The frantic screams of two women alerted neighbors moments after a tree crashed through the roof of a Cobb County home, trapping the two in an upstairs room Tuesday afternoon.
The women were later rescued and rushed to a hospital, and they were believed to be the only people reported injured as strong winds toppled trees around the metro Atlanta area. Wind gusts reached 40 mph in some areas, more than enough to snap trees and bring down power lines in some areas.
In Cobb County, a 70-foot, red oak tree split the roof of a home on Sugar Creek Drive, off Powder Springs Road, near Marietta, around 3:30 p.m., according to Lt. Dan Dupree with the Cobb fire department. Neighbors called 911, but were unable to help the women before firefighters arrived.
James O'Neal told Channel 2 Action News he could see the women, but couldn't get to them.
"The whole tree was laying across their legs," O'Neal said.
Firefighters were able to rescue the two women, whose names were not released. One was more seriously injured and was flown to a hospital. The second was transported by ambulance for treatment.
In Sandy Springs, a portion of Riverside Drive between River North Court and Johnson Ferry was temporarily shut down due to a tree down on wires, according to police. A large tree that fell in Gwinnett County pulled down power lines, knocking electricity out to some residents.
No one was injured when a tree fell on an apartment building in the 1300 block of North Cliff Valley Way in DeKalb County, according to the fire department. One unit of the building was damaged, displacing some residents.
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