Metro Atlanta storm damage: Storm topples trees, knocks out power
Cleanup continues after severe weather in metro Atlanta
Powerful overnight storms brought down trees and power lines across metro Atlanta, damaging homes and blocking roads. A downed power line in Tucker sparked a dumpster fire. Marc Teichner reporting.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Powerful overnight storms brought down trees and power lines across metro Atlanta, damaging homes and blocking roads.
Storms leave trail of damage across metro Atlanta
What we know:
Powerful thunderstorms swept across metro Atlanta overnight, toppling trees, knocking down power lines and leaving thousands without electricity Friday morning. The severe weather caused damage from northwest Atlanta to DeKalb County, where crews continued cleanup efforts and residents dealt with the aftermath.
According to Georgia Power, about 7,000 customers statewide remained without power Friday morning. In several DeKalb County neighborhoods, fallen trees brought down electrical lines, leaving residents waiting for service to be restored.
Click here for Georgia Power outage map.
Apartment building damaged by falling tree
One of the most significant incidents occurred in northwest Atlanta's Home Park neighborhood near the Georgia Tech campus, where a large tree crashed into an apartment building.
What they're saying:
Resident Uchenna Godwin-Offor said he was at work when he received an emergency alert about the collapse. When he returned home, he found the building heavily damaged.
Residents said the tree had been a concern for some time and that plans had been made to remove it. An inspection of the fallen trunk revealed extensive rot inside the tree.
Godwin-Offor said he was relieved no one was inside the damaged portion of the building when the tree fell.
Because the structure is considered unsafe, affected residents are gathering belongings and making plans to stay elsewhere while damage is assessed.
Severe storm topples tree onto home; residents displaced
A wave of severe storms wreaked havoc across metro Atlanta, sending rotting trees crashing into homes and blocking major commuter roads.
DeKalb County sees widespread impacts
What we know:
Some of the hardest-hit areas were in Doraville and Tucker, where multiple trees and power lines came down during the storm.
On Eagle Rock Drive in Doraville's Northcrest neighborhood, a fallen tree blocked the roadway and brought down power lines, leaving nearby residents without electricity Friday morning. Utility crews were working at 5 a.m. to restore service.
A few miles away in Tucker, downed power lines sparked a dumpster fire at a strip mall near the Chamblee Tucker Road and Tucker Norcross Road intersection. Firefighters responded after flames were seen coming from the dumpster.
On Candler Road in DeKalb County, another fallen tree blocked traffic for hours after saturated ground gave way during the storm. Nearby resident Tyasia Cloud said she heard a loud boom when the tree came down. The closure forced drivers to turn around as crews worked to clear the roadway.
Additional damage was reported on Summit Ridge Drive, where downed power lines remained on the ground Friday morning. Roads in the area were still affected as utility crews continued restoration efforts.
Crash reported after tree falls on roadway
What we know:
The storms also contributed to hazardous driving conditions across the region.
On Linkwood Road near Interstate 20 and Interstate 285, a driver struck a fallen tree early Friday morning. The driver was not injured, but the vehicle sustained damage. Heavy rain and reduced visibility made travel difficult in several areas during the height of the storm.
Recovery efforts underway
What's next:
Cleanup crews continued working Friday morning to remove debris, repair damaged power lines and restore electricity. Residents in some neighborhoods remained without power as utility crews assessed damage and worked to safely reconnect services.