Update V: Much of the Scott traffic is getting directed through downtown Decatur.  So far it looks like things are moving surprisingly smoothly – though certainly more congested.  This may be because much of the traffic is backed up into the Ponce Heights neighborhood.

Update IV:Another update from the City Manager…

Latest update. Georgia Power is on the scene at Scott Boulevard with two crews. A tree brought down multiple poles which will require Georgia Power to replace the lines and re-thread the lines to the poles. Scott Boulevard is now closed to traffic from West Ponce de Leon to Coventry. It is estimated that GA Power will be working until at least 3:00am Thursday morning to restore power so expect that Scott Blvd. will be blocked and use alternate streets if you must travel in the area.

Update III: Deputy Police Chief Keith Lee says there is a “major tree down” and that it looks to be a “long-term problem.”

Update II: From City Manager Peggy Merriss….

A large tree has fallen and is blocking Scott Boulevard between Coventry and Pinetree. Traffic is being detoured off of Scott Boulevard. Public safety and public works staff are on-site. Power lines are down so Georgia Power will have to give the okay to clear the lines. Please avoid the area if at all possible.

Update: In a comment, AMB says there’s a tree down at Coventry.

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Scott Boulevard is currently closed at Nelson Ferry. Not sure the other end of the closure, but at least down to Coventry.

Decatur Fire and GA Power are on the scene. Couldn’t get clarification on what happened. Heard a loud bang/pop about 45 minutes ago. Power is out in adjoining neighborhoods.

More as I know it. Obviously avoid the area in a car at all costs. Traffic is totally backed up.

After residents of Ponce de Leon Heights lost power early last week due to down power lines near the church playground, yesterday we took another hit.

A large tree fell across Nelson Ferry Road (nearer to the Scott Blvd end) getting caught up in power lines and knocking out power across the neighborhood. Residents spent the evening without power, congregating in the street to survey the damage and compare stories.

We personally took a harder hit than most. Because the tree landed on lines very close to our house, we arrived home from Germany in the dark yesterday to find our driveway full of down and hanging power/cable/telephone lines. Operating on little sleep in the last 24 hours, we surveyed the damage and determined that it was just the phone and cable that had snapped…the power was just pulled away from the house.

To their credit, both GA Power and the city responded very quickly to this event.  GA Power worked through the night (and rain) and had the power back on by morning, even though at least two transformers blew. The city was cutting up the tree early this morning.  (Just another reminder of why we pay a little more for city services.)

I’ve been worried about all of the large trees in our neighborhood since the drought last year. Tree roots aren’t as strong as a result and many of Decatur’s old neighborhoods with mature growth are taking big hits when the wind picks up. A very large tree fell through a house on the Scott Blvd. end of Clarion just a few months ago.

How can large trees get the vast amounts of necessary water that they need in times of drought/water restrictions?  Grass watering may be unnecessary and wasteful in times of water shortage, but deep tree watering could potentially prevent some of the destruction we will continue to see due to weak root systems.