Related Post
A storm that blew through Alabama overnight Saturday into Sunday morning took the roof off the Limestone County Courthouse and caused damage to the Square in downtown Athens.
“The roof has been blown off of the courthouse and this could have been caused by an extremely brief tornado,” WAFF TV 48 meteorologist Chelsea Aaron posted on X this morning.
The town square in Athens was littered with storm damage, including downed Christmas decorations, limbs and bricks, the City of Athens reported. The Square around the courthouse remains closed Sunday morning to allow clean-up to begin.
The city estimates about a dozen downtown businesses have damage, some major. Two vehicles were damaged in the storm and trees are down on Jefferson, East and Nuclear Plant streets and other areas. Ten utility poles were also damaged.
Crews continue to clean up debris. Street Drpt. Director Dolph Bradford estimates about a dozen downtown businesses have major to minor damage; two vehicles were damaged; and trees are down on Jefferson, East, Nuclear Plant streets and other areas.
Utilities reported 10 utility poles downtown damaged.
READ MORE: Overnight storms leave damage behind across Alabama
At the height of the storm, some 2,500 homes in the Athens area were without power but that number had been cut to 750 by 8 a.m. Sunday morning, Limestone County EMA reported.
“The Downtown Athens area and the Alabama Veterans Museum experienced significant wind damage last night,” State Rep. Andy Whitt posted on X. “Tree and power line damage were also reported in Madison and Limestone County. We’re incredibly thankful there were no injuries reported. A big thank you to our EMS and public works teams for their hard work and quick response. Your dedication means everything! It was a long night for many.”
The city said clean-up crews and utility workers were in the area Sunday morning.
The National Weather Service in Huntsville will conduct a survey today to determine if the damage was caused by a tornado.
