This morning, the metro residents were awakened to several hours of falling trees and limbs.
Although the weather system did not look particularly ominous, I struck out for my morning appointments. In northwest Atlanta, I was greeted by residential streets blocked by both dead and live trees that had toppled across the roadways. In one instance, as I backed away from a fallen tree in the Margaret Mitchell neighborhood, I caught a glimpse of a pine falling across the street behind me. I was now actually blocked on both sides!
I was able to get out of my Jeep, and quickly pull back enough of the tree top to create an escape route. This is one of the few times in storm history that I was afraid to be in my vehicle. I drove down the street to a cul-de-sac, where no tall trees existed, until the winds died down.
This windstorm was caused by intermittent downdrafts, creating wave-like patterns across the landscape. These waves are very forceful and can cause trees to fail in unexpected ways.
- Posted by Jesse Milton