Three homes hit by tree in southwest Atlanta

ATLANTA — A tree fell on three homes in southwest Atlanta, and the people who were inside them say they're blessed to be alive.

"It's crazy. It's still not real yet," one resident, Ishmail Payne, said.

The damage to the three houses in southwest Atlanta is very real even though the people inside can't believe one tree caused it all.

"We just heard a loud crack and we all start running and boom," Payne said.

The tree came crashing down around 10 p.m. That's when the tree carved a giant hole in Margaret Boykins' roof.

"That's good. God is good," Boykins said.

Boykins spend 50 years in her home on Muse Street and felt helpless during the storm.

"I'm thinking how afraid I was, how frightened I was during all of it," Boykins said.

Lance Piper with Silver City Tree has been at the three homes all day working to clear the debris from the two houses that are occupied.

"It's probably a total loss if I had to guess. It's a lot of damage, a lot of internal damage in the house," Piper said.

Piper told Channel 2's Matt Johnson he's never seen a tree cause so much damage in 20 years.

"I'd say this is probably my biggest one yet," Piper said.

The people who lived in the homes are thankful to live to tell the tale about the weekend storm.

It will be months until the people can go back to their homes.

Cox Media Group