High winds ahead of a fast-moving cold front blew down trees and power lines across Fayette County Saturday afternoon, and hail larger than golf balls was reported just east of Peachtree City, according to preliminary storm reports from the National Weather Service Office in Peachtree City early Sunday morning.

No injuries have been reported as a result of the winds and hail in Fayette or Coweta counties.

The NWS office reported that two survey teams were to be sent out Sunday to assess damage in the hardest-hit areas of the state, and a preliminary report from the onsite inspections was expected by Sunday evening (March 16).

Four trees were reported blown down before 6 p.m. Saturday in Wilshire Estates subdivision near Ga. Highway 74 South by thunderstorm winds, the NWS reported.

Law enforcement reported to the NWS that as of 8:49 p.m. Saturday “numerous trees and power lines [were] down countywide” as a result of straight-line thunderstorm winds.

A member of the public reported hail estimated to be 1.75 inches in diameter — slightly larger than a golf ball — near the intersection of Redwine Road and Peachtree Parkway, just east of southern Peachtree City at about 5:45 Saturday afternoon.

A NWS employee spotted 1.25-inch hail in Peachtree City at about the same time.

Three-quarter-inch hail was reported in nearby Newnan during the thunderstorm passage between 5 and 6 p.m. Saturday.

Marble-sized hail fell during that hour near the center of Peachtree City during a blustery spell of about 10 minutes. Immediately afterwards, blue skies appeared and the sun shone through the clouds before the hail on the ground melted.

NWS also filed a preliminary report of tornado damage in the heart of downtown Atlanta Friday night as follows:

“A damage survey team from the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Peachtree City has confirmed that an ef2 tornado tracked through the heart of the city of atlanta between 938 and 950 p.m. on Friday, March 14th.

“The tornado first touched down near the intersection of Simpson and Burbank streets in the Vine City neighborhood at approximately 938 p.m. The tornado then tracked due east over the center of the Georgia World Congress Center about 100 yards north of the Georgia Dome where an SEC basketball tournament was taking place, across the CNN/Omni Hotel complex and Phillips Arena where an NBA basketball game was underway.

“[The tornado continued] over the Equitable Bank Tower across I-85/75 at the Edgewood exit, and then into the cotton mill lofts across from Oakland Cemetery.

“From this point, the tornado weakened but caused spotty tree and roof damage into extreme western DeKalb County near the junction of Braeburn and Josephine streets, where it lifted.

“The tornado had a total path length of six miles and a maximum path width of 200 yards at its maximum strength. Maximum wind speeds were estimated near 130 mph, which is a high-end ef2 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

“As it moved across the GWCC/CNN/Omni complex, the tornado width was about 100 yards wide and produced high ef1 winds of about 100 mph.

“At least 50 homes were damaged by the tornado, as were several multi-story towers and commercial buildings near and east of the Centennial Olympic Park. Windows were blown out of many of the towers at all heights.

“Damage in residential and industrial areas ranged from roofing materials blown from homes and businesses to trees falling on structures and vehicles.

“The cotton mill lofts experienced the most significant damage with the roof blown off and exterior walls of the top (fourth) floor blown inward. Two sections of the fourth floor collapsed all the way into basement of the building, trapping several people in the complex.

“No weather-related fatalities were reported with the tornado, but numerous non-life-threatening injuries occurred.”