Storm leaves debris across CSRA; more high winds may be ahead

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Residents cleaned up broken tree limbs and other debris on Friday, the day after a severe storm moved through the CSRA with high wind and heavy rain.

“We thought a tornado was coming through,” said Thomas, a homeowner in Richmond County.

And it may not be over yet.

“I looked up and the tree was blowing like crazy,” said Thomas.

The storm caused a lot of damage. A tree fell on his home but his neighborhood wasn’t the only area affected.

“The wind was blowing real hard. And then I heard a chainsaw running and I came out on the front porch and police cars were here and lights were flashing,” said William Doolittle.

Due to the damage, the storm caused a local tree service has been busy all day.

“So I’ve had 15 calls today and that’s storm calls. We usually average three to four a day,” said Cody Mantooth, owner of Southern Grind Stump and Tree Removal.

He says there are ways to try and prevent this from happening.

“Check on your trees, look up, look outside and if your tree doesn’t look like its healthy, it probably isn’t. There are a lot of signs you can look for and just call a reputable tree company and they’ll come out,” said Mantooth.

But despite the bad storm, people are thankful for what they do have.

“I guess we’re thankful nobody got hurt because it could have been a lot worse,” said Thomas.

News 12 First Alert meteorologists say there’s a chance of more severe weather Friday afternoon and evening, with lower chances Saturday. Although the risk of isolated severe weather is slight, it’s there. The main threat looks to be damaging winds.

In Augusta on Friday, fallen tree limbs could be seen across town.

The damage was especially visible on Prep Street, where one large tree had actually tipped over, exposing its roots.

On Palmetto Drive, a tall tree broke off at the trunk in someone’s front yard. By the afternoon, someone had been out cutting the broken part into pieces.

The severe weather also knocked out power to thousands of customers.

In Richmond County, just under 1,000 customers woke up without power, while 286 experienced power outages in Columbia County.

Elsewhere on the Georgia side of the Savannah River:

• In Lincoln County, Elijah State Park was closed. The park was without power and trees were on roadways There were also about 12 trees down within a two-mile radius of Lincolnton.
• Columbia County confirmed trees down near the Clarks Hill Marina.
• McDuffie County reported trees down across the county.

The situation was similar on the South Carolina side.

In Salley, The American Red Cross is assisting a family whose home on Southeast Gordon Street was damaged by the storm.

In McCormick County, trees were reported down across the county.

It might have been even more extensive in Edgefield County. With trees and power lines down in the morning, deputies advised people to stay home.

The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office confirmed numerous trees and power lines were down throughout the county, as were some power lines. Silver Bluff Road, Atomic Road and Columbia Highway North near Cumbee Trail were hit especially hard.

Near Clarks Hill, around 450 customers experienced power outages, while almost 1,600 in Edgefield experienced outages. Around Trenton, a little over 800 customers had no power Thursday night.

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