Georgia saw tornadoes to the south, severe thunderstorms, flooding and hail to the north. (photo/Cassandra Casey)
The cleanup is underway following Wednesday’s severe weather outbreak in the Southeast.
Advisories and warnings stretched from Florida to Indiana. One large tornado and more than a half-dozen suspected twisters were reported across the region.
In Georgia, a tornado struck southeast of Columbus damaging three structures in the nearby towns of Weston and Benevolence, according to the National Weather Service. Another suspected tornado damaged multiple homes in Walton County.
Five city workers in Atlanta had to be rescued Wednesday after getting caught in floodwaters, WSB-TV reports.
Lightning is being blamed for at least five structure fires in Georgia, two in White County. Another one in Habersham County may have been storm-related.
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The severe weather grounded planes at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. By 3 p.m. Wednesday some 450 flights had been canceled.
Wednesday practices and events at the PGA Tour’s Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club also were canceled. It’s the first time in the Masters’ 56-year history that the traditional Wednesday pre-Masters Par-3 Contest has not been held.
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In Northeast Georgia, some businesses closed early and churches and events were canceled due to the severe weather threat.
While thunderstorms rumbled through Habersham and surrounding areas most of the day, the worst of the severe weather struck around midnight when large hail pummeled parts of Banks, Jackson, Hart and other Northeast Georgia counties.
Readers described the storm in posts to Now Habersham’s Facebook page.
Sharon Standridge called it a “terrible night.” Kari Scales said the hail storm was awful. “I hate to get out there and see my car when it’s light,” she wrote.
A cold front pushed into the region behind the severe weather. Overnight lows Friday and Saturday will be in the upper 30s.
A wind advisory remains in effect for all of North Georgia from 8 a.m. Thursday until 8 p.m. Friday.
