Storms Blow Through Lilburn Again (Video Report)

Updated Monday, 10 p.m.

It had barely begun and then it was over.

The renegade thunderstorm that raked parts of Lilburn Monday afternoon just past 4 o'clock took less than five minutes to create havoc. At its worst, heavy wind and rain, and some hail roared through the area, knocking down trees and knocking out power.

By 5 p.m., the sun was out again and residents were left wondering just what had happened so quickly.

Bashia Tomczyk says she thinks it was a tornado — or at least something scaringly similar — that uprooted an old oak tree in the front yard of her home in the Shadow Ridge subdivision just off River Drive, where some of the worst damage was felt.

The tree, which had been checked and deemed "healthy and beautiful" by arborists, took down powerlines and stretched across her neighbor's front yard, closing access to her cul de sac on Daisy Nash Road because of the concern over the downed power lines. She says she had talked to neighbors several times in the past about that tree and what might happen to it in a bad storm.

Tomczyk saw the swirling wind and debris when the storm arrived around 4:10 p.m., and was convinced it was the work of a twister. "I think it was a tornado," she said, "because I've been in a tornado before. It was in Minneapolis and it was exactly the same."

There were no reports of tornadoes in the area, but the storm did draw plenty of attention. Gwinnett Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge reported that firefighters responded to several calls Monday.

A tree was knocked down on a house in the 190 block of Lester Woods Court, just off Lester Road. The occupants were home, but unharmed.

Trees knocked down powerlines and closed Louis Road and North River Drive, both locations not far from Knight Elementary School. Trees or powerlines also fell across North Creekview Drive and Oak Road, both in unincorporated Lawrenceville.

Firefighters also responded to house fires caused by lightning in Grayson and Suwanee.

No injuries were reported, Rutledge said.

That included where the big oak  fell, and Matthew Phelps, who lives next door to Tomczyk,  was counting his blessings.  He heard the tree thud outside while he was washing dishes in the kitchen. And when he went outside, he found the big tree had "safely" fallen away from the houses. Even the mailbox, which was seen poking in between limbs, escaped damage.

"If it fell that way," he said, pointing to the left, "it would have taken out our house. If it had come this way [to the right], it would've taken out our neighbor's house altogether.

"Of all of the places it could have fallen, it fell in the one safe spot. I'm just grateful that literally nothing's damaged other than the powerlines."

The power in the neighborhood was restored about 11 p.m.

The storm was the third storm in a month to cause damage in Lilburn. A handful of trees were felled on March 26. A much more severe storm on April 5 caused widespread damage throughout Gwinnett County.