Thousands lose power during Tinsley Mill flooding rescue

Tue, 01/26/2010 - 5:03pm
By: Ben Nelms

It was another episode of homes being evacuated due to flooding for some Tinsley Mill residents Sunday night. Some residents of the 10 Peachtree City homes returned to their residences Sunday night.

The low-lying Tinsley Mill subdivision off Flat Creek Road near Ga. Highway 54 is no stranger to flooding from heavy rains. And approximately 2.5 inches of rain did the trick Sunday when residents of the 10 homes were evacuated beginning around 6:30 p.m., according to Peachtree City spokesperson Betsy Tyler.

Fire department personnel evacuated most of the affected residents by boat at streetside while others walked out, said Assistant Chief of Operations Joe O’Conor, adding that all those evacuated stayed with family or friends. Some residents returned home Sunday night once the waters receded, O’Conor said.

Tyler said the maximum depth of the waters was chest-high in the lowest lying areas of the subdivision situated just west of Lake Peachtree.

Fayette Fire and Emergency Services Coordinator Pete Nelms on Tuesday said flooding at Tinsley Mill is a result of the overflow from Cherry Branch near Lake Peachtree and not from the lake itself. The presence of high waters Sunday was exacerbated by the ground having been saturated by the numerous rains in previous weeks, he said.

Tyler on Tuesday said that initial information received by the city indicated that waters did not enter the living areas of the homes.

Residents far beyond the boundaries of Tinsley Mill were without power for a period of time Sunday night. O’Conor said emergency responders found two transformer boxes near the condos submerged. Georgia Power was asked to take down the power in the affected Tinsley area, he said.

But the power outage, at least temporarily, extended beyond the Tinsley Mill subdivision. Power was cut to the west and north, affecting the Coventry, Pinegate and Golfview areas.

Georgia Power spokesperson Konswello Monroe said Tuesday the company had been called about the flooding and had cut the power to a wider area until the actual extent of the problem could be determined. Power was restored to the unaffected areas in approximately 33 minutes, Monroe said, adding that Georgia Power apologized for the inconvenience.

City emergency crews responding to the scene Sunday included firefighters, police, public works and representatives from Fayette Fire and Emergency Services.

Nelms said there was some minor water damage reported in other areas of the county sunday night, including on Oak Street in Fayetteville and on Oak Knoll off McDonough Road and Brittany Way east of Peachtree City.

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