Severe Thunderstorm Warning, Flash Flooding Expected In GA

METRO ATLANTA, GA — The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm warning with flash flooding expected across much of north Georgia. Earlier Monday, one person was killed and several homes damaged as a potential tornado ripped through metro Atlanta.

At 10:21 a.m., the NWS said a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was located near Sandtown, or 8 miles southeast of Douglasville, moving east at 35 mph. Roughly 20 minutes later, a tornado producing storm was located over Bankhead, or near Atlanta, moving east at 35 mph, the NWS said.

"We’re pretty confident that there was a tornado that occurred in western Atlanta," Dylan Lusk, meteorologist, National Weather Service Atlanta, said. "Definitely had a debris signature in western Atlanta and Douglas. We’re getting damage reports from western Atlanta and Douglas County that are consistent with tornados. We won’t be able to confirm that until we send someone out to those sites.”

In South Fulton, Lewis White's home which he and his wife Jackie have lived in for about two decades was damaged during the storm. Trees fell on his home and vehicles, but his family was unharmed.

“It sounded like bombs were going off," Lewis White told Patch. "It was like the storm was inside the house. It came down right beside the house. Some of the walls buckled under the weight of the trees that fell on the house."

Lewis said he and his wife are disappointed that the trees came down across his yard, because the couple was trying to keep that area wooded.

"We feed a lot of deer, rabbits, squirrels and animals back there because their habitat is being destroyed in other places," Lewis said. "You got to appreciate being alive. Insurance can't really pay you for everything you went through, but at least I'm alive. At least I made it through."

Across the street, Lewis' neighbor Joseph Wood was on his way to pick up his son who was getting his car worked on when the storm hit.

“I just heard the wind," Wood said. "But I looked out the window and the tops of the trees were almost touching the ground. Thank God I didn't leave when I was planning to, or I would have been [in the falling trees]."

One person was killed in the severe storms and potential tornado that ripped through Douglas County Monday morning while others reported downed power lines and fallen trees throughout the county, per a county news release.

Douglas County firefighters responded to a call for a tree on a car, potentially with a person inside, around 10:36 a.m. on Campbellton Street between Woodrow Avenue and Spring Street in Douglasville.

Firefighters found the man trapped inside the car with both power lines and a tree on top of the vehicle, the release said.

"Firefighters had to extricate the driver who we are only identifying as a male at this time until next of kin are notified," Douglas County Communications Director Rick Martin said.

Read more: 1 Killed In Douglas County Storms, Possible Tornado

A severe thunderstorm warning was also been issued for southeastern Cobb County, northeastern Douglas County and southwestern Fulton County.

Scattered thunderstorms are likely across much of the north and central Georgia on Monday. Some could be strong to isolated severe with hail up to one inch, damaging winds, heavy rain, and frequent lightning as the primary threats. A brief tornado is also possible.

Scattered thunderstorms are again likely across much of the area for Tuesday and Tuesday night. Some could be strong to severe, happening mainly late Tuesday afternoon into overnight with damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, heavy rain and frequent lightning.

While some isolated to scattered thunderstorms could occur on Wednesday, any strong to isolated severe potential should be limited to south and east central Georgia.

No hazardous weather is expected Thursday through Saturday. A slight chance of thunderstorms could return to north Georgia on Sunday.