CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Editor's note: The video above has previous coverage of the storm.
Damaging winds that went over 80 mph hit much of north Cherokee County on Thursday, according to an initial storm report released on Saturday by the National Weather Service.
The findings indicate that the region was hit by powerful winds from a downburst, causing widespread damage over a significant area.
According to the survey conducted on Saturday, the storms unleashed a barrage of high-speed winds, leaving a trail of destruction approximately 3.5 miles wide. Certain areas bore the brunt of more intense localized damage, highlighting the ferocity of the wind's force.
"Roof damage in the area (excluding damage caused by trees) was indicative of wind speeds over 80 mph, while tree damage was indicative of 90-95 mph," Sam Marlow, with the NWS.
That area of stronger winds stretched from roughly Highway 108 to Upper Burris Road in Canton, according to the NWS, with the epicenter of the damage around Dixon Road. The meteorologist surveying the area, Keith Stellman, said that even though the wind damage took the path of a straight line, there were smaller pockets intertwined within the larger area that could've been from a microburst or downburst or perhaps from an area of rotation.
The evaluation is still ongoing, and experts expect more information to be made available in the coming days as they continue to analyze the data.
Further surveys are planned on Saturday in South East Pickens and North Forsyth Counties, where authorities will gather additional data to assess the full extent of the damage caused by the high-speed winds.
The storms that swept through metro Atlanta were marked by their severity, fueled by soaring temperatures and humidity. Reports of damage poured in from various counties, with thousands of Georgia Power customers affected by power outages.
The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office shared a photo of the Clayton Food Store, showing the extent of the damage incurred during the turbulent weather at 9:30 p.m. on Thursday. Downed trees and power lines added to the chaos, leading to widespread power outages that persisted into Friday morning.
