Atlanta mayor issues state of emergency due to Tropical Storm Zeta damage

ATLANTA - Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms declared a state of emergency Saturday due to the damage left behind earlier this week from Tropical Storm Zeta.

 Mayor Bottoms signed an Executive Order in an effort to enhance clean up efforts from Zeta. According to the mayor's office, a record-setting 357 trees were knocked down as a result of the storm within Atlanta city limits. 

At least 60 of those trees hit power lines, the release for the mayor's office stated.  The order also said city workers are continuing to survey the damage and the number of fallen trees could increase. 

The order allows for more resources to be deployed for recovery throughout the city of Atlanta.

In the order Mayor Bottoms stated: 

"In accordance with this declaration, I am exercising my emergency powers in accordance with Section 2-181(b) of the City of Atlanta Code of Ordinances within the jurisdictional limits of the City of Atlanta as shall be necessary to address the damage within the City of Atlanta caused by Hurricane Zeta which shall include but shall not be limited to the use of additional employees of the City and the devotion of additional City resources as circumstances demand."

According to the release, the mayor's executive order will be in effect for 72 hours or until the Atlanta City Council reconvenes. 

Zeta swept through metro Atlanta and north Georgia in the early morning hours earlier this week, bringing damaging winds and heavy rainfall, causing trees to fall on interstates and major roads throughout the area.

SEE ALSO: Power restored to 700,000 Georgians after Zeta, restoration to continue through Sunday

At one point the storm left over 2 million Georgians without power. Georgia Power said the damage seen is similar to that from 2018's Hurricane Michael that includes broken poles, damaged transformers, and numerous spans of wire down.

In Cherokee County, a man was killed after a tree crashed onto a mobile home on Bells Ferry Road. A total of four people, including a child, were in the home at the time the tree fell. 

Residents are reminded to not approach downed wires and to call 911 immediately. 

Georgia Power customers can follow outages on the company's online outage map.

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