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Severe storms leave 'significant damage' in Georgia, Alabama

ATLANTA — Strong storms moved through much of north Georgia and metro Atlanta Monday night, sending trees into roads, damaging homes and businesses, knocking out power to thousands and leaving south Fulton County a disaster zone.

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For several hours, Severe Weather Team 2 tracked tornado warnings, tornado watches and severe thunderstorm warnings.

We have a team of reporters and photographers spread out across metro Atlanta looking at some of the hardest hit areas for Live Team 2 Coverage on Channel 2 Action News starting at 4 p.m. 

Parts of south Fulton County and Haralson County, west of the metro Atlanta area, seemed to be the hardest hit. Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach was live on Channel 2 Action News This Morning in one south Fulton County neighborhood, where he describes the area as a "disaster zone." 

Northwest Georgia was the first area to deal with the storms which brought intense rain, lightning and hail. The storms continued into metro Atlanta late Monday bringing tornado warnings. Early Tuesday, the storms continued into east counties.

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Strong winds toppled a gas station awning, crumpled street signs and trapped people inside houses when trees fell in Haralson County.

Haralson County Schools and Bremen City Schools will be closed Tuesday as cleanup continues.

Georgia Power reported more than 7,000 customers without electricity, with the majority of those in the metro Atlanta area.

MINUTE BY MINUTE:

10:00 a.m.: Officials said there were no confirmed deaths as storms moved through Alabama.

Alabama officials update the storm damage

Officials hold news conference to update the storm damage in Alabama: http://2wsb.tv/2DFkSo7

Posted by WSB-TV on Tuesday, March 20, 2018

7:58 a.m.: Gehlbach is giving you the first look at a south Fulton neighborhood ravaged by storms.

7:55 a.m.: A veteran told Gehlbach this looks like a war zone.

7:01 a.m.: Gehlbach waiting for the sun to come up to see full damage in south Fulton County neighborhood.

6:33 a.m.: Bremen City Schools announces it will close today due to storm damage.

6:30 a.m.: Troopers telling Triple Team Traffic traffic lights are flashing on Cobb Parkway at Bells Ferry.

6:23 a.m.: These are not homes under construction, that's storm damage in south Fulton County.

6 a.m.: Thankfully we are not hearing any reports yet of serious injury here, a Channel 2 photographer says.

5:31 a.m.: Channel 2's Darryn Moore is in Haralson where there is no school today due to storm damage.

5:07 a.m.: Dozens of homes damaged in south Fulton County, but no official reports of injuries.  

5:02 a.m.: Channel 2's Mark Arum reporting a lot of closures from last night's storms.

4:56 a.m.: Gehlbach says every home in this south Fulton area has damage.

4:44 a.m.: Monahan says this will be a confirmed tornado, likewise the storm in Cleburne Alabama and Haralson County.

4:32 a.m.: Gehlbach is LIVE in south Fulton County, where he says some areas look like "disaster zones."

4:29 a.m.: Monahan says there were more than 130 severe weather reports in all yesterday and overnight.

3:18 a.m.: On the way to work Channel 2's Dave Huddleston saw downed power lines.

3:15 a.m.: Report of debris in roadway on Northside Parkway.

2:48 a.m.: On the way to work Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach says he saw crews restoring power.

2:40 a.m.: Triple Team Traffic hearing reports of downed wires.

1:44 a.m.: Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan says the threat has ended from Coweta-Spalding northward.

1:40 a.m.: Channel 2's Lauren Pozen says she can usually see building lights in the distance, but not tonight.