DALTON, Ga. — A gas station roof in north Georgia was ripped down by severe thunderstorms and strong winds that swept through the area in the early morning hours on Thursday.
The canopy of an Exxon gas station off Thornton Avenue just outside of Dalton, Georgia collapsed to the ground during the storms. 11Alive's Cody Alcorn was at the scene and said the food mart was still open and that people were still seen walking inside the gas station.
RELATED: Tornado warning issued in north Georgia as reports of damage, flooding come in | Latest updates
Other damage was also being reported around parts of north Georgia, with trees down on roads and waters rising during flash flood warnings.
Intense and nearly constant lightning was also seen in the skies -- with as many as 1,000 to 2,000 strikes in just a matter of minutes -- as heavy rains continued to fall.
The intense weather system triggered multiple tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings late Wednesday night just before 11 p.m. into early Thursday. Another round of severe weather is expected later Thursday morning, with more impacts closer to the metro area.
See the gallery below for photos of damage across metro Atlanta and north Georgia.
Photos | Storm damage across metro Atlanta, north Georgia
Follow along for live severe weather updates below:
Roswell
11Alive's Molly Oak is in Roswell at Azalea Park on the Chattahoochee River. She said that the fire department said the river should not be an issue tonight when it comes to flooding. However, there have been several trees down. Crews had to cut one that was blocking a road to get it out of the way. There was also a tree that came down on a car at an office parking lot in Roswell.
The fire department said it's always smart to stay weather-aware before and after a storm. If and when there are storms in the area, the fire department said it's always a good idea to have a way to get storm updates and any kind of weather updates to your phone or any kind of radio that you have.
Atlanta
11Alive's Erica Murphy is around Cherokee Avenue Southeast near Atlanta's Grant Park. She said utility crews have shut off a portion of the road so that they can chop up some trees that have fallen and restore power lines.
A large tree around a home fell into the street from the storms as well. The homeowners said that around 8 a.m. Thursday, a strong storm made its way through the area -- tossing trees and ripping down power lines.
Cobb County
The county told 11Alive it has confirmed four trees down on Columns Dr., Interstate North Parkway, Oakdale Rd., and Fontaine Rd.
Ellijay
11Alive reporter Brittany Kleinpeter is in Ellijay, where she saw a destroyed home not far from the Downtown Square. She was right in the middle of several homes on Ellington Road. She described how there's a lot of metal roofing on the ground and debris around the homes.
County officials told her that they are looking at between 8,000 and 10,000 residents without power. They do expect that number to climb throughout the evening as they continue to assess the damage. However, they're asking residents to continue to be patient and work with them throughout the evening.
11Alive Photojournalist Tyson Paul saw flooding, downed lines and damage at homes in Ellijay:
11Alive's Bobeth Yates was also in Ellijay. She was at Absolute Storage on Old Hwy 5 S.
This is an area where severe damage can be seen. A storage unit had doors blown out. Many of them had water coming in from the top.
An entire storage unit also flattened, and people's belongings are now outside, she said. Another unit flew into a home across the street, causing damage when a metal beam came through the house. Watch below for the full breakdown.
Watch the video below as 11Alive's SkyTracker flew over the area to capture the aftermath of the storm.
Dalton
11Alive's Cody Alcorn was in Dalton, where there was flooding and damage. Cody also helped firefighters evacuate residents from flooded apartments. See the footage below of the crews battling the floodwaters to rescue residents and children.
Habersham County
Road debris reported by GDOT:
Fannin County
Road debris there as well:
Gilmer County
Road debris:
Bartow County
Debris:
Walker County
Debris:
Banks County
Debris: