Storms over the New Year’s Day weekend knocked out power, caused property damage, triggered flash flooding and snow and closed schools and government offices.
In Kentucky, less than three weeks after tornadoes destroyed parts of cities and killed 77 people, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency after flooding and wind damage from the latest storms, including from a possible tornado in Hopkinsville.
There were no immediate reports of any injuries or deaths. The governor’s office said flash flooding had caused water rescues and many road closures in the southern and central portions of the state, according to local news reports and the Associated Press.
In the southwestern Kentucky town of Hopkinsville, several downtown businesses were damaged by a possible tornado. WTVF-TV reported a Family Dollar store had been largely destroyed and the roof of a Marathon gas station had blown into a park across the street. Other nearby buildings had roof damage and there were many downed power lines, the station reported.
Another possible tornado touchdown occurred in Taylor County, in the middle of the state, where a number of homes were damaged, according to the governor’s office.
“It is devastating that we are once again experiencing severe weather just weeks after the deadly tornadoes hit Western Kentucky. Sadly, some counties have been affected by both of these events,” Beshear said in a statement.
In Georgia, a series of storms moved through the greater Atlanta area on Friday afternoon, leaving some damage including overturned cars, local reports say.
Authorities had no immediate accounts of any injuries. News outlet WSB-TV posted images of an overturned car and reported storms had popped up with little warning in counties near Atlanta in the afternoon.
They came on a day when the National Weather Service had issued some tornado warnings in north Georgia and areas near Atlanta.
On the East Coast, the line of storms also closed government offices and schools in Washington, D.C. on Monday and left about 460,000 people in North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia without power, according to news reports.
Photo: Workers clear the East Plaza of the Capitol as a winter storm delivers heavy snow to Washington, Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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