ATLANTA — Metro Atlanta and north Georgia felt the impact of strong storms Friday afternoon, with downed trees and widespread damage impacting several counties.
Storms produced heavy rain and damaging winds, as most of the region was in either a Level 2 or 3 storm threat for most of the afternoon.
Below, 11Alive will be tracking updates throughout the afternoon as the weather situation progresses:
Metro Atlanta & north Georgia Friday weather updates
7:16 p.m. | 11Alive's Cody Alcorn is in Cobb County taking a look at some of the storm damage caused by gusty winds.
6:32 p.m. | A tornado watch has been issued for Clarke, Madison, Oconee and Oglethorpe counties until 8 p.m.
6:30 p.m. | Georgians hit with power outages after tornado warnings | Update
6:29 p.m. | Metro Atlanta counties have started the cleanup after severe storms swept their way across the region Friday.
6:18 p.m. | The ground stop has been lifted at the Atlanta airport, officials said. The stoppage lasted a total of 1 hour and 39 minutes.
6:04 p.m. | A tornado watch has been issued for the following counties: Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Jackson, Madison, Oconee and Walton
5:55 p.m. | Officials with Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport provided an estimated time of 6:45 p.m. for an update on whether the ground stoppage will be lifted.
5:31 p.m. | 11Alive's Bobeth Yates surveyed the storm damage on the ground in north Georgia.
5:30 p.m. | Strong winds shake the airport cameras as ground stop issued.
5:19 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Habersham, Rabun and Stephens counties until 6 p.m.
5:15 p.m. | Henry County EMA is reporting power outages across the county. According to maps, there are about 1,000 residents without power in the county -- most of them in the Stockbridge area.
5:06 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Cherokee, Cobb, Dawson, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett and Hall counties until 5:45 p.m.
5:05 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been extended for Cleveland, Helen and Yonah until 5:30 p.m.
5:04 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been extended for Fulton County for Roswell, Johns Creek and Alpharetta until 5:45 p.m.
5 p.m. | Images show damage across metro Atlanta
Photos | Storm damage across metro Atlanta
4:53 p.m. | Strong winds knocked a car onto a tree in Rome, Ga.
4:50 p.m. | A tornado watch has been issued for the following counties: Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Cobb, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, Madison, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Rockdale, Walton, White
4:46 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Habersham and Rabun counties until 5:15 p.m.
4:41 p.m. | All planes have been grounded at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport after a ground stoppage was issued due to severe weather, according to officials. They did not say when the stoppage would end.
4:34 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Lumpkin and White counties until 5 p.m.
4:31 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Sandy Springs, Roswell and Johns Creek until 5:15 p.m.
4:30 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Clermont, Ga., until 5 p.m.
4:20 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Habersham and Rabun counties until 5:15 p.m.
4:13 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Fulton, Gwinnett, Cherokee, Cobb, Dawson, Forsyth, Hall and Pickens counties until 5 p.m.
4:10 p.m. | Heavy rain and gusty winds were seen at a home in Floyd County
4:09 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Carroll, Douglas, Haralson and Heard counties until 4:45 p.m.
4:08 p.m. | A tornado warning has been issued for Cherokee and Forsyth counties until 4:30 p.m.
3:55 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Pickens, Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Towns, Union, Fannin and Gilmer counties until 4:30 p.m.
3:54 p.m. | Today's tornado watch has been canceled for Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Murray, Walker and Whitfield counties.
3:45 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Cherokee, Cobb, Bartow, Paulding, Haralson, Polk and Carroll counties until 4:30 p.m.
3:27 p.m. | Tornado warning canceled for Bartow, Cherokee and Gordon. Continues for Dawson, Gilmer and Pickens until 3:45 p.m.
3:20 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Pickens, Fannin, Union, Gilmer, Gordon, Bartow, Cherokee, Dawson, Lumpkin and Murray counties until 4 p.m.
3:15 p.m. | A tornado warning has been issued for Bartow, Cherokee, Dawson, Gilmer, Gordon and Pickens counties until 3:45 p.m.
3:08 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Polk, Haralson, Paulding, Bartow and Floyd counties until 3:45 p.m.
3:00 p.m. | Floyd County has been canceled for the tornado warning. Continues for Bartow and Gordon until 3:15 p.m.
2:53 p.m. | A tornado warning has been issued for Bartow, Floyd and Gordon counties until 3:15 p.m.
2:47 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Floyd, Bartow, Pickens, Gordon and Gilmer counties until 3:45 p.m.
2:45 p.m. | A tornado watch has been issued to include Fulton County and much of metro Atlanta and northeast Georgia.
2:30 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Whitfield, Catoosa, Murray, Gordon, Walker, Fannin and Gilmer counties until 3:15 p.m.
2:14 p.m. | Here's an outlook of how the line of storms will progress over the next roughly 45 minutes, bringing with it 70 mph winds.
2:12 p.m. | The high-wind warning has expanded to include several more counties closer in toward metro Atlanta, including Cobb, Douglas, Paulding, Bartow and Cherokee.
2:10 p.m. | A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Floyd, Chattooga, Gordon, Polk and Walker counties until 3 p.m.
2:05 p.m. | 11Alive Meteorologist Melissa Nord reporting that there are already some reports of trees down in Dade County, which is one of the counties under the "destructive" severe thunderstorm warning.
2:00 p.m. | Severe thunderstorm warning issued for Cleburne County, Alabama, which is technically in the furthest western reach of our viewing area.
1:30 p.m. | A "destructive" thunderstorm warning has been issued for three north Georgia counties; Catoosa, Dade, Walker.
1:00 p.m. | 11Alive meteorologists provide live updates on severe weather conditions in north Georgia.
12:19 p.m. | More areas of north Georgia have been put under a level three severe weather threat.
11:38 a.m. | A tornado watch has been issued for the following counties until 5 p.m.: Bartow, Chattooga, Fannin, Gordon, Murray, Polkk, Carroll, Cherokee, Floyd, Haralson, Paulding, Walker, Catoosa, Dade, Gilmer, Heard, Pickens, Whitfield
11:20 a.m. | Fannin County is on a virtual day.
11:15 a.m. | Murray County among those dismissing early. District said Pleasant Valley Innovative and Murray County Pre-K will release at 10:30 a.m. and all other schools will dismiss at 10:45 a.m. Gilmer County is also releasing all schools three hours early.
11:12 a.m. | Dade County announced yesterday its schools would be closed today ahead of the weather. Catoosa County did as well, and Whitfield County said Friday morning all schools would be closed.
11:10 a.m. | Add Gordon County to the list of districts closing up early Friday. The district said elementary schools will close at 12:30 p.m. while the middle and high schools will close at 1:30 p.m. Individual schools will communicate about the status of after-school activities, the district said.
11:00 a.m. | Pickens County has now also said it is releasing students three hours early due to the weather.
The district said Pickens High and Pickens Junior High would release at 11:45 a.m. while the elementary schools and Jasper Middle School would release at 12:30 p.m.
10:15 a.m. | The Polk County School District has already announced early dismissals.
The district said middle and high school students can leave at 11:30 a.m. and elementary school students will be dismissed at 12:30 p.m.
The district said the staggered dismissals will allow for the most efficient way to bus students home. All afternoon extracurricular activities and after school programs are also canceled.
"We apologize for any inconvenience, but will always make decisions in the best interest of our students and staff, keeping safety our first priority. Thank you for continuing to support us in our efforts," the district said.