WATKINSVILLE, Ga. — Severe weather swept through northern Georgia on Monday evening causing widespread power outages and sporadic damage throughout the region.
One of the hardest hit areas was in Oconee County where emergency management said first responders and law enforcement responded to dozens of calls for downed trees, downed powerlines and even a couple of calls for structural damage.
One of those calls was at Andy Richardson’s home along Mountain Laurel Drive in Watkinsville.
“I was sitting in the back of the house in the sunroom and we saw the tree swirling around, and so we ran in here got to about where the steps are at and the tree fell on the house,” Richardson explained.
The huge pine tree was completely uprooted in the back of Richardson’s home. He said on a normal night they would be sitting in their living room -- where the tree came crashing in watching TV, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case on Monday night.
“Normally I’d be sitting there in the chair, eating dinner, watching TV, fortunately, we had different plans tonight,” he said.
A tree company was able to pull the tree off the house late Monday night. The area is out of power as there are thousands across the county in the dark due to the trees bringing down power lines.
Richardson said while it is a mess inside his home, things could have been a lot worse.
“The roof can be replaced. Fortunately, no one was hurt. It’ll be okay. Everything can be rebuilt,” Richardson explained.
Oconee County Emergency Director C.J. Worden said they had one other house near the Richardson’s home that also had a tree land on it but no one was hurt. He said there are several barricades up throughout the county-- where trees are blocking the roadway along with power lines.
“We’re very fortunate we’ve had no injuries,” Worden added.
Worden is advising drivers who are heading out overnight to watch for low-hanging powerlines and downed trees that might not have been reported. He also added for people to give themselves extra time Tuesday morning as they head out-- there will still be roads blocked.
