One dead after severe storms in north Georgia

ATLANTA - Severe storms tore through north Georgia Tuesday afternoon and evening, leaving behind damage from hail, strong winds, and even lightning.

Several school systems in north Georgia delayed classes by two hours Wednesday due to a high number of downed trees and power outages. That includes Dawson County Schools and Lumpkin County Schools. 

The Pickens County School District canceled school Wednesday, as well as all after-school activities.  

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Jackson County Emergency Management has confirmed to FOX 5 News a storm-related fatality occurred just before 9 p.m. Officials said a tree fell onto a home along Highway 332 between Braselton and Pendergrass. The name of the man has not yet been released.

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At the height of the storm, more than 160,000 Georgia Power customers were without power in more than 1,000 different outages. Georgia EMCs reported more than 86,000 customers without power, mostly in metro Atlanta, the north and northeast portions of the state.

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings began to pop up a little after 3:30 p.m. as the storm began to work their way into the state. All warnings have since expired.

In Cleveland, FOX 5 viewers reported seeing hail coat the ground, with some hail as big as golf balls. It was a similar story in Whitfield County. A FOX 5 viewer posted video on her Instagram of the hail that came down around 4 p.m. near Cleveland, Ga. 

As the storm front slowly moved southeast toward metro Atlanta, powerful gusts of winds as strong as 60 miles per hour brought down trees and power lines in a number of areas.

In Atlanta, there were several dozen reports of downed trees, including one in southeast Atlanta which toppled onto a police cruiser. In Cobb County, a FOX 5 viewer sent in video of a traffic light being blown by the wind. The force of nature got the best of it and the light eventually fell.

WATCH: Wind blows down traffic light in Cobb County

In DeKalb County, officials have reported dozens of trees down, including a massive tree which fell, blocking Briarcliff Road in between Clifton and Johnson roads. FOX 5 crews were there as an SUV, which was one of the vehicles struck by the tree, was being towed away from the scene.

WATCH: A massive tree blocks four lanes of Briarcliff Road

Another woman was pulled by firefighters from the car that was encompassed by the fallen tree. She told FOX 5 News that she believed God really was with her when it happened. No one was injured in that incident.

Traffic along Briarcliff Road was blocked for a few hours while crews worked to remove the tree. A crane had to be brought in to help clear the roadway.

WATCH: A woman says God was with her as a tree crashed down on her car

In Roswell, it was a similar story of trees down on homes. One home on Trailmore Drive had water gushing in at the height of the passing storm after a tree crashed through the roof. A crane had to be brought in to remove the tree from the home.

WATCH: A tree falls on the back of a home in Roswell

In Gwinnett County, a tree fell onto a car in the 3100 block of Dove Court near Snellville. Fire officials said a child was inside the vehicle at the time, but was not injured.

Gwinnett County Firefighters said they also responded to more than a dozen reports of trees down on homes. No injuries were reported in any of those incidents.

In East Point, a tree fell, knocking down some power lines which caught the nearby woods on fires. The brush and woods quickly went up in flames. It happened along Interstate 285 and Camp Creek Parkway, near the Camp Creek Marketplace.

FOX 5 viewers have been sharing video and pictures with us on social media using the hashtag #FOX5Storm.

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