Newton County was spared major damage from the Mother's Day weekend storms that ripped through the state, though many residents were left without power for short periods and several trees were reported blocking roads.
The Newton County Fire Department responded to 22 calls Sunday relating to storm and wind damage, with the majority being downed trees or utility problems, said Chief Mike Satterfield. Normally, the department fields about 14 calls a day on average.
"At one point, we had all of our equipment committed and still had seven calls," Satterfield said.
Five roads in the county were reported blocked by trees, though they were mostly secondary roads from subdivisions, he said. A crew with chainsaws set about clearing the roads for fire trucks to pass through.
Georgia Power reported about 1,500 customers without power at the height of the storm around 5 p.m. on Sunday in the Metro East region, which stretches from Atlanta to Covington. That number had gone down 366 as of 2:30 p.m. Monday, according to a Georgia Power spokesperson. Snapping Shoals EMC reported about 24,100 customers without power in the service region including Newton County, which covers eight counties from Butts to DeKalb, but that all storm-related power-outs were repaired as of 3 p.m. Monday.
About 40 minutes away in Clayton County, 173 homes were reported damaged and 43 uninhabitable, according to ajc.com.
At least two people in Dublin were found dead in a mobile home and one woman in Duluth was killed by falling tree Sunday afternoon, as reported by the Associated Press. Governor Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in six counties: Bibb, Johnson, Laurens, Carroll, Douglas and Jefferson County.
Nationally, storms and tornadoes claimed the lives of 22 people as it ripped through three states - Oklahoma, Missouri and Georgia.
