Thunderstorms were moving through the metro Atlanta area on Tuesday night, and some of them were packing a windy punch.
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch until 2 a.m. Wednesday for 38 counties in parts of central Georgia, excluding the metro area.
The severe thunderstorm warning that was issued earlier for the majority of the metro area expired at 10 p.m.
Though the storms were weakening around 9:30 p.m., heavy rain, lightning and strong wind gusts continued to be a problem, Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said.
Several trees were reported down throughout the metro Atlanta suburbs, including one on Gordon Combs Road in Marietta, where one person was injured after a tree fell on a house, Channel 2 reported. Another Marietta home located on Caission Drive was evacuated around 8:50 p.m. after a tree fell on the house.
Authorities received a call about a house fire on the 5000 block of Cowen Road in Acworth around 8:50 p.m., Cobb County Fire Department spokesman Denell Boyd said. He said around 9:45 p.m. there were no injuries in any of the incidents and the house fire was extinguished.
Channel 2 Action News reports another house fire occurred on Toonigh Road in Cherokee County after lightning struck the house. Authorities reported several other trees down in the area.
The Gwinnett County Fire Department also reported several trees that fell during the storm, including one on a home on Telfair Court in Suwanee. No injuries were reported, although trees reportedly fell onto Kilgore Road in Buford and Meadow Ridge Drive in Duluth, downing power lines.
“We are fortunate that the storms impact was minimal and that our residents are safe,” Gwinnett Fire Captain Tommy Rutledge said in a press release.
Officials in Fannin and Gilmer reported multiple 911 calls about fallen trees throughout the area. Floyd and Forsyth counties also had widespread reports of trees down.
According to a tweet posted by Channel 2 meteorologist Brad Nitz, Emory University sent out an alert claiming the campus was under a tornado warning around 9:15 p.m. The NWS did not issue any tornado warnings in the Atlanta area Tuesday evening.
Georgia Power was reporting nearly 30,000 customers without electricity late Tuesday night.
There is a 30 percent chance of rain Wednesday. Thursday, Friday and Saturday should be sunny and dry, but there’s another 30 percent chance of rain in Channel 2’s forecast for Sunday.
Afternoon highs will be in the low 90s through Friday and in the mid-90s Saturday through Sunday, with morning lows in the low to mid-70s.
Check here for the latest forecast.
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