As metro Atlanta dusted itself off after a bout of severe weather Monday night, it also braced itself for and even stronger system -- with the potential for tornadoes and supercell thunderstorms -- expected to enter the area Wednesday afternoon.
News of the storms had officials across the area running through preparations. For example, in Austell, authorities ordered a couple of flimsy-looking, hallowed-out trees cut down Tuesday after earlier storms felled two others.
"We just wanted to make sure they didn't cause us any trouble," Austell Mayor Joe Jerkins said.
Channel 2 Action News meteorologist David Chandley said the latest band of storms should hit the area about 2 p.m. Wednesday, bringing a strong chance for isolated tornadoes and thunderstorms.
"This could be quite an outbreak" of storms, Chandley said.
Some parts of metro Atlanta were still recovering from a band of violent weather that passed through Monday, taking down trees and power lines.
About 9,200 Georgia Power customers lost power overnight, with most of those in the Paces Ferry and Bolton Road areas. Other areas that reported problems included Marietta Road, Foxcroft Road at Dumbarton Court near West Paces Ferry, and on Willis Mill Road at Cascade Road in southwest Atlanta, where police dispatchers reported that a tree had fallen on a car, injuring the driver.
Lightning was blamed on two fires in Gwinnett County, where a shed behind a Buford home was destroyed. Trees were also reportedly knocked down in Lawrenceville and Lilburn.
But that was all expected to be a prologue to a much nastier, stormier Wednesday.
Though some local officials believe storm activity has been more frequent in recent weeks, Chandley said metro Atlanta is actually going through a relatively normal period of weather this year. But other areas in the so-called Dixie Alley -- a swath of the country that reaches from parts of North Georgia to Arkansas -- have suffered through an atypical run of tornadic activity this spring.
"What they're experiencing is unusual," Chandley said. "What we've had hasn't been that uncommon."
Regardless, emergency management officials in Cherokee County spent much of Tuesday running through their contingency plans: They tested outdoor warning sirens, had a conference call with authorities throughout the county and recorded a public briefing that residents could check out on the county's website.
After enduring three consecutive years of tornadoes, the county's director of emergency management said residents had to be prepared for the worst.
We just need to stay out in front of things," Robby Westbrook said. "We're hoping this year isn't the fourth year in a row."
Even those who might see a short-term financial gain from a storm weren't eager to see it.
Tim McLoughlin, the owner of a Strockbridge-based roofing company, didn't want any part of such a windfall.
Hail and fallen trees could mean more battered roofs, but that means he won't be fixing them later.
"That's not good work," McLoughlin said. "It disrupts the process. We want a normal flow of work."
Storms and trees
Fallen trees can weigh tons and pose a deadly risk during storms. A tree killed a 21-year-old Atlanta man earlier this month when it crushed his car, and another driver was injured Monday under similar conditions.
Arborists advise property owners to have their large trees checked by a professional every couple of years, or immediately if they notice any root rot or apparent disease.
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