Crews labor to clear fallen trees, power lines

ATLANTA, Ga. — Homeowners in DeKalb County and other parts of the metro area are dealing with tree trouble on this wet Labor Day.

Channel 2’s Linda Stouffer checked out the damage at a home on North Decatur Road and Jordan Lane in DeKalb County.

Power crews are trying to clear a big tree that crashed through the home and took down power lines with it.

Stouffer shot video of the damage, which shows the limbs covering up the home on Jordan Lane.

The base of the tree stayed in the ground, but the massive limbs were everywhere. Stouffer talked to one of the residents, who said he was inside the home with his wife when a loud crack woke them up about 6 a.m.

“I heard a big noise and the tree fell – scared me to death,” said Louis Stokes.

He said the tree caused a lot of damage, after falling across the porch area of the home.

“It was a scare, all of the noise and everything,” he said.

But this just may be the beginning of a busy day of cleanup in the metro area.

Severe Weather Team 2 meteorologist David Chandley said scattered showers and storms will continue throughout the afternoon.

More rain means the ground will be become more saturated, increasing the risk of downed trees.

Channel 2 Action News began responding to reports of fallen trees this weekend. A homeowner on South Gordon Street in southwest Atlanta. A man described how a 70-foot tree destroyed his home during the peak of Sunday's storm.

"It was thundering and lightning really hard," said Richard McCormick.

The old tree couldn't take it and crashed, causing a boom that echoed throughout the neighborhood.

"Yeah, it was kind of scary. It sounded like a bomb going off," he said.

Michael Dalton, who lives 30 minutes away in Lawrenceville, said he experienced the same thing.

"It (was like) bombs going off. Three or four trees came falling in the road; like domino effect came through the back of my house," Dalton said.

Dalton said his roof is heavily damaged, kitchen windows shattered, and his back yard is destroyed.

"It was the scariest thing I ever saw in my life," Dalton said.

Authorities are relieved no one was hurt during those incidents.

Scattered showers and storms began popping up across the northern suburbs Sunday afternoon, while torrential rains earlier in the day prompted a flash flood warning for Gilmer County.

A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Cobb, Douglas and Paulding counties.  A significant weather advisory for frequent lightning was also issued for several counties, including Cobb, Cherokee, Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Clayton, Rockdale, Barrow, Walton, Douglas, Paulding, Polk and Haralson.

Gilmer County was under a flash flood warning after an estimated four to five inches of rain fell Sunday morning.

The wet conditions made a mess of traffic on metro interstates and caused flight delays at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. At 3:15 p.m., the Federal Aviation Administration reported delays of 45 minutes to an hour for departing flights and delays of 30 to 45 minutes for flights bound for Atlanta.

• Labor Day events schedule

Channel 2 Action News is keeping tabs on the rain's impact on holiday events.

Track storms in your area with the Severe Weather Team 2 iPad app.

WSBTV