Tropical Storm Debby hits Moultrie neighborhood

MOULTRIE – The initial predictions for Tropical Storm Debby’s impact on southwest Georgia turned out to be less severe than expected. But for one short block in Moultrie that was more than enough. Debby’s winds downed limbs and trees, one of which took the life of a 19-year-old man.

A few houses down from the 621 13th Ave. S.W. residence where Darrien Razz was killed by the large pine tree that was uprooted from the wind, Nathaniel Harvey swept up and piled debris on Tuesday after also having a close call from the storm.

Lightning struck an even larger pine tree that sits just a few feet from the house he rents.

“I was sitting in my living room when the lightning hit that tree right there,” he said. “My neighbor said it lit up like a Christmas tree. It sounded like a bomb.

“About 15 minutes later, I saw police and ambulances and fire trucks. I thought it was a shooting.”

The lightning blew the top of the tree out, but the debris did not fall on Harvey’s residence. None of the other houses on the block suffered any serious damage.

Until recently, Razz’s residence at the end of the short block, located at the end of a dead-end street, had been vacant.

“I didn’t know him,” Harvey said. “I think he (the landlord) said they moved in Saturday or the Saturday before that. It’s one of those unfortunate things, man. From what I understand, some children live there, too. They were either out of harm’s way or they weren’t there.”

First responders got the call to the residence where Razz was killed at about 3 p.m. on Monday, Colquitt County Emergency Management Agency Director Justin Cox said.

The county escaped with mostly light damage, and no other injuries were reported from the storm. There were scattered power outages, but most of those affected had power restored by Tuesday morning.

“Most of our damage is kind of southwest,” Cox said. “Some rain bands last night (Monday) blew a few more trees down. We had two or three roads closed. I think we did alright.”

To the west in Mitchell County the damage was even lighter.

“We probably had eight or 10 trees down, a few power outages,” Mitchell County Emergency Management Agency Director Russell Moody said, noting that the county experienced wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour. “I think when it stalled around Perry (Florida) for about five hours, after that it shifted to the east, that helped us.

“I’m glad we dodged a bullet. It’s looking like we dodged a big one this time.”

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]