SYLACAUGA, Ala. – A severe thunderstorm swept through Talladega County on Wednesday evening, July 1, leaving a trail of damage across the area, including in Sylacauga.
Strong straight-line winds estimated at 60 miles per hour, along with frequent lightning, downed numerous trees throughout the city and surrounding communities. Emergency crews and utility workers responded to reports of fallen trees, blocked roadways, and scattered property damage as quickly as possible.
Among the locations affected were areas in front of B.B. Comer Elementary School, on Main St., Walnut St., Lucyle Ln., and Magnolia Dr. Damage was also reported in the Drew Court Housing Community.
Taylor Estates experienced some of the most significant impacts, with multiple trees falling throughout the neighborhood. Several trees reportedly landed on homes, causing damage to residential properties.
Officials noted that additional instances of storm damage may exist across Talladega County that have not yet been reported or verified.
The storm also caused widespread power outages. More than 1,700 outages were reported Wednesday night as strong winds moved through the area.
Utility crews worked overnight and throughout Thursday to restore service. By Thursday afternoon, all reported power outages had been resolved, according to available outage reports.
Residents are encouraged to remain cautious around damaged trees and storm debris.
