Metro Atlanta was ransacked by intense overnight storms, resulting in widespread power outages and property damage. The havoc wreaked by the storms left over 1,700 people without electricity yesterday. The most severe outages were in Riverdale, affecting over a thousand people, though repairs to most power lines have since been rectified.
Residents were caught off guard by the tempest, with Tracey Smith, one resident in the wrath of the storm, awaking to a "loud boom" which, turned out to be a colossal tree falling into her yard—narrowly missing her children's bedroom. "I'm just glad my father God was with me and he protected me," Smith recounted to Atlanta News First. "He held a shield over this house, I swear ... We are blessed we still got a home, somewhere to lay our head." Another household was not as fortunate, with a large tree splitting their roof, as reported by Cobb County fire officials, who fortunately confirmed there were no injuries.
Meanwhile, during the tumultuous night, 11Alive StormTrackers were alert to the risk of severe weather, including possible tornadic activity. Even though Atlanta's metro area had been assigned low-risk levels, complete safety was not guaranteed. Post-storm, meteorologists warned of a cold front leading to falling temperatures and returning winter chills.
Throughout the ordeal, updates were consistently provided. By 8:40 a.m., the tornado watch for the remaining counties had been called off, though showers were expected to linger. Earlier, at 7:49 a.m., significant tree falls on homes and powerlines were documented in Marietta, and although the initial tornado watch for specified counties was scheduled to expire at 9 a.m., the severe weather threat had passed, as 11Alive reported.
As the community seeks to recover, Georgia Power provides an online live map for tracking power outages, and residents are encouraged to stay aware through updates via weather applications.
