Thunderstorms were expected to strike the Hall County area overnight Sunday, bringing with them possible flooding and damaging winds.
The storms are expected to linger through today, then mostly fade by tonight, according to the National Weather Service in Peachtree City.
Today’s storms are part of a system that has devastated parts of the Southeast, including heavy flooding and possible tornados in Mississippi and Tennessee, said meteorologist Jessica Fieux.
That line of storms over the weekend killed at least 11 people.
Seven people were killed in Tennessee and four in northern Mississippi by the line of storms, bringing heavy flooding and tornados to the Memphis area. Emergency officials in Tennessee sought help from the state’s Army National Guard and urged people to stay off roads and interstate highways turned into raging rivers.
At a Sunday news conference, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen said it will likely be days before floodwaters recede enough to thoroughly assess the damage to roads and bridges.
Tennessee officials have confirmed 7 deaths. At least three people are missing after getting swept away by flood waters, and one of them is presumed dead by the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, which would bring the death toll to 8.
Earlier Sunday, TEMA asked for the state’s National Guard to help with rescue operations.
Agency spokesman Jeremy Heidt confirmed one person died around 4 a.m. Sunday in a tornado near Pocahontas, about 70 miles east of Memphis. The other deaths in Tennessee were all due to flooding, TEMA said.
Interstate 24 remained closed in Nashville, and segments of I-40 between Nashville and Memphis were blocked.
On Sunday, the overnight forecast for the Hall area included a strong chance for severe thunderstorms, damaging winds and an isolated tornado.
Also, a flash flood watch was in effect for the area through late Sunday.
As for today’s severe weather, “generally, that’s going to shift a little bit over toward central Georgia, later in the day,” Fieux said.
The Hall area labored under a threat of storms through the weekend, but only sprinkles fell despite the looming clouds.
Conditions have been largely dry this spring, compared to a drenching, wet winter.
A slight chance for showers is predicted for Tuesday. Otherwise, the next chance for rain — possibly thunderstorms — is Friday, and that should persist through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
Temperatures should stay fairly warm through the week, hitting the mid-80s Tuesday through Friday.
As for Lake Lanier, the elevation was at 1,071.79 feet above sea level Sunday afternoon. The summer full pool, which took effect on Saturday, is 1,071 feet.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.