7:15 P.M.: Widespread power outages confirmed:
Jackson EMC outage map: Map Viewer
Amicalola EMC: Outage update | Amicalola EMC
Habersham EMC: Outage Center – Habersham Electric Membership Corporation
Sawnee EMC: Outage Map
Georgia Power: GPC Outage Map
6:45 P.M.: Unconfirmed reports via social media coming in of storm damage in Hall County.
*Power out in Thompson Bridge Road area
*Power out along Green Street
*Power out on Cagle Road
(This story will be updated as new information comes in.)
4:30 P.M.: A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee until 9:00 tonight. All of north Georgia is included and parts of central Georgia as far south as the Macon area.
The watch means that in addition to heavy rains there are the possibilities of tornadoes, hail up to a quarter-inch in size, and winds gusting to 70 mph.
Earlier today, the National Weather Service (NWS) had advised that the risk of stormy weather in north Georgia late this afternoon and into the evening had increased to Level 3. EARLIER STORY. POSTED 6:45 A.M.: Risk of severe weather grows