Powerful overnight storms left a trail of uprooted trees, damaged homes and crushed vehicles across metro Atlanta, with multiple properties deemed unsafe by Wednesday. No injuries were reported, but homeowners woke up to a cleanup job involving debris, damaged roofs and insurance calls.
Storms swept across the region Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, according to Atlanta News First. The worst damage reported so far included homes in Kennesaw and Sandy Springs, along with a vehicle in Stone Mountain that was left totaled beneath a fallen tree.
Two Kennesaw Homes Posted As Unsafe
The storm damage came from the kind of sudden wind bursts that can turn a healthy-looking tree into a neighborhood hazard. The National Weather Service says damaging thunderstorm winds occur an average of 19 days each year across its north and central Georgia warning area, while July has logged more than 500 such reports over the past four decades.
In Kennesaw, homeowner Jim Jaquish and his family took shelter in their basement as the storms moved through. A large tree crashed into Jaquish’s backyard deck before hitting a neighbor’s home, ripping away the chimney and destroying the back deck; the city later posted unsafe structure notices on both houses.
Jaquish told Atlanta News First that the tree appeared healthy and still had green leaves, but he suspected saturated soil and a brief burst of strong wind caused it to topple. He said the tree fell across an area just above the upstairs bedroom, sending the family downstairs for safety.
Tree Crushes Stone Mountain Vehicle
In Stone Mountain, a fallen tree crushed Angela Anderson’s parked vehicle, leaving it totaled. In Sandy Springs, a tree punched through the roof of an upper-floor condominium unit and left a large hole in the ceiling.
Across the metro area, homeowners spent Wednesday clearing debris and contacting insurance companies as they assessed whether their properties could be safely occupied. The absence of reported injuries offered some relief, but the damage left several households facing a longer recovery after a storm that lasted only a matter of hours.
