Thunderstorms that moved through metro Atlanta overnight apparently sparked a fire that destroyed a historic century-old church in downtown Winder, and forecasters are warning that another round of storms could break out Friday afternoon.
No injuries were reported in the blaze, which broke out around 11 p.m. Thursday at the Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit church on West Candler Street in the Barrow County town.
"When I got here, the roof was gone and everything was on fire," Pastor Philip Adair told Channel 2 Action News.
Just before daybreak Friday, firefighters continued to pour water on hot spots in the charred remains of the church, which Adair said was built in 1904.
"Around the time of the fire, we did have some heavy lightning in the area," Winder fire Chief Matt Whiting said. "That's definitely going to be a cause that we're going to look into."
That lightning came from storms that swept through north and central Georgia overnight, causing scattered wind damage in the Macon area, according to the National Weather Service.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Karen Minton said there's a 50/50 chance of more storms Friday afternoon. The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center put most of north Georgia, including all but the far southern suburbs of metro Atlanta, under a slight risk for severe storms, with high winds being the greatest threat.
Afternoon highs on Friday should be in the around 93 degrees.
Minton said the chance of rain is 30 percent on Saturday, when highs will be around 92. Sunday should be mostly sunny and dry, with highs around 93.
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