DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — On the first day of class, some elementary school students had a more interesting first day than they expected. And it wasn’t even at their school.
Monday morning, a tree near Sagamore Elementary School in DeKalb County fell, leading to some challenges for students, staff and those living nearby.
Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes was at the neighborhood as crews worked to clear the tree and repair damage.
When it fell, the tree knocked out power to the whole neighborhood, so the school district had to have students board buses to go to another building for the day.
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Neighbors told Fernandes that the experience was a bit of a surprise.
“It sounded like a bomb went off,” neighbor John Ouzts said.
He told Channel 2 Action News that he didn’t know the sound was from a tree falling on Alderbrook Road early Monday morning.
As for the impact on Sagamore students?
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“I guess that was an eventful day for them,” Ouzts said.
For those still in the area, the lack of power was a problem, but not one without solutions, at least for some.
Some of the people living near the school said they’re used to trees falling consistently.
Mike and Lynn Cullen told Channel 2 Action News that’s why they bought a gas-powered generator a few years back.
“We’ve had it here, we’ve had trees come down right here,” Lynn Cullen said. “Everybody, honestly everybody has had a tree from their yard take down a pole.”
The students at Sagamore Elementary School were taken to Lakeside High School for the day but were bussed back to Sagamore for dismissal.
One neighbor said that after the power went out, and students had to be moved, they were greeted by a strange site.
“We walked down Oak Grove and there was a caravan of buses with a police escort,” Lynn Cullen said. “We wondered what in the world was going on.”
Neighbors said they realize putting power lines under ground is expensive, but they hope it happens one day.
“It seems awfully expensive that they have to put up poles all the time,” Lynn Cullen said.
The good news about the situation is that no one was hurt, no injuries were reported. The tree fell in the middle of the street.
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