Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency Thursday evening following the damaging storms that moved through Georgia.
Just before 10 p.m., Georgia Power reported 16,000 metro customers were without power and 30,000 statewide.
A tornado warning was briefly issued for central Fulton County and southern DeKalb just before 4 p.m. According to the National Weather Service, radar indicated a tornado was near East Point and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where all flights were temporarily grounded.
Other than downed trees and power lines, we haven’t heard of any significant damage or injuries in that area.
According to a report from the National Weather Service, a tornado briefly touched down near Oglethorpe University in Brookhaven at the height of the storm. No word on damage from there either.
The entire metro area was under either a severe storm warning as torrential rain, high winds, and hail moved through the city.
Both Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton County Schools canceled after-school activities, while Atlanta City Hall closed at 3 p.m. due to the weather.
There were reports of wind damage in Austell and heavy damage from a tornado in Griffin, where E-911 was down for a time.
National media reported major damage in historic Selma, Alabama, where a state of emergency was declared.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
