JASPER, Ga. — Storms uprooted trees and knocked down power lines in Pickens County early Thursday, police said.
Firefighters told Channel 2 Action News that high winds caused damage in downtown Jasper, especially along North Main Street. The wind tore several metal roofs off buildings.
Channel 2's Linda Stouffer reported seeing at least a dozen trees down in the area. She talked with homeowners already cleaning up the damage.
Shawn Ray said he slept through the storm but heard chainsaws before dawn. "That's when I woke up and I said 'oh my gosh', I got trees all inside my home," Ray said.
"It's pretty bad, half the roof is actually gone. It just pulled everything out of the roof," said Kashif Rana who owns a convenience story on North Main Street. He estimated the damage at $60,000.
Officials told Stouffer they started clearing trees on Gordon Road starting at 2 a.m., almost immediately after the storm hit.