A line of destruction… Storm packing straight-line winds wreak havoc to Rittertown, Browns Branch Rd. area of Hampton
Published 10:55 pm Friday, May 28, 2021
Photo Contributed An elderly resident is assisted out of her home by the Hampton Volunteer Fire Department. The resident lived alone and was trapped when straight-line winds blew trees down around her home.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Large trees were not immune to the straight line winds that passed through the Rittertown Rd. section of the county as evidenced by the large roots coming up when the tree fell.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Rittertown Rd. looked like a war zone on Friday evening after a storm packing straight-line winds left trees and debris scattered over a large section of the road and onto Brown Branch Rd.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders This apple tree couldn't withstand the strong winds that passed through the Rittertown Rd. area of Hampton on Friday.
Star Photos/Ivan Sanders Fallen trees had to be pushed off of Rittertown Rd. after a storm played havoc along the county road.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Large trees were uprooted while others were snapped like twigs from straight-line winds in the Rittertown Rd. area of Hampton.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders A power pole that held a transformer was snapped during the heavy winds that pounded the Rittertown Rd. section of Hampton.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders A piece of metal roofing from a shed is left hanging on a power line that runs to the residence of this home near Rittertown Rd.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders A tree is left splintered like a toothpick after winds took down many trees along the Rittertown Rd. and Brown Branch Rd. of Hampton.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Two men work to clear trees that were fell by straight-line winds in the Hampton area of the county .
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Large trees and tree limbs were visible scattered along Highway 19-E heading toward Roan Mountain. Winds from a passing storm were responsible for the mess.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders A shed has only a couple of pieces of metal covering its roof after straight-line winds scattered the other pieces over the property.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders A resident works to clear a large tree that fell on a fence line and across a roadway.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR STAFF
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
HAMPTON – A Friday evening storm packed a punch in the Rittertown Rd. and Browns Branch Rd. section of Hampton as trees were uprooted and snapped like toothpicks, power lines were left lying on the ground causing power outages, and some residents assisted from their homes due to fallen trees.
Mayor Patty Woodby and Sheriff Dexter Lunceford were on the scene and assisted one family out of their damaged home.
According to Sheriff Lunceford, the area was a mess with power lines down on the road along with several trees. He recommended staying away from the area until daylight due to the downed power lines.
Mayor Woodby added that it might take two to three days to get the power restored to the residents who were left without power due to the storm.
One resident stated that she hadn’t been gone from her home long when she received a call from her home security company that she had a power outage.
She said she hadn’t thought much of it until she returned home to find a yard full of damage to trees and a building on the premises.
The Hampton Volunteer Fire Department assisted an elderly resident from her home where she lived alone due to damage from the storm.
This is a developing story and the Elizabethton Star will be following up as more details are made available.
