Across the ABC 13 Viewing Area -





Lightning. heavy rains, gusty winds, even the threat of tornadoes- the ABC 13 viewing area saw a little bit of everything Thursday afternoon.

In Gretna, the rain came hard and fast. Music Street is closed because of high water and a big tree blocking the road. Three trees total fell on Music Street in all. Crews are working to remove the remaining tree. It's weighing down a phone line, and that line is connected to a couple broken poles.

Workers say the situation could be dangerous because if these poles break further, the lines could snap. The plan is to take weight off the poles, tie up the cables and then open up the road. You'll want to avoid this area for the time being.

Storms continue to roll through Danville. A lot of water everywhere, causing problems. Water was pouring off of the Worsham Street Bridge in Danville. A car got stuck in flood water at Robert Woodall's parking lot off the Union Street bridge.

Danville's Assistant Director of Emergency Services tells me Craighead Street, Haymore Avenue, and Sweetbriar Street still have heavy standing water. Responders are encouraging all drivers to stay home, if they can.

Meanwhile, storms last week caused big problems Thursday for one tree clean-up crew on Vicar Road. A tree fell on one of the employees. Luckily the man's injuries were not life-threatening. Neighbors say the crew was hired to clean up this large tree, blown over in last week's storm.

Nick Sapaunakes, with the Danville Life Saving Crew, said, "They were in the process of cutting the tree down, and I don't know what happened, but the tree ended up on, part of the tree ended up on his left leg and he's got probably a broken left leg and a pelvis."
The man was taken to the hospital. Officials say make sure you hire a clean-up crew with lots of experience- these situations can be very dangerous.

Before the storm ever made it to Pittsylvania County, it went through Franklin County along the Route 40 corridor. Chelsea Anderson, a lifeguard at a local pool, says the flooding got bad just 10 minutes after the rain started and she and a friend had no time to get out.

"Well, we were sitting under the shelter and it started raining real hard so we moved to the closet. But then the shelter started flooding and then all of a sudden the closet started flooding, then the road was flooded and we decided we couldn't leave," Anderson said.

The tornado warnings affected Franklin County and Pittsylvania County Schools Thursday afternoon as well. Officials at both moved students into the hallways and delayed bus routes. 

 Click here to see iWitness weather photos from Thursday.

 

 

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