ATLANTA — Crews are cleaning up storm damage throughout metro Atlanta after strong storms moved through the state Saturday.
Trees and power lines fell on streets, houses and even vehicles through the evening and into the overnight hours.
The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-0 tornado touched down in Dallas in Paulding County with winds up to 85 mph. The twister was on the ground for nearly 4 miles and was 400 yards wide, according to the National Weather Service.
.@NWSAtlanta confirms it was an EF-0 tornado with winds up to 85 mph that touched down near Hiram (Paulding) and traveled 4 miles into West Cobb, downing dozens of trees. In Dallas (Paulding) & near Kennesaw (Cobb) NWS mets say straight-line winds are to blame for the damage. pic.twitter.com/egvkkhKWTt
— Katie Walls (@KatieWallsWSB) January 12, 2020
Channel 2′s Christian Jennings was in Bremen Saturday night, where an entire outside wall of a Goody’s department store collapsed. The National Weather Service confirmed Sunday that the damage was caused by straight-line winds.
Last night I reported on this @ShopGoodys in Bremen (Haralson County). The side was ripped off during the storm. @KatieWallsWSB just informed us that the @NWSAtlanta said straight-line winds caused this! Wow. Straight-line winds can produce as much damage as a weak tornado! pic.twitter.com/e80GaMAR48
— Christian Jennings (@CJenningsWSB) January 13, 2020
On Sunday, Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan went to Euharlee, where the storms tore part of the roof and siding off a nearly 170-year-old church. The church was being used as an event space. Luckily, no one was hurt.
This historic cemetery is covered with debris after a church roof blew off in Euharlee.
— Brian Monahan, WSB (@BMonahanWSB) January 12, 2020
We’re headed down to Paulding County now where @NWSAtlanta will survey possible tornado damage later pic.twitter.com/mX6OIi3r79
Then, Monahan traveled to Paulding County, where several trees smashed into homes and toppled into the streets of a neighborhood, leaving a mess throughout it.
The National Weather Service is preparing to survey the damage in Paulding County to determine if there were any tornadoes.
Channel 2’s Lauren Pozen was in Haralson County, where she got a look at a store that had been torn apart during the storms.
Part of the Goody’s store was literally on the ground, including part of the sign for the store. We spoke to people who were shopping in the store when the storms came through. They were rushed out and no one was hurt.
Front of Goody’s OK, but the back... Im live in minutes in Haralson with a look at the damage from the severe winds. pic.twitter.com/iUaJhwu7jO
— Lauren Pozen WSB (@LaurenPozenWSB) January 12, 2020
Many of you shared pictures and videos of the storms and damage they left behind where you live. Several showed trees down where you live. One viewer sent us video of heavy rain causing some flooding on busy Roswell Road in Sandy Springs, while drivers still tried to make their way through it.
Another viewer shared photos with us Sunday that showed trees uprooted, windows broken, and swings flipped over in Paulding County.
Luckily, all the viewers who sent the compelling images said they weren’t hurt in the storms.
[PHOTOS: Trees down, buildings damaged after storms move through Georgia]
Georgia Power crews worked through the night to get the power back on to thousands of people.
These storms left destruction across the south.
Emergency officials say the system is responsible for 12 deaths, including three in Alabama, after a tornado touched down.
Right now, crews in 14 states including Georgia are working to restore power to hundreds of thousands of people.
The damage from the deadly storms stretches from Maine to Texas.
Tornadoes, powerful winds, snow and heavy rain impacted more than 80 million people Saturday.
© 2020 Cox Media Group
