Lightning strikes cause fires and trees come down on roadway & house during Memorial Day storm in Walton County

WALTON COUNTY, GA (May 31, 2022) Walton County Fire Rescue responded to eight reports of trees down on the roadway, one being on Mount Paran Church Road where a tree came down on a house during the Memorial Day storm that swept through the area early in the evening.

“There was a tree laying on the house, but there was no structural damage done to the house. (Emergency Management Director Carl Morrow did respond out there to that call,” WCFR Assistant Chief Craig League said. “Additionally there were three houses struck by lightning. Two had no fire damage from the strikes. The 3rd caused a structure fire in the City of Social Circle on Carnation Drive. WCFR assisted the Social Circle Fire Department on that call.”

League said there also were several calls for weather related issues for officials with the City of Monroe, including a lightning strike.

“We had three tree down incidents in the city, two of which involved power lines. There was also a residence on Mill St that appears to have had the HVAC system possibly struck by lightning resulting in the house filling with smoke,” Monroe Fire Department Chief Andrew Dykes said. “There was no damage to the house other than the damaged HVAC unit.”