Thunderstorms with wind gusts topping 70 miles an hour tore through Carroll County Sunday, knocking down trees and power lines and causing substantial damage to one Villa Rica home and minor damages to businesses.

Authorities said more severe weather is predicted for the area Wednesday.

Carroll County Fire and Rescue Chief Gary Thomas said there were more than 30 reports of damage in the county shortly before 6 p.m., mostly in Villa Rica, Temple and Bowdon.

All power had been restored to homes Monday, but at the peak of Sunday’s storms, Carroll EMC spokeswoman Susan Lester said more than 1,800 customers lost power.

The majority of those without power, according to Lester, were on the West Villa Rica Station circuit.

A house on Emily Circle in the Amidon Estates subdivision in Villa Rica was heavily damaged when a large oak tree crashed onto the roof of the home over several bedrooms.

Thomas said the family was not home at the time, and firefighters shut off power to the house during the storm due to the amount of roof and attic damage created from the falling tree.

Thomas said the storms started approaching the western region of the state around 4:20 p.m., and a severe weather was issued. A decision to sound the county’s weather sirens was made after emergency officials learned the storm was capable of producing winds in excess of 70 mph, which he said were equal to minimal hurricane wind speeds.

“We don’t normally sound the weather sirens with just a severe thunderstorm warning, but we made the decision to utilize the system since the wind gusts would reach higher than 70 miles per hour,” Thomas said.

Once the storm moved into the area, Thomas said emergency calls started coming in from Mt. Zion, Temple, Villa Rica, Whitesburg, Bowdon and Sand Hill. The first tree reported down was across Highway 100 in Bowdon at 5:47 p.m. Collapsed trees and downed power lines were reported on East Highway 78 and Old Villa Rica Road, McCurdy Road, Timberlake Trail and Pleasant Grove Road.

Rotation did occur in one of the storms traveling north in the county, which authorities said was where the most significant damage was reported.

Thomas said a downed power line on Timberlake Road sparked a brush fire, which took firefighters more than an hour to clear the scene. A Marathon gas station on Highway 78 had one of its gas pumps blow over from the intense winds, which Thomas said caused a small fuel spill on the property.

“The pump did have a shut off gas valve that prevented a major fuel spill,” he said.

Officials said another gas station, the Carroll Road Shoppette, on South Carroll Road in Villa Rica, reported damage to an awning from the high winds.

Weather is also believed to have contributed to a crash on Interstate 20 West near mile marker 11 after an SUV allegedly struck another vehicle on the interstate before careening off the shoulder into the woods during the inclement weather, according to authorities.

Carrollton Fire Chief Jimmy Bearden said the city was spared much of the damage after the storm appeared to split and travel north or south of the town.

Bearden said a dental office on Old Newnan Street was the only structure that was damaged Sunday after a limb fell onto the business’ porch during the height of the storm.

“We were lucky,” he said.

Thomas said drought conditions in the area contributed to the number of fallen trees - caused by the weakened trees and shallow root systems. Strong winds and rainfall total’s exceeding an inch on Saturday proved to be a dangerous combination for the large trees.

According to the National Weather Service’s Storm Predication Center, more severe weather could reach the county on Wednesday.

Thomas said residents should seek shelter indoors and monitor the weather if a severe weather warning is issued and the weather sirens sound.

“On Sunday a lot of people might have thought that the storms had blown over since the sirens sounded about an hour before the storm hit,” Thomas said. “We will sound the sirens once the warning has been issued to give people as much time as possible to seek shelter.”

In the event of severe weather, authorities said residents should either find shelter in a basement or interior room without windows. A home safety kit is also recommended to include items such as a first-aid kit and battery-operated weather radio.