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport continues to hold flights scheduled to arrive in Atlanta on the ground in their departing airports due to high winds, according to the FAA. Meanwhile, the airport is experiencing departure delays of between 15 and 30 minutes. In particular, departures to the New York City area are being delayed by as much as four hours because of hazardous weather there.

9:15 p.m.: About 1,400 of the power-less are in metro Atlanta, Georgia Power said. Those outages likely are from falling trees or tree limbs because of the heavy winds. Georgia Power has 2.3 million residential and business customers, about half of which are in metro Atlanta.

9:12 p.m.: Alabama authorities report 22 people dead.

9:11 p.m.: Tornado sirens reported in Woodstock.

9:09 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for Bartow, Cherokee, Dawson, Pickens and Paulding Counties.

9:04 p.m.: @GeorgiaPower tweets service update -- 26,000 customers out statewide (14,100 Rome; 8,400 Trenton).

9:01 p.m.: Channel 2 Action News meteorologists said "super cells" should hit downtown Atlanta around 10 p.m. They also reported that the staff of the National Weather Service in Birmingham, Ala., has moved to tornado shelters.

8:58 p.m.: The National Weather Service has a tornado watch in effect until 2 a.m. for most of Georgia with the line starting at the Alabama line west of Americus and cutting northeastward through Eatonton to the South Carolina line east of Athens. The Floyd County Emergency Management Agency reports damage in the Cave Springs area off Ga. 100.

8:48 p.m.: As the storm raced toward Rome and Cedartown, Channel 2 Action News chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said hail was measuring 3 ¼ inches. He warns this is the first of several storms that will slam the state Wednesday night.

8:46 p.m.: Burns reports the "core of the storm" is about 15 miles from Rome. Warns of damaging hail. This is "loaded" with large hail.

8:20 p.m.: A tornado is reported on the ground in Gadsden, Ala., which prompted a tornado warning for Floyd County and the northern park of Polk County, including Cedartown, Channel 2 reports. The warning is in effect until 9:15 p.m.

7:39 p.m.: The Georgia Emergency Management Agency confirmed that one person was killed and 25 others injured in Dade County following strong storms earlier Wednesday.

7:31 p.m.: The storm is responsible for 12 unconfirmed deaths in Alabama, Channel 2 reports.

7:04 p.m.: A tornado warning is issued for Floyd, Polk and Haralson Counties.

7 p.m.: Cobb County opens Hayes Elementary School to mobile home residents.

6:50 p.m.: The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for 72 counties in North and Middle Georgia until 2 a.m. Thursday.

6:36 p.m.: Burns is tracking a tornado in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Several college dorms have been destroyed at the University of Alabama. A tornado watch has been issued for northwest Georgia.

6:30 p.m.: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was experiencing departure delays early Wednesday evening from between 46 minutes and an hour because of high winds, FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said. "High winds have been affecting traffic all day," Bergen said. Throughout the day, the FAA has initiated a traffic management plan that calls for "ground stops" -- holding flights destined for Hartsfield on the ground at other airports -- as well as holding flights departing from Atlanta on the tarmac.

3:42 p.m.: Cobb County invites residents from a Kennesaw mobile home community to spend the night at Hayes Elementary School.

1:35 p.m.: National Weather Service says the next round of severe weather should be approaching the northwest Georgia border around 6 p.m.

1:30 p.m.: Alabama governor declares state of emergency; 4 dead in state.

12:30 p.m.: Atlanta public schools cancel  all after-school athletic events and practices due to threatening weather conditions. All high school baseball games scheduled for Wednesday afternoon will be made up Thursday.

11:00 a.m.: A woman in Moody, Ala., was killed when a tree crashed into her mobile home, officials say.

10:22 a.m.: Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley preparing state of emergency declaration, officials say.

10:17 a.m.: Windows were blown out at Redmond Regional Medical Center in Rome; hospital operating on emergency generators.

10:15 a.m.: Georgia Power reports 27,000 customers without power, most in the Rome area.

9:53 a.m.: Extensive wind damage reported in Floyd, Gordon, Haralson and Dade counties. Roof was blown off a building in downtown Calhoun, the National Weather Service reported.

9:43 a.m.: Significant damage reported in the Rome area, with trees down on the campuses of Berry College and Shorter College.

9:40 a.m.: Thunderstorm warnings for metro area have expired.

9:30 a.m.: Tree reported down in Cherokee County, Turner Hill Road at North Arnold Mill Road.

9:15 a.m.: Severe thunderstorm warnings remain in effect for Cobb, Fulton, Clayton, Douglas, Coweta, Cherokee, Paulding, Gilmer, Pickens, Bartow, Gordon, Murray, Polk, Walker and Whitfield counties. The warnings expire at 9:30.

9:10 a.m.: News reports from Alabama report 100 mph winds, power out to more than 260,000 residences.

9:00 a.m.: Tweet from Georgia Power: We're monitoring the weather & will be ready to respond wherever crews are needed. To report an outage, call 888-891-0938.

8:57 a.m.: There are reports of widespread damage from storms in Floyd County, northwest of Atlanta, with many power lines down.