Irma’s march through Georgia claims three lives
Tropical Storm Irma continued its deadly march through the Southeast Monday, claiming the lives of three Georgians, including two men and a woman.
Sandy Springs police and fire personnel were still working to cut through the massive tree that fell on a home in Hardeman Road, killing a 55-year-old man who lived there. The unidentified victim was in bed at the time, said the city's mayor, Rusty Paul.
About 200 miles south, near Albany, a Worth County man was killed after winds nearing 70 MPH swept him off his roof.
An official with the Worth County Emergency Management Association said the man, whose name has not been released, died around 11 a.m.
Officials said first responders had a difficult time getting to the man’s house due to debris from the storm. By the time they arrived it was too late.
Firefighters in Sandy Springs reported similar difficulties. They had to wait for Georgia Power to cut power to the home so firefighters could slice through the tree to recover the victim’s body, said Sandy Springs Police Sgt. Sam Worsham.
“We are stressing to our residents that if they have trees surrounding their home — even one which could cause harm if it were to fall on the home — find a different room or level of the home to hang out in while waiting out the storm,” city spokeswoman Sharon Kraun wrote in an email.
Monday evening, awoman was killed when a tree fell on a vehicle in a Forsyth County driveway, according to police.
The tree fell near Shadburn Road, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. The woman’s name was not immediately released.
“The Forsyth County Fire Department and Sheriff’s Office worked diligently to rescue the female passenger who sadly died from her injuries,” the Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook.
Irma has now claimed 42 lives overall.
--Staff writers Mitchell Northam and Alexis Stevens contributed to this article
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
