Cherokee County

Storms knock down dozens of trees in Cherokee County

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Neighbors in a Cherokee County subdivision are still cleaning up Monday from a strong line of storms that moved through the area Friday night.

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High winds toppled dozens of trees in a swath along Bells Ferry Road near Towne Lake Parkway. One hit the playground at Hobgood Park, while most of the damage is in the nearby Victoria Station subdivision.

Channel 2′s Steve Gehlbach was in Cherokee County, where he talked to neighbors affected by the damage.

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“I was happy no one was here because anybody that was living here would have been gone,” said owner Jeff Burnett, who is in the middle of renovating the house and not currently renting it.

A giant oak in the side yard fell in the storm around 10 p.m. Friday night and sliced through the entire back of the house, including the kitchen and family room.

“The whole corner of the roof is gone and the roofing is on the floor to where the kitchen cabinets and table would have been.”

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Another neighbor, home at the time, said the entire thing lasted less than a minute.

Gary Hoyle and his wife are not sure if the storm was a down burst of wind, or small tornado, but say the rain fell in all directions right before the trees started falling.

“It was in a spiral….rain wasn’t coming straight down, but just going in a circle,” Hoyle said.