Flood Watch In Effect For Metro Atlanta

ATLANTA,None — Severe Weather Team 2 meteorologist David Chandley said a flood watch is in effect Friday and would continue through Saturday morning following a wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow.

Chandley said rainfall rates will average between one and two inches.

"Look for some minor flooding of local streams and creeks, but significant flooding is not expected," Chandley said.

Relatively warm temperatures were expected to prevent freezing precipitation. Chandley said temperatures will hold in the 30s, but above freezing.

"A few spots in extreme North Georgia can expect some rain mixed with sleet, but no icing issues are being reported," Chandley said.

The heavy rainfall caused a tree to fall on Westmont Avenue in southwest Atlanta around 7:30 a.m. The tree snapped six power lines, leaving 1,400 homes without power.

Fallen Tree Strikes Power Lines

"It was like fire popping," resident Chandra Toland told Channel 2's Jeff Dore.

Toland said her kids thought lightning had hit the house.

Residents were trapped in their homes without heat or lights. They said they couldn't drive their cars over the fallen power lines.

Georgia Power said power was restored to the most homes by 9 a.m. They said the remaining power outages should be fixed by 3 p.m.

On Thursday, a winter weather system brought rain to much of metro Atlanta, and sleet and snow to some parts of north Georgia.

Sleet Hits South Metro Atlanta

The northern suburbs of metro Atlanta got light snow, and sleet fell across the Interstate 85 corridor.

Channel 2's Darryn Moore reported a small accumulation of sleet and ice covered yards and vehicles in northwest Metro Atlanta.

"It's been slippery, especially up and down the hills," a driver told Moore.

WSB-TV Fallen tree Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Regan was in Hall County on Thursday, where the Gainesville area got steady snowfall for about 20 minutes. The snow quickly tapered off as the temperatures rose above the freezing mark.

Sleet frosted rooftops in Coweta County in south Metro Atlanta. Newnan residents said they were nervous about flashbacks to the January snowstorm that virtually shut down north Georgia for a week.

"I hope it don't be like that no more," a resident told Channel 2's Richard Elliot.

Chandley said drier air was in the works for the weekend, but more rain could fall next week.

WSBTV