We Were 'Fortunate' Storms Weakened Before Hitting Area

The severe weather that spawned deadly tornadoes in many places across Alabama and north Georgia Wednesday night and early Thursday morning had little impact in Gwinnett County.

Some news reports put the death toll at more than 200 people and damage was widespread, especially in Alabama.

By the time the storm system reached Gwinnett and Lilburn it had weakened considerably. 

"We are very fortunate that the storms broke apart and lessened in intensity as they moved into our area," Gwinnett Fire Captain Tommy Rutledge said in an emailed statement.  "Our thoughts and prayers are now with those who were less fortunate in Northwest Georgia and Alabama.  The amount of damage and number of injuries and deaths being reported in Alabama and Georgia is heartbreaking.  It could have been any of us. We were just part of the lucky ones tonight."

Rutledge reported that there were no injuries and no reports of major damage in the county.

Firefighters responded to the following calls, according to Rutledge:

-Firefighters were dispatched around 12:40 p.m. to a report of a tree that fell on a car on the 1100 block of Empire Circle, near Club Drive in unincorporated Lawrenceville.

-At 12:34 p.m., a call was made about tree that fell across Ga. 316 near Sugarloaf Parkway near Lawrenceville. The tree that blocked two eastbound lanes was quickly cleared.

- A tree fell on a house on the 1800 block of Fort River Way in Dacula. No one was reported in the house, according to Rutledge. The call was dispatched at 12:50 a.m.