Thursday evening’s storms were typical for hot summer nights, and the same could happen Friday.
Channel 2 Action News chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said there is a 40 percent chance of storms Friday afternoon, which should die down after the heat of the day dissipates.
Friday morning’s low is expected to be in the mid-70s, with a high of 90, Burns said.
Weather-related fires along with downed trees and power lines kept emergency responders in metro Atlanta busy Thursday night.
By 10:50 p.m., the number of Georgia Power customers without electricity had dropped to almost 12,000, but has been as high as 21,000, thanks to pop-up storms that lingered well into the evening.
In the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta, multiple trees were down and some homes and vehicles were damaged, fire department spokeswoman Janet Ward said.
“When I saw all of the debris, I had a bad feeling,” said Richard Kiggins, who lives on Bryan Street and was returning home from dinner. “And sure enough, we pulled up and I saw the tree.”
Kiggins said the family’s three cats were safe and the material things in the home can be replaced.
“We were very luck that we weren’t home,” he said. “The tree went through the attic and into the living room. If we had been in one of those rooms, someone could have been injured.”
Gwinnett firefighters answered calls involving several reports of wires down, a tree on an apartment building that displaced 15 residents, and a house fire started by lightning, according to fire spokesman Capt. Tommy Rutledge.
In Alpharetta, firefighters quickly knocked down two structure fires where weather may have been the culprit. Spokesman George Gordon said lightning strikes are suspected, but unconfirmed.
About the Author
