‘Tornado-like’ Storms Sweep Through Atlanta’s Suburbs

Storms swept through the Atlanta area early Saturday morning, causing “tornado-like” damage to homes and businesses in densely-populated suburbs, state officials said.

Authorities said the storms damaged homes and businesses in Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett and Hall counties. No injuries were reported.

“The damage I’ve seen definitely looks like a tornado,” Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine said. “We’ve had a lot of damage. Several businesses are totally destroyed. Trees literally are sitting inside of houses.”

In Roswell, a car wash was destroyed and windows in other nearby businesses were broken. Across the street, a longtime convenience store and gas station also sustained damage.

Oxendine said Georgia officials are waiting to determine whether the National Weather Service rules the Georgia damage was caused by tornadoes.

About 36,000 customers lost electricity in the metro Atlanta area. Another 8,000 in northwest Georgia had no power, said Georgia Power spokesman Tal Wright.

In Tennessee, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes tore off roofs, overturned cars and left 11 people dead. The storm there was the second wave of violent weather to hit the state in less than a week.