ATLANTA -- A line of quick-moving severe thunderstorms hit the Metro Atlanta area before daybreak Tuesday, blowing trees onto homes and causing widespread power outages.
In Carroll County, high winds demolished several homes on Smithfield Road near Georgia Hwy. 100. A woman who owned one home destroyed by the storm had just moved into a nursing home. Otherwise, she would have likely been killed, officials said (read related story).
A downed tree that blocked two lanes of I-75 southbound, south of Delk Road, was removed from the highway and all lanes opened just after 8 a.m., but the traffic headaches caused an extensive rush hour all over the Metro Atlanta area.
"It took two-and-a-half hours to come down from the Lassiter High School area in Cobb County to the WXIA studios" near the Peachtree Road overpass over I-85, reported 11Alive Web Producer Josh Roseman.
A Georgia Power spokeswoman says the number of customers without power had dropped to 35,000 at noon from 93,000 at 8 a.m. Power to most residents was restored by late in the day. By 6 p.m., less than 5,000 homes remained dark, most of those in Carroll County.
By daybreak, residents were able to get out into their yards and assess the damages. 11Alive viewer Jim Tate shared a photo of a tree that smashed into his neighbor's house in Duluth at 6:30 a.m. The home's occupants were not hurt.
In northeast Cobb County, where wind gusts were reported at 60 mph, there were numerous reports of damage from falling trees. Rescue crews had trouble getting into the area around Trickum Road because of heavy traffic on Shallowford and Sandy Plains. Trickum Road was blocked for several hours but reopened just before the noon hour.
Scores of trees came crashing down hit several homes on Trickum Road, totaling two or three and damaging others. Residents said they heard a loud rushing noise and saw everything go sideways.
"I was lying in bed after I hit my snooze button and I heard a big wind coming through. About that time I felt things falling on my head. It wasn't heavy and come to find out it was the side of the house had fallen on me," said Sandra Markley. Markley and her dog were buried by debris on her bed but climbed out without injury.
Several of her neighbors in the Heatherwood subdivision shared similar stories of close calls.
"You heard the trees falling. It was just a really loud roar and the next thing you knew the trees were coming through the roof. I don't want to live through that ever again," said Maggie Franz.
Firemen said straight line winds may be to blame for much of the damage in the area. However, National Weather Service investigators said that an EF-3 tornado was responsible for the damage in Carroll County.
