Updated, Saturday, 8:50 pm:
Cobb and metro Atlanta are under a tornado watch until 4 am Sunday.
Original story:
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency on Saturday morning, as a large line of severe thunderstorms approach much of the state with the threat of high winds, tornadoes, hail and other severe weather conditions.
Kemp said the National Weather Service’s upgrading of the threat prompted the emergency declaration, noting that wind gusts in some places could reach up to 75 mph, as well as several inches of rain, large hail and the possibility of flash flooding.
“This storm will hit at the worst possible time, as people are heading to or already in bed,” he said. “Be prepared ahead of time and remain weather aware as long as this system is in the state.”
The declaration sets in motion statewide emergency response planning and resources.
The NWS on Saturday morning revised its estimate of when the strongest impact will hit the state. Cobb is in a range between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., but citizens are advised to prepare sooner than that for the storms.
Tornadoes have left deadly damage through the Midwest and Deep South, with more than a dozen fatalities already, as a massive storm system gradually moves east.
Cobb government said in a social media posting late Friday a wind advisory was in effect from 11 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Sunday, with southerly winds of 10 to 20 mph with gusts of 30 to 40 mph expected.
Falling trees and limbs and power outages could result from those winds, which will continue through much of Sunday.
Here’s more from what Cobb government is sharing with the public:
Risk Levels
Western Cobb County: MODERATE RISK (Level 4 of 5) – This is unusual for our area and indicates a significant threat of severe storms.Rest of Cobb: ENHANCED RISK (Level 3 of 5) – Severe weather is likely across the entire region.
Key Threats & Potential Impacts
Tornadoes: -High Risk of EF2 or stronger tornadoes in western Cobb -Elevated risk for tornadoes in the rest of the county -Strong, long-track tornadoes are possible—especially west of I-75Damaging winds of 60-80 mph — capable of causing: -Downed power lines and widespread outages -Significant structural damage -Fallen trees—blocking roads and endangering property
Hail up to 1 inch in diameter.
Flooding: Elevated risk of flooding and flash flooding from Saturday night into early Sunday due to heavy rainfall. Frequent Lightning: Increased likelihood of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes
The Cobb Emergency Management Agency also is providing updates on its Facebook page.
The chance of rain is 50 percent on Saturday afternoon, with thunderstorms most likely after 2 p.m. Highs will be in the high 70s.
That will increase to 100 percent chance of rain Saturday night, with winds gusting between 20-30 mph as well as lows around 60.
On Sunday, the chance of rain will lower to 30 percent, with a high around 70, as the storms move east. A 10 percent chance is in the forecast for Sunday night.
Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
