The lights are back on across Northeast Georgia after severe storms knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses Thursday.
Habersham County was hit hard. At the height of the storm, Georgia Power reported some 3,000 of its Habersham customers were without electricity. Approximately 1,500 Habersham EMC members lost power.
Ahead of the severe storm, the National Weather Service warned of heavy rain and wind gusts of up to 60 mph. High winds blew down trees and limbs, scattering debris across yards and roadways and knocking down power lines.
Outages stretched north to south across Habersham County. Crews closed part of New Liberty Road near Clarkesville for more than three hours as a line of utility trucks worked to repair damaged power lines. The road reopened around 10:30 Thursday night.
Traffic lights went dark in Cornelia, and a man was taken to the hospital after being struck by lightning, possibly twice.
Other areas of Northeast Georgia also experienced storm-related outages.
Jackson and Hart EMCs reported hundreds of members in their service areas lost electricity due to the storms, mostly in Stephens and Hart counties.
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