Strong storms moved through the northwest corner of the county about 6 p.m., but most of the damage was reported in the Rome area, Gordon County and elsewhere. A tornado reportedly touched down at the rest stop on Interstate 75 roughly one mile north of the Gordon-Bartow line.
Bartow County Fire Department Battalion Chief Brian Keeling said reports of damage were concentrated in the area of the Floyd-Gordon-Bartow county lines, with Oak Grove Road, West Oak Grove Road, Big Oak Tree Road and Snow Springs Road being hardest hit.
"Most of the damage was trees and power lines with the road blocked," Keeling said, adding that some outbuildings and sheds were destroyed but residential damage was minor.
At 10:45 p.m. Keeling said Bartow County Road Department remained in the area clearing debris. Adairsville Police Department and the Bartow County Sheriff's Office also assisted BCFD in the cleanup efforts.
At 9:45 p.m. Georgia Power was reporting less than 10,000 out in the Rome area, down from 13,000 at the height of the recovery.
Georgia Power spokeswoman Carol Boatright said about two-thirds of the outages in the state were in the Rome area. "Our crews are used to working in bad weather, and they'll be out there working this evening," she said.
Damage in Floyd County "seems to be the result of straight line winds and confined to an area of West Rome, mostly businesses reporting windows blown out," Ken Davis of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.
There were two reported minor injuries in Rome, caused by cuts from flying glass, Davis said.
No injuries were reported locally, however.
Gordon County reported a couple of homes with damages ranging from major to being destroyed by straight line winds, and some minor injuries. Power outages also were reported in Gordon, Davis said.
Emergency management officials said numerous trees were down in southern Gilmer County.
Trees were reported down in Polk, Meriwether and Douglas counties. Power lines were reported down in Coweta County.
-- The Associated Press contributed to this report.