Gusty winds lead to 2 fatal crashes; temps dropping

Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. High: 53

» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.

Two drivers have died Monday in crashes after gusty winds caused havoc in parts of metro Atlanta and North Georgia.

A single-car crash on Willeo Road in Roswell was reported shortly after 3 p.m. Roswell police spokeswoman Lisa Holland said the driver was killed after hitting a pole, knocking down power lines and going into water.

In Dawsonville, a driver was killed as a result of a tree falling on his vehicle. The man was an off-duty Fannin County firefighter, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Earlier, downed trees caused a power outage in Smyrna, and trees and wires were down on Chattahoochee Avenue south of Collier Road in northwest Atlanta.

Also, a Georgia Power employee was injured by a falling tree while working on power lines in Sandy Springs and was taken to a local hospital for treatment, company spokesman Jacob Hawkins said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with our employee and his family at this time,” Hawkins said.

Wind gusts earlier hit 32 mph and could reach up to 40 mph in isolated areas, according to Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns.

And temperatures are chilly. Currently, it’s 46 degrees in Atlanta.

Overnight, temps are expected to fall, and by Tuesday morning the mercury will hover around the freezing mark — but that wind will make it feels like it’s in the 20s, Channel 2 meteorologist Brad Nitz said.

But hold on, because next week the weather will warm up again, Burns said.

“A week from today you'll be in shorts and flip-flops with temps in the upper 70s to low 80s,” Burns said.