With numerous trees down, some in houses, local residents are turning to the unwelcome task today of clearing the debris left in the wake of the most severe storm so far this year.
The storm that hit Columbus Wednesday afternoon was just the latest in a series that has sideswiped the South in recent months. Dime-sized hail was reported in parts of the city and Lowndes County, which were both awash with floods from heavy rain into Thursday.
Holed up with his family in their basement, Jolly Road resident Jim Walker said he heard the snapping when their 90-foot-tall tree fell Wednesday night.
“When I saw it, I thought, ”I”m just glad it missed the house,”” Walker said.
Thursday, Walker stayed home to clean up the mess. His area, which is on the county side of the city limits near Ridge Road, was one of the hardest hit in the county and city, according to 4-County Electric and Columbus Light and Water spokesmen.
By Thursday afternoon, most people”s power — including the Walker”s — was back on after constant work by Columbus Light and Water and 4-County Electric Power Association crews, aided by city and county clearing crews. But at the storm”s height, the lights went out for thousands of people in the city and county — 10,000 customers altogether across the 4-County coverage area.
While Walker”s family escaped with only a tree in their yard, others weren”t so lucky.
In the Woodland Heights neighborhood off Spivey Road near Highway 45 North, resident Martha Nolen said the back of the house next door had been smashed by a falling tree.
“You look at it and you”ll see this huge, huge tree uprooted on the roof,” she said. “The windows are knocked out — it”s a mess. It”s indescribable.”
Their road, Pleasant Vale Drive, was blocked in by a fallen tree, and another two trees were down in her and her husband”s yard, she said.
Fallen trees were a major problem along county and city roads during the storm Wednesday night, public works officials said.
County Road Manager Ronnie Burns said his crews had worked until about 3:30 a.m. Thursday morning clearing blocked roads.
“As far as trees coming down, this was the worst storm so far,” he said. “We haven”t had this many roads blocked.”
Altogether in the county, 48 roads were cleared between about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and about 3:30 a.m. Thursday, he said. “We do all we can to do what we can do.”
But clearing the trees from roadsides could take up to a week, he added.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
