The Storm's Aftermath: Cleaning Up and Fixing Up

Chainsaws and chippers could be heard around the downtown area of Cartersville all morning as workmen began the cleanup in the aftermath of Monday night's storm.

Four trees fell near the downtown area during or after the storm, where high winds and heavy rain arrived sometime after 9 p.m. Monday.

Power lines and telephone cables came down with the trees.

A stately old tree in front of a white house lay on its side as workers shoved tree limbs into a truck. Down Cherokee Avenue a few yards, another crew raised a new telephone pole about 1 p.m. as they found a new spot for the wires lying on the road, or suspended in the air just above workmen’s heads.

Nestled along Mission Road, one gigantic, old tree fell across power and telephone wires this morning. Cartersville Electric System and public works were busy cutting the tree away from the wires around 1:15 p.m.

Some residents lost power this morning from that downed tree, said Rebecca Bohlander, communications manager with Cartersville. She said she expects work to be complete this afternoon.

Two other trees fell during the storm besides the one on Cherokee, one on Fite Street and one on Ford Street, according to a Suzanne Walker with Cartersville Electric.

She wasn’t sure how many people lost their power Monday night but said most had electricity again by 1:30 a.m. That is, until this morning when the tree fell on Mission Road near The Reserve at Petit Creek subdivision.

"The drought has really weakened their root systems," Walker said. “We’re just lucky we didn’t lose more."