Property damage but no injuries from weekend storms

Killer storms have impacted much of the country over the past few weeks, but most of the storms moving through this area primarily provided rainfall that has brought area lakes up to almost full pool.

Lake Wedowee, for example, is at 792.95 feet, which is 0.05 feet below full pool of 793.00.

Ralph and Diana Jones, volunteers who record precipitation totals as part of the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network or CoCoRaHS.org., recorded 1.78 inches at their Roanoke home Monday.

The total rainfall at the Jones’ site from March 10 to April 10 was 9.48 inches plus Monday morning’s 1.78 inches, bringing the total for this period of time to 11.26 inches. Comparatively, total rainfall at their site for the same period March 10 to April 10, 2008 was 3.59 inches, Diana Jones said. Alabama, as much of the nation, has been in drought for several years prior to this year.

Tuesday showed only trace amounts of rain, .004, according to the Randolph County Emergency Management Agency.

No injuries have been reported here from the recent storms, but there was some damage in the storms that moved through this area from Friday through Monday. Assistant EMA Director Ray Mansfield said numerous trees were downed by the wind, but the volunteer fire departments immediately responded and removed those that were in the highways and roads. It was amazing how fast they took care of it all, he said.

Hail the size of half dollars fell in the Foster’s Crossroads community, Mansfield said.

“We were pretty lucky, too. Our radar showed some serious storms coming through here Friday night–straight-line winds–but by Friday afternoon around 1, 2 and 3 p.m. some trees were coming down. It was a serious storm from looking at our radar. You don’t see many like it,” he said.

As towns in Randolph County were placed under a tornado warning by the National Weather Service, weather warning sirens were set off per NWS instructions.

Randolph County is a big county but they knew they were having problems in the northern end, Wedowee and above, Mansfield said.

In the Friday events, the Newell Volunteer Fire Department responded to Mary Roundtree’s mobile home on County Road 51, removing an old dead pine tree that had plunged through her roof. Fortunately, she wasn’t home at the time, Mansfield said.

A barn and shed belonging to Joe Floyd, 13637 County Rd. 87, were destroyed by straight-line winds, Mansfield said. Construction on them had been finished a short time ago.

On Monday part of a large tree broke off, landing on the front porch roof at J.O. and Evelyn Rollins’ home on First Avenue Northwest, Wedowee.

About 100 feet of a metal roof peeled off Jerry Rice’s boat washing and storage, 2388 County Rd. 32, on Lake Wedowee, Mansfield said.

Larry Raughton, just outside Wedowee on County Road 498, had some damage to his chicken houses, Mansfield said.

He said he was told by EMA Director Donnie Knight that there was 1.8 inches of rainfall at the office during Monday morning’s rains.

Also, Wadley had some problems with high winds Monday. Mayor Jim Dabbs said a 40-year-old oak tree fell on Highland Avenue. A power pole was knocked over and they called Alabama Power to come and reset the pole, he said. The wind was really howling that morning, he said. The cable was out for a time but restored later.

Roanoke Police Chief Adam Melton said a transformer on Airport Road went out, possibly due to the high winds, early Monday morning. There were very minor, short-term power outages affecting a few people.

“We dodged a bullet from what I saw on TV from around the state,” he said.

The city of Roanoke Streets Department will pick up limbs and other storm debris this week, said Streets Department Supervisor Donnie Cash.