UPDATE 5:13 a.m. Tuesday, April 29: Tornado watch for the Metro Atlanta area has been extended to 11 a.m. The storms are passing through slowly. Flood watch is still in effect until Wednesday evening. Tornado emergency has been issued just outside the border in Alabama and includes Columbus, GA as the radar confirmed tornado moves across the Georgia border.
UPDATE 11:19 p.m. EST: Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency in the state of Georgia in order to free up all state resources to prepare and later respond to hard hit counties throughout the state.
UPDATE 9:37 p.m. EST: Strong storms and heavy rain are expected to move through the Metro Atlanta area overnight and during the morning commute Tuesday, April 29. It will likely effect travel in and out of the city. Rain will continue into Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, April 30 where rain accumulation could cause flooding in low lying areas, creeks, rivers and ditches. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency is aware and monitoring.
UPDATE 9:07 p.m. EST: National Weather Service has cancelled the tornado watch for the Metro Atlanta area. The tornado watch has been extended for the northwest corner of Georgia until 3 a.m. tonight.
UPDATE 8:08 p.m. EST: Tornado watches are in effect until 1:00 a.m. EST, April 29 for the following counties: Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gilmer, Gwinnett, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Lamar, Meriwether, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Rockdale, Spalding, Troup and Upson.
Flood watches are in effect from Midnight to late Wednesday night, April 30 for North and Central Georgia. Three to five inches of rain are expected for North Georgia. One to three inches of rain are expected for Central Georgia. Isolated flash flooding in possible. Storm drains and ditches may swiftly become clogged with debris and cause streets to flood.
Local news outlet 11 Alive WXIA reported this afternoon a severe thunderstorm system making its way east from Mississippi to Georgia tonight. It is expected to reach the NW region of Georgia between 10 p.m. and Midnight. The storms will pass through the Metro Atlanta area through the night and into the early morning.
The largest threats from this storm system are flooding rains, hail, damaging winds, and isolated tornadoes. As of 6:35 p.m. EST April 28, the National Weather Service in Peachtree City still has a flood warning issued for the entire northern half of the state of Georgia. Two to four inches of rain is expected to fall tonight, making it possible for street gutters and low lying areas to become flooded.
The counties under flood watch are: Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clarke, Clay, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gilmer, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Jackson, Jasper, Lamar, Lumpkin, Madison, Meriwether, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethrope, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Putnam, Rockdale, Spalding, Towns, Troup, Union, Upson, Walton and White.
It is advised by local news outlets and the National Weather Service for everyone to keep an eye on weather alerts through the night online and through weather apps on phones. According to a graphic from 11 Alive WXIA’s Facebook page, there is a possibility of tornadoes through the night and into Tuesday, April 29.
Continue monitoring your area via your local news outlets and the National Weather Service website.
