Strong storms are moving into Georgia from the south and west Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, Channel 2 Action News meteorologists said.
Mississippi officials have identified a man killed when a mobile home was struck by an apparent tornado.
Ahead of that line of storms, which is expected to hit the Alabama/Georgia state line at 11 p.m., is another front that is producing supercell thunderstorms with lots of lightning, Chief Meteorologist Glenn Burns said.
The greatest risk areas for severe storms are parts of the metro south of I-20 to the southwest of Atlanta. That area is expected to see the best chance for isolated tornadoes and severe storms.
With scattered showers already reported across the metro area, the risk for strong and severe storms is expected to go up after midnight, meteorologist Brad Nitz said.
“The storms moving into parts of the metro area could pack a punch,” he said.
A flash flood watch that began at 6 p.m. Tuesday will continue through 6 p.m. Wednesday in metro Atlanta, meteorologist Karen Minton said. River, stream and creek flooding is possible as part of that watch.
Drowning is the number one cause of flood deaths, said Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Ralph Hudgens. Most of these drownings occur during flash floods.
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security announced shortly before 6 p.m. it is monitoring the storm system forecast to move into and across Georgia.
The agency said citizens should prepare for severe weather that has the potential to bring damaging winds, scattered tornadoes, golf-ball size hail and flooding to much of the state.
“As we continue to see weather that brings a variety of threats to Georgia, we want to remind everyone to stay informed and make a plan,” GEMA/HS Director Jim Butterworth said. “Before severe weather hits is the best time to prepare and help ensure the safety of your family.”
Atlanta faces high risks of flooding and wind gusts that could top 60 mph in southwest areas of the metro area, Nitz said. That could lead to downed trees and power lines overnight.
“We’re talking damaging wind gusts, isolated tornadoes not out of the question and locally very heavy rain fall,” Nitz said.
Isolated tornadoes are even possible, Nitz said.
“The main area of concern would be from Carrollton down toward LaGrange, maybe toward Griffin a little bit,” Burns said. “And it should be all gone by the morning commute.”
The threat of severe weather prompted Carrollton City district officials to a delay the start of school by two hours Wednesday, according to a post on the system's Facebook page.
The metro area could receive between 1 and 3 inches of rain through Wednesday. However, some spots in metro Atlanta and the northeast Georgia mountains could receive higher amounts of rainfall, meteorologists said.
The mountains could even see a little snow Wednesday night into Thursday morning, Nitz said.
“Then we clear, and [temperatures] turn colder for all of us with lows near freezing for Friday and Saturday,” Nitz said.
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