Storm wreaks havoc

Power was still being restored Tues.

  • Tyler Watkins works high above Blue Ridge Drive Sunday afternoon to restore power to Tri-State EMC members in McCaysville. Crews were still working Tuesday morning to fix problems as 1,490 customers were reported without electricity.
    Tyler Watkins works high above Blue Ridge Drive Sunday afternoon to restore power to Tri-State EMC members in McCaysville. Crews were still working Tuesday morning to fix problems as 1,490 customers were reported without electricity.
  • Trees blocked and partially blocked roads all across Fannin County Sunday afternoon. This scene is on Industrial Park Road at the intersection where it loops into the Industrial Park near Fannin County Animal Control.
    Trees blocked and partially blocked roads all across Fannin County Sunday afternoon. This scene is on Industrial Park Road at the intersection where it loops into the Industrial Park near Fannin County Animal Control.
  • Scenes like this were all too common Sunday afternoon after an unexpected storm blew through much of Fannin County. This scene is on Old Highway 5 in Epworth.
    Scenes like this were all too common Sunday afternoon after an unexpected storm blew through much of Fannin County. This scene is on Old Highway 5 in Epworth.
  • The Quick Pick in McCaysville lost power Sunday afternoon after a tree fell across its power line, but thankfully missed the building. Tri-State EMC crews worked to restore power to prevent damage to the store’s merchandise.
    The Quick Pick in McCaysville lost power Sunday afternoon after a tree fell across its power line, but thankfully missed the building. Tri-State EMC crews worked to restore power to prevent damage to the store’s merchandise.

    A severe afternoon storm that seemed to come out of nowhere Sunday kept first responders and Tri-State EMC crews busy, some still working Tuesday.

    The first strong winds and heavy rains struck the East side of Fannin County around 4 p.m.

    Patrick Cooke, deputy director of the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency, said rescue personnel responded to Morganton Point where five people were pushed away from the swimming area on their floats and paddle boards. All were picked up safely and without incident.

    There were also four people lost at Sea Creek, but all made it back to their vehicles safely, Cooke said.

    The Fannin County Fire Department responded to three calls as the result of the storm affecting propane tanks and five because of  carbon monoxide from generators running.

    Cooke said the only reported damage to county property was a roof blowing off one of the pole barns at the Public Works Department.

    No injuries were reported, but there were people who called with concerns about their oxygen generators and tanks due to no power at their homes. “EMS has loaned portable oxygen tanks as needed,” Cooke said.

    Tri-State EMC crews were still busy Tuesday morning, as the utility’s outage map showed 1,490 customers at 90 different location still without power early Tuesday morning.

    The largest, single concentration of outages was shown in the Sugar Creek area where over 400 customers were affected an in the Eaton Road when over 100 Tri-State members were without electricity.

    Sunday evening, of the 20,990 Tri-State members, 11,651 had been reported without power by 7 p.m. Tri-State officials also reported 45 poles broken by the storm.

    One of the worse hit areas was on the East side of Blue Ridge Lake dam where four poles were broken and Old Highway 76 had to be shut down for the repair work.

    A list of reports of trees and power lines down provided by Cooke showed the storm produced major damage across the majority of Fannin County.

    Meanwhile, East Polk County escaped major reports of damage.