A woman was killed in Polk County on Saturday afternoon when a storm demolished her home and threw her and her husband into a field, while an elderly man in neighbouring Floyd County was killed by flying debris as he sat in his home, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Officials have not released the victims’ names.
Calls to the Polk and Floyd County sheriff’s departments were not immediately returned.

National Weather Service officials were expected to be in both counties later Sunday to determine whether the damage was caused by a tornado or straight-line winds, meteorologist Vaughn Smith said.

In Atlanta, crews began cleaning up debris and broken glass yesterday from the tornado that struck the city with little warning the previous night.

The storm cut a 10-kilometre path of destruction through the city with winds gusting up to 210 kilometeres per hour, leaving homes crushed by centuries-old trees and numerous windows shattered in high-rise office buildings and hotels.

In neighbourhoods just east of downtown - like the historic Cabbagetown where a loft apartment building partially collapsed and homes were destroyed - residents ducked under tables and hid in closets as the twister made its way through the city.

“It was just like everyone says it is - the proverbial freight train,” said Carol Grizzel as she cleaned debris out of her yard.