ATLANTA (AP) — Severe thunderstorms have hammered northern Georgia and Alabama and parts of the Carolinas, downing trees and power lines and leaving thousands without electricity.

Metro Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina were among the regions hit hard by the storms that swept through the South early Friday evening.

Georgia Power reported that about 32,000 customers were without electricity at about 11:15 p.m., down from 70,000. Charlotte-based Duke Energy Corp. was reporting that nearly 4,500 customers in the Carolinas were without power as of 10:45 p.m. Friday.

National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Sena in Peachtree City, Ga. said the agency had received scattered reports of wind damage and downed trees in northern Georgia, and lightning strikes to a few homes. Nickel-sized hail also was reported. The storm system originated in the Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachian area.