A massive oak tree fell down at the historic Cheek-Spruill House, crushing two vehicles as Tropical Depression Sally battered Georgia on Thursday morning.
The City of Dunwoody tweeted a terrifying image of a sedan smashed by the downed tree. A second vehicle was also damaged. No one was hurt, according to the tweet.
Please avoid! A massive oak at the historic Cheek-Spruill House in #Dunwoody fell across Chamblee Dunwoody Rd at Mt Vernon Rd. @DunwoodyPolice are on site + utility crews are deploying. Two vehicles were hit but no injuries. #ATLtraffic @DunwoodyPT pic.twitter.com/OKNEFSQXum
— City of Dunwoody, GA (@DunwoodyGA) September 17, 2020
The massive tree fell across Chamblee Dunwoody Road at Mt. Vernon Road, bringing down nearby power lines in the process. Rep. Mike Wilensky tweeted that the nearby Publix in Dunwoody Village has lost power, shutting down its pharmacy and freezer sections.
Dunwoody police and utility crews were at the scene early Thursday, but the road remained closed. The city said it will take several hours to remove the tree and restore power to the area, and the road is expected to be closed for the rest of Thursday.
***UPDATE ON THE TREE DOWN AT THE INTERSECTION OF MT VERNON RD AT CHAMBLEE DUNWOODY RD***
— Dunwoody Police (@DunwoodyPolice) September 17, 2020
Expect this intersection to remain closed for the remainder of the day and possibly overnight as crews begin the cleanup. The power in the area will also likely be off for several hours.
The tree stood in front of the historic Cheek-Spruill House at 5455 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road. The two-story farmhouse was built in 1906, according to the Dunwoody Preservation Trust.
A volunteer for the organization, which owns the Cheek-Spruill House property, estimated that the tree was about 100 years old, but he said an arborist would need to verify the tree’s specific age.
Several other roads in DeKalb County have been affected by Sally, which made landfall in Alabama on Wednesday as a Category 2 hurricane. The storm is expected to enter South Carolina by 1 a.m. Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
DeKalb police said that downed trees and power lines have shut down these roads:
• The 5200 block of Rosser Road
• Stonely Drive at Fairgreen Drive
• Carrolwood Drive at South Indian Creek Drive
• The 3500 block of Castlehill Court
• The 1300 block of Juliette Road
🚨#Update🚨: Two new areas have been added! Please continue to monitor the weather and be aware of potential road closures. Drive safe! #WeAreDKPD pic.twitter.com/y9G7idmc1R
— DeKalb County Police Department (@DeKalbCountyPD) September 17, 2020
Click here for more information on Sally’s affects on metro Atlanta.
About the Author