Wind Gusts Bring Down Trees, Power Lines in Sandy Springs

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- While the skies have cleared and the ice has melted, Sandy Springs residents are asked to stay home as road conditions are expected to remain dangerous throughout the weekend.

Several trees and power lines have reported to be down across Sandy Springs. According to the city's Facebook page, here's a rundown of what crews are working on so far.

• 5585 Glen Errol – Georgia Power notified and handling.
• 5635 Lake Island – Tree limb on communication lines; Georgia Power notified and handling.
• 6225 Mountain Brook Lane – large tree over roadway; crews on route.
• 6515 Whispering Lane – Power lines down; crews on route.
• Peachtree Dunwoody Road / Kingston – Tree down on road; Georgia Power on site.
• 845 Spalding Drive – Tree down on wires; Georgia Power on site.
• Peachtree Dunwoody / Meridian Mark/ Glenridge – traffic signal issues; repairs in progress
• Mystic Place - Tree down reported; crews on route to verify.

The traffic signal on Peachtree Dunwoody Road at Lake Hearn is also not working, so motorists are asked to use the intersection as a three-way stop until repairs are complete, the city notes.

On his Facebook page, Mayor Rusty Paul said the power outages are, unsurprisingly, being caused by wind gusts blowing "ice-laden" trees across utility lines.

"We are coordinating with Ga. Power and other providers to restore service as fast as humanly possible," he said.

Residents are asked to keep their eyes on the city's Facebook page to get the latest updates on conditions.

The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning that officially lasted until 1 p.m. Saturday.
By Saturday morning, the warning's focus had moved from snow to black ice on the roads, dangerously cold winds and downed trees and limbs caused by heavy and sustained icing.

"We're out there on the roads and, if you don't have to travel, please avoid any unnecessary travel on our roads as we're trying to be out there clearing what did stick and what's remaining today," Georgia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Katie Strickland said in a video statement Saturday morning.

With winds gusting above 30 m.p.h., the weather service also issued a Wind Chill Advisory for Saturday.

Exposure to a combination of low temperatures and high winds "will result in frost bite and lead to hypothermia if precautions are not taken," the NWS said in the advisory. "If you must venture outdoors, make sure you wear a hat and gloves."

Patch editor Doug Gross contributed to this article | Image via Councilman Andy Bauman