Nearly 70,000 without power in Georgia as storms down trees, lines

Several spots around the Eastside Beltline trail in Atlanta were without power Saturday evening.

The National Weather Service warned of a Level 1 of 5 risk for severe thunderstorms through 11 p.m. Saturday. The area included Atlanta, Rome, Dalton, Gainesville and Athens.

The storms rumbled through on a day of intense heat in North Georgia.

“Well above normal temperatures” prompted the National Weather Service to issue a heat advisory until 8 p.m.

High temperatures were expected to soar into the mid- to upper 90s. With humidity, the feels-like temperature was predicted to reach 107 degrees in some areas, the Weather Service said.

Just before 2 p.m. Saturday, the temp in Atlanta was 96, and in Athens it was 95, according to the Weather Service.

“Hot and humid conditions will make for hazardous heat through the weekend,” the National Weather Service warned earlier.

Sunday carries a slightly more elevated storm risk in and around Atlanta for severe thunderstorms, the Weather Service said. There’s a level 2 of 5 risk for strong thunderstorms from 2-11 p.m., the agency said.

Sunday is only expected to be 1-3 degrees cooler, which could lead to an extension of the heat advisory, the Weather Service cautioned.

It could cool off a touch on Monday, when the agency predicts Atlanta’s high temp to be about 86.

“In addition to the hot days, high humidity overnight will make for little (if any) relief, especially for those without air conditioning,” the Weather Service said earlier this week. “Practice heat safety if partaking in outdoor activities or if working outside.”

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

The storms and heat come on a busy Labor Day weekend packed with events.

Dragon Con will bring an estimated 75,000 people to downtown for the annual pop culture event that draws crowds of costumed pop culture revelers.

For the Saturday morning parade, one of the marquee events, organizers urged attendees and participants to don hats, wear sunscreen and drink water.

There also will be more emergency medical personnel on hand over the weekend, and hotels hosting Dragon Con events have been asked to refill water stations “on a tighter schedule,” event spokesperson Greg Euston said in an email.

“Our safety team has been trained to spot the symptoms of heat-related issues in our fans,” he added.

Dragon Con continues through Monday.

Atlanta Black Pride Weekend also runs through Monday, with events at multiple sites. On Sunday, the Pure Heat Community Festival Pride event takes place at Piedmont Park.

College football fans in Atlanta and Athens had to brave the heat for Saturday games, and on Friday more than 170 high school football games were scheduled.

“Keeping kids safe is always the most important thing,” said Georgia High School Association executive director Tim Scott.

He said the GHSA sends emails to athletic directors to remind them of heat guidelines, which are less strict for games than for practices.

For games, the GHSA requires an ice immersion tub on site if a wet-bulb temperature — a metric that takes into account several factors to determine how well sweat can cool the body — is 86 degrees or greater. If the reading reaches 90, game officials are required to mandate a three-minute hydration break at the 10-minute mark of each quarter.

For practices, a wet-bulb reading of 87 or higher restricts players to helmets, shoulder pads and shorts. If the reading reaches 92, practices aren’t allowed.

“It’s different because in practices, you may have all your players going at the same time, and the overall activity level is higher,” Scott said. “In games, a lot of times you have two platoons (of 11 players), with a different set for offense and defense, so they can rest, and on the bench you have fans and misters and tents for shade. But coaches still need to be cautious.”