ATLANTA — Residents of a southwest Atlanta apartment complex awoke to find a large tree had crashed onto several cars, smashing windows and denting hoods.
The oak was uprooted in Wednesday morning’s storms and toppled in a parking lot of the Hidden Creste apartment community off Stone Road. It landed on seven cars, but nobody was hurt.
Abigail Shivers told Channel 2’s Bryan Mims she found her Dodge minivan with a shattered windshield after she was awakened around 2 a.m.
“I didn’t hear anything. My daughter just woke me up saying a tree fell on top of my car,” she said.
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Rasha Terry awoke to a neighbor ringing her doorbell. Her Nissan Rogue has a blasted windshield and possibly damage to the car’s body.
“I’m sad, I’m sad about my car, I really am,” she said. “I just hope they can fix it. It’s unfortunate. I’m glad nobody was hurt, but I’m sad about it.
An employee at the apartment community’s office told Channel 2 that a tree removal service will clear away the tree by Thursday.
Car owners were in touch with their insurance providers in hopes their policies will cover the damage. Darryl Coleman, whose Honda Civic has a shattered windshield and crumpled hood, said apartment management was waiting 24 hours to remove the tree so car owners could reach their insurers.
He managed to crank up his car and back it away from the dense tangle of branches.
“I was afraid, I didn’t know what to think,” he said. “I never experienced anything like that before.”
He said he had been concerned about the large trees on the edge of the parking lot after another tree fell last year without damaging any property.
Those with damaged cars said they couldn’t drive to work or take their children to school.
“I can’t go anywhere,” Shivers said. “I’m stuck.”
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