Severe storms and high winds have knocked down trees, powerlines and damaged homes and commercial structures across north Georgia. Considerable damage has been inflicted.
What has been reported as “a line of powerful storms” blew into north Georgia on Thursday afternoon. Adding to the havoc of the damaging winds, “frequent lighting, and periods of heavy rain added to harm inflicted by the storms.”
Georgia Power and the Georgia EMCs reported that “At the height of storms, more than 350,000 customers were without power across the state.” Downed trees and powerlines have been reported in most areas in north Georgia. The damage has been described as “scattered.” As reported, crews spent Thursday evening clearing roadways and restoring power.
In Calhoun, for examples, the severe storm that moved through around 5:44 p.m. was described as “bringing 60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail.” That storm is attributed with causing the back wall of the Calhoun firehouse gym to collapse. Several photographs illustrating the extent of the damage from the storm were released by the police department. “Bricks littered the lawn outside the gym.” To date, no injuries have been reported.
Cherokee County was not spared from the violence of the storms. “Wind knocked over trucks and damaged buildings.” Winds were sufficiently powerful in Ball Ground to prompt the police department to post a photo to its Facebook page “showing a toppled tractor-trailer.” No injuries were reported.
Forsyth County suffered hundreds of downed trees as emergency workers “were busy Thursday night clearing roadways and getting thing back in order.”
In a statement of a broad summary of the damage, “In all, about 50 roads were blocked for a time due to trees being down.” Chainsaw crews spent the evening reopening about 50 to 60 roadways blocked by those trees. “Emergency crews also reported about 26 structures with trees on them.”
The Forsyth County Sheriff pleaded with the public: “Do me a favor, stay home if you can. Let the professionals and road crews and the others get this done.”
A time-lapse video shows the storm blowing into DeKalb-Peachtree Airport on July 20, 2023. Remarkably, no damage was reported at the airport. Here is a video showing damage in Duluth.
