Saturday, March 15, 9:42 p.m.
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Fulton, DeKalb and the surrounding metro area until 4 a.m. on Sunday.
Saturday, March 15
Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a statewide State of Emergency in preparation for the severe and potentially damaging weather front moving into Georgia late this evening and early tomorrow morning.
The State of Emergency executive order authorizes the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS) to activate the State Operations Center (SOC) and mobilize any needed resources to address potential impacts. Crews will also be on standby to respond to damage and power outages. The State of Emergency will expire at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
“This storm will hit at the worst possible time, as people are heading to or already in bed. Before they retire for the evening, I’m urging everyone to be prepared ahead of time and to remain weather aware as long as this system is in the state,” Kemp said in a statement. “Given the uncertainty of this storm and the fact it will move through Georgia overnight, individuals and families should prepare now and make plans to stay safe. Just as we’ve made all necessary preparations on the state level ahead of the system’s arrival, Georgians should get ready now and not wait until the storm is already here.”
Among other provisions, the State of Emergency order prohibits price gouging. Access the full State of Emergency Executive Order here.
The current weather forecast shows a powerful line of storms moving into Georgia late Saturday night through Sunday morning. The main threats will be tornadoes and damaging winds, with large hail also possible.
Friday, March 14
The National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for North and Central Georgia.
Ty Vaughn, a NWS meteorologist in Peachtree City, told GPB, “all the ingredients are there for pretty significant severe weather, including hail, damaging winds, and the possibility of strong, long-track tornadoes.”
Western Georgia at the Alabama line is at the highest risk, but the entire state is under some kind of severe weather watch.
Forecasters said Friday it’s too early to pinpoint exact tornado risk across the weekend, but they urge all Georgians to stay aware of changing conditions.
For North and Central Georgia, including metro Atlanta, thunderstorms are possible starting in Northwest Georgia late Friday into early Saturday morning. A few thunderstorms could produce hail and damaging winds.
Saturday and Sunday: An Enhanced Risk (Level 3 of 5) of severe weather is expected between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
All severe weather hazards including tornadoes, damaging winds and hail are possible with this event, including downed trees and power lines.
Minor flooding and flash flooding concerns could also develop in North Georgia starting Saturday night into Sunday morning.
Please enable weather alerts on your devices such as phones, tablets and weather radios and TV channels to follow the local forecast in your area.
Here are tools to stay safe in the event of a power outage:
Georgia Power customers can visit this site to receive Outage Alerts, report and check the status of outages, and access useful safety tips and information. Customers can also report and check the status of an outage 24 hours a day by contacting Georgia Power at 888-891-0938. Georgia Power info is also available on Facebook, Instagram and X for storm tips, outage updates, customer service and more.
Georgia Power urges customers to:
- Watch for crews working across the state. If you must be on the roads, please move over one lane for utility vehicles stopped on the side of the road — it’s the law in Georgia.
- Never touch any downed or low-hanging wire. Warn those going out to play to or clear debris to watch for and avoid downed wires.
- Never pull tree limbs off of power lines yourself or enter areas with heavy snow, debris or downed trees, as downed power lines may be concealed. Customers should call 911 or Georgia Power immediately if they see a fallen or low-hanging power line.
- Take care if using a portable generator. Follow all manufacturer’s instructions, avoid using generators in enclosed spaces and be mindful of electrical safety. Click here for more safety tips.
