Post-Tropical Cyclone Isaias downed trees, damaged homes and cut electricity across metro Atlanta Saturday as crews cleared blocked roads and repaired power lines.
Cherokee County officials reported wind gusts between 30 and 50 mph, 43 road closures and four homes damaged by falling trees, according to WSB-TV’s storm coverage. A 52-mph gust was recorded, while emergency crews said no injuries had been reported there.
In southwest Atlanta, a dead tree fell across Cascade Road near Greenwood Cemetery and blocked traffic for hours. Another tree crashed through a Brookhaven home while the homeowner slept, and crews in Sandy Springs responded to a large tree resting against a residence.
The storm caused widespread electrical failures. Georgia Power said approximately 56,000 customers remained without service at 10 a.m., after crews had already restored more than 60,000. Georgia’s electric membership cooperatives reported tens of thousands of additional outages. At one point, more than 95,000 customers statewide lacked power.
The National Weather Service said Isaias had weakened into a post-tropical cyclone over Alabama, but its heavy rain and strong gusts still threatened Georgia with flash flooding, downed trees, power lines and brief tornadoes.
Gov. Brian Kemp had declared a state of emergency for all 159 counties, activating Georgia’s State Operations Center and positioning emergency resources before the storm arrived.
Utility officials urged residents to treat every downed wire as live, avoid flooded roads and give repair crews room to work. Georgia Power said high winds and fallen trees complicated restoration efforts, even as smart-grid technology allowed some customers to be reconnected remotely.
