David Freeman’s best buddy Blu hid with him under the bed during the frightening and damaging wind storm the swept through Clarkesville on August 10.
Monday started as just another work day for Clarkesville resident David Freeman. He went about running his local lawn care business on a hot August day. David mowed, sweated and cleaned up his lawn trimmings for several customers in Habersham County before heading home shortly after five o’clock.
Not long after he unloaded equipment, fed his dog named Blu, the wind started to kick up on his Trotter Road home. The house was built in the 1930’s and David has made the large screen porch a place to relax and cool off after a hot summer’s day of work. Like most days, David headed to his wonderful porch and stood watching the wind rustling through the large trees surrounding his home. In a few seconds the wind became aggressively wild. He couldn’t believe his eyes, as in a matter of seconds, some of the giant trees were bending over in half.
“They were like rubber, the wind blew the trees every which way. In my entire life I have never seen trees, from top to bottom, whipped every direction as if they were rubber trees. It was unbelievable,” he summed up.
David grabbed his dog, Blu, and headed back in the house thinking a tornado was about to hit. The National Weather Service clocked the winds at being close to 70 miles per hour. David pushed Blu under his bed and crawled in beside his canine friend. They huddled together, the mattress above their head, when David heard a giant crack over the sound of the raging winds. The top half of a 100 foot tall pine tree snapped in half, sending the top portion through his roof like a massive dagger. Trees near by snapped in two, as well, and one landed across the cab of his work truck, totaling the vehicle, his lawn care trailer still attached to the back hitch. Another tree smashed one of his work mowers.
When David and Blu came out of the house, the weather had instantly become calm again. On top of his house he saw the 24 inch tree trunk sticking out of his roof. He noticed there was no electricity and his neighborhood was suddenly and eerily quiet. But in seconds sirens blared and local fire and police arrived at his home. They immediately began helping David evaluate the damage, making sure all were safe. Within minutes, HEMC arrived and surveyed the utility situation. Within 15 minutes the local power company had installed a temporary pole and David had access to electricity. He was amazed.
“I just don’t know what to say. The flying trees could have killed me, or Blu. We survived. I heard hundreds of other homes were without electricity. But in less than 45 minutes, the fire, police and HEMC came to my aid. Just amazing. Clarkesville is a really wonderful place. I have lots of work to get my business up and running again, and my home repaired. I’ve got to find another truck and mower for my business, but I will. I’ll never forget the sight of full grown trees being bent over backwards. They looked like rubber trees!” David recalled, shaking his own head and scratching Blu’s. Blu looked as if he were smiling, glad it was all over.
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