Trees down on houses in Sandy Springs as Irma’s winds pick up
Irma's winds are already causing damage in metro Atlanta, as facades fall from buildings and trees come down.
In Sandy Springs, two trees have fallen on houses, spokeswoman Sharon Kraun said.
The downed trees are at 1095 Kingston Drive and 4930 Long Island Terrace.
Tree crashed through #SandySprings home as #Irma blew through. Homeowner was there but thankfully no injuries. #Stormwatchon2. pic.twitter.com/7yzOncDGOO
— Mike Petchenik (@MPetchenikWSB) September 11, 2017
Peter Jenkins, presidents of TreeInspection.com, said he expects the tree damage from Irma, now a tropical storm, to be 10 times that of a normal thunderstorm.
Jenkins said as much as 5 percent of metro Atlanta’s total tree canopy could be decimated in the storm. Most at risk, he said, are oak trees and other hardwoods with decay, cavities or other weaknesses. Pine trees could also come down.
“It’s going to be pretty catastrophic,” he said.
Kraun, in Alpharetta, said people should remember not to try to take down trees that have power lines in them.
“I think we’re going to be all right, as long as people remember to use common sense,” she said.
More Tropical Storm Irma news:
About the Author
Arielle Kass covers Gwinnett County for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She started at the paper in 2010, and has covered business and local government beats around metro Atlanta. Arielle is a graduate of Emory University.
