Local

Heavy rain brings down trees, power lines in metro area

ATLANTA — Big trees took down power lines over the weekend, leaving several metro Atlanta residents dealing with damage Sunday morning.

Channel 2's Amanda Cook is in Severe Weather Chaser 2 in northwest Atlanta, where she is following up with residents.

"We heard a loud thunder, boom, boom, boom," said Rosa Woodard.

Woodard was home with her two young grandchildren, when suddenly a massive tree fell, crushed her home and her car on Cahaba Drive.

"The lights start to dim, we smell smoke. We open the door, we see the tree, we (are) freaking out. My grandkids are screaming and yelling at the top of their lungs," Woodard said.

Woodard said she's filed numerous complaints about this tree.

"I've filed so many complaints. I've written letters, voiced my concerns," she said.

Also overnight, a large tree fell across Austell Way near Andrews Drive in northwest Atlanta. Channel 2 Action News crews saw the tree became tangled with some power lines on its way down, taking out power in the area.

An Atlanta police officer stayed close by with his lights flashing to make sure any approaching drivers would know to stop.

In DeKalb County at the intersection of James B. Rivers and Memorial Drive, a tree crushed the front end of a car while the driver was inside.

Police said the driver was pulled from the vehicle and rushed to the hospital in serious but stable condition.

Channel 2's Liz Artz was in Severe Weather Chaser 2 in Gwinnett County, speaking with people who are trying to clean up the mess left behind.

"My car is underneath the tree, so you can't see it, and I'm not a happy camper tonight. I thank God I'm still living and my grandkids are OK, but I'm not a happy camper," one resident said.

Drivers spoke to Artz about the dangerous past couple of days on the roads. She also found people working to clean up a lot of big trees.

Alexis Cole said she was awakened by a loud boom. It was a huge old tree that fell onto power lines right in front of her apartment complex. She said she thought it was gunshots.

Cole and several of her Hapeville neighbors felt like the tree was going to fall any day.

The rain-soaked ground and wind proved too much for another tree off Ryne Street. The homeowner said a tree limb snapped in his yard, causing his neighbor's tree to fall on his roof.

Kenneth Parham has lived in the house for 50 years. He estimated the damage to be somewhere around $50,000. He said the first thing that went through his mind was, "Please don't let anyone get killed."

"Before you know it, the tree limb snapped and put a hole in my roof," Parham said.

No one was hurt. He says now he's just trying to work out insurance details.

Severe Weather Team 2 warns heavy rain will continue throughout the day and recommends residents be on the lookout for rising creeks and rivers and downed trees.

Parham's advice is to make sure your homeowner's insurance is current. He called it a good day because "no one got killed."

Drivers are urged to drive carefully this weekend as heavy rainfall drenches the metro area, which is under a flood watch until Sunday at 8 p.m.

Cobb, Cherokee, Bartow, Forsyth, Paulding, Gwinnett and north Fulton counties are included in the watch, which extends northward into the mountain counties.