Atlanta storm damage
© John Spink, Atlanta Journal-Constitution via APAn Atlanta Public Works crew got caught as Peachtree Creek overflows onto Woodward Way as they were delivering Road Block equipment and were rescued by the Atlanta Fire Rescue's Swift Water Dive Team in Atlanta.
A storm system with tornadoes, hail and high winds is expected to continue pounding the Southeast through Thursday, as a severe weather outbreak swept through several states.

Several tornadoes were reported Wednesday across Georgia. One destroyed structures near Weston, Ga., while another one hit in Newton, Ga., east of Atlanta, the Associated Press reported. Another was reported in South Carolina.

No injuries or deaths were reported as of late Wednesday, although authorities cautioned that it was too early to assess damage and casualties.

The storm canceled the Masters golf tournament opening day for the first time ever, NBC reported.

"We share in the disappointment of our patrons, but the safety of everyone on our grounds is always our primary concern," Billy Payne, chairman of the Masters golf tournament, said after players were ordered off the course in Augusta, Georgia.

Five Atlanta city workers had to be rescued Wednesday after getting caught in floodwaters, WSBTV reports. An Atlanta Watershed SUV became stuck around 2 p.m., followed by a public works truck that came to set up barricades to keep motorists from driving through high waters.

Widespread severe storms continued through Wednesday evening, primarily in Alabama, Georgia and parts of South Carolina, the Weather Channel said. Overall, about 75 million people are at risk of severe storms.


For the third time already this year, the Storm Prediction Center issued a rare "high risk" for severe weather for two million people across portions of Georgia and South Carolina. It marks the first time three high risk warnings have been issued so early in the season.

Earlier Wednesday, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport temporarily halted flights in the morning, but operations resumed by 1:30 p.m.

About 450 flights were canceled.

Alabama's governor declared a state of emergency because of the threat and multiple schools closed. Many schools in South Carolina dismissed classes early, the Associated Press reported.

In the bad timing department, three of the weather radars in the Southeast — one in Georgia and two in Alabama — are inoperable due to maintenance issues, the Capital Weather Gang reported.