Cleanup next after severe storms plow through metro Atlanta

» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.

It will be daylight Tuesday before metro Atlanta gets a real look at the damage from severe storms. Late Monday, the storms were being blamed on downed trees and power lines, damaged homes, power outages and fires in metro Atlanta.

The timing of the storms made for a late night for many in north Georgia. Shortly after midnight, the threat of damaging storms was gone for metro Atlanta. Parts of south Fulton County and Haralson County, west of the metro area, seemed to be the hardest hit.

Late Monday evening, storms rolled into Georgia, bringing the threat of tornadoes and prompting The National Weather Service to issue a tornado watch for the metro area until 4 a.m. Tuesday.

Northwest Georgia was the first area to deal with the storms, which brought intense rain, lightning and hail. The storms continued into metro Atlanta late Monday, bringing tornado warnings. Early Tuesday, the storms continued into east counties.

Monday night, Haralson County was believed to be among the hardest hit areas. Strong winds toppled a gas station awning, crumpled street signs and trapped people inside houses when trees feel, Channel 2 Action News reported. Haralson schools will be closed Tuesday as cleanup continues.

Early Tuesday, Georgia Power reported more than 29,000 customers without electricity, with the majority of those in the metro Atlanta area.

See how the day unfolded in North Georgia from late Monday to Tuesday:

12:30 a.m.: Lightning is believed responsible for two house fires in Gwinnett County. No injuries were reported.

12:13 a.m.: Most of the severe-weather threat has moved out of the metro Atlanta area, according to Channel 2 meteorologists.

12:08 a.m.: Several trees are reportedly down on I-20 and several other roads in Douglas County.

12:00 a.m: A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Fayette, Henry, Newton, Rockdale and Spalding counties.

11:57 p.m.: Georgia Power is reporting more than 26,000 customers without electricity.

11:53 p.m.: A tree was reported down on I-285 in south Cobb County.

11:51 p.m.: Storms are currently in the Henry County area.

11:46 p.m.: Numerous trees and power lines are reportedly down in Haralson County. Street signs were bent over and a gas station awning toppled.

11:40 p.m.: Georgia Power is reporting more than 23,000 customers without electricity.

11:32 p.m.: Large new severe thunderstorm warning includes most of the south side of Atlanta. Threat of strong wind and large hail, along with a continuing tornado risk.

11:28 p.m.: Haralson County schools will be closed Tuesday.

11:20 p.m.: Storms were moving into Clayton and Fayette counties. Georgia Power reported that 8,500 customers were without power.

11:15 p.m.: Suspected tornado on the ground in south Fulton, according to Channel 2 Action News.

11:10 p.m.: Golf-ball size hail reported in southwest Fulton County.

11:01 p.m.: Tornado warning has been issued for Douglas and Fulton counties.

10:55 p.m. Quarter-size hail reported near New Georgia in Paulding County.

10:46 p.m. Tornado warnings issued for parts of west Georgia had expired, but the threat or thunderstorms and a tornado watch remain.

10:18 p.m.: A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Cobb, Paulding and Polk counties, according to the National Weather Service. Polk County is still under a tornado warning. Potentially strong tornadoes are reported in Haralson County, Channel 2 reported.

10:00 p.m: A tornado warning has been issued for Haralson County, bringing the number of counties under the warning to three. The warning for Haralson County is expected to expire 10:45 a.m. Floyd and Polk counties are under the warning until 10:15 p.m.

9:44 p.m.: A tornado warning was issued for Floyd and Polk counties.

9:40 p.m.: A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Floyd, Haralson and Polk counties.

9:27 p.m.: A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Dade and Walker Counties, according to the National Weather Service.

9:10 p.m.: A tornado watch has been issued for metro Atlanta and North Georgia, according to the National Weather Service. It is set to expire 4 a.m. Tuesday. The following counties are affected: Baldwin; Barrow; Bartow; Butts; Carroll; Chattooga; Cherokee; Clarke; Clayton; Cobb; Coweta; Dade; DeKalb; Douglas; Fayette; Floyd; Forsyth; Fulton; Glascock; Gordon; Greene; Gwinnett; Hancock; Haralson; Heard; Henry; Jasper; Jefferson; Johnson; Jones; Lamar; Monroe; Morgan; Newton; Oconee; Paulding; Pickens; Pike; Polk; Putnam; Rockdale; Spalding; Taliaferro; Walker; Walton; Warren; Washington; and Wilkinson.

8:40 p.m.: The "tornadic thunderstorm" is now 50 miles from Georgia, Channel 2 reported. Chattooga and Polk counties are urged to take cover. Storms are still projected to hit the metro Atlanta area by midnight Tuesday.

8:20 p.m.: A super cell storm is expected to hit northwest Georgia by 9 p.m., Channel 2 reported.

7:28 p.m.: A "tornadic thunderstorm" is 90 miles from Georgia and approaching" Channel 2 reported.

5:42 p.m.: Heavy rain is entering southwest Fulton County, according to Channel 2.

5:22 p.m.: Storms in Carroll County are weakening, but moderate to heavy rain remains, Channel 2 reported.

5:12 p.m.: Cobb County Public Schools have canceled after-school activities.

4:48 p.m.: The air is becoming increasingly unstable south and west of Atlanta, Channel 2 reported. Once a warm front across metro Atlanta is lifted, the severe weather threat will increase.

4:39 p.m.: Reinhardt University canceled all activities scheduled at and beyond 6 p.m.

4:36 p.m.:  After-school activities at Fayette County Public Schools are set to end at 5 p.m. Any activities scheduled after that have been canceled.

4:35 p.m.: There is a 15 percent chance of an EF-2 tornado in northwest Georgia, Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said. Severe storms are expected to be gone by 3 a.m., but showers should return Tuesday.

4:26 p.m.: The first line of storms is approaching northwest Georgia, the National Weather Service reported. Lightning and hail are possible in this first wave of storms.

4:16 p.m.: Large amounts of hail are reportedly nearing Carroll County, Channel 2 reported. Residents are urged to take cover.

4:14 p.m.: Paulding County Schools canceled after-school activities. Parents with children in Learning Bridge are encouraged to pick them up by 5 p.m.

4:03 p.m.: Northwest Georgia has the strongest chance of damaging storms, with golf ball to tennis ball-sized hail expected, Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said.

4:02 p.m.: Severe storms from Alabama are approaching North Georgia, Channel 2 reported.

3:50 p.m.: Clayton County Public Schools canceled all extracurricular events and after-school programs. The exception is the Campus Kids after-school program.

3:16 p.m.: A tornado watch is expected to be issued for northern Alabama and parts of Tennessee and Mississippi by 5 p.m., according to Channel 2. For now, Georgia has not been added to this watch, but that could change.

3:12 p.m.: A couple of "super cells" (thunderstorms with a deep rotating updraft) are moving into northeast Georgia from Alabama, Channel 2 Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns said.

3 p.m.: Showers — expected to hit the metro area and far North Georgia — have already started in Alabama.

2:56 p.m.: Georgia Northwestern Technical College has closed all of its campuses.

2:55 p.m.: Bartow County, Carroll County, Douglas County and Floyd County schools to cancel after-school activities.

Atlanta weather radar: Where is the storm now?

Your neighborhood: Cobb | Gwinnett | North Fulton | Atlanta | DeKalb

Monday’s pollen count was 438 particles per cubic meter of air in Atlanta, which is in the high range, according to Atlanta Allergy and Asthma.

The good news is the pollen count does not touch last year's season high of 3,559, or the 2017 season high of 4,107.

And rain usually helps wash away the pollen.