Tragedy, drama as storms sweep through Southeast

ATLANTA – Severe storms that moved across the Southeast Tuesday into Tuesdsay night left at least one person dead and tens of thousands of homes and businesses without power, reports CBS Atlanta affiliate WGCL-TV.

A man was killed when a tree fell on his house in Jackson County, northeast of Atlanta. But another was freed after a fallen tree pinned him to his mattress in Hall County, Georgia, also northeast of Atlanta.

Neighbors say when the tree fell on the back of the house, it felt like the Earth was shaking.

A mother, father and their two young children were packed onto one bed because the storm was scaring the children -- and the tree fell directly onto the room where they were sleeping, WGCL says.

Everyone was able to get out except for the father who, authorities say, was killed instantly.

Neighbors say the family’s been living in the home for a year and, during that time, the father was working to clear all the extra trees off his property that he was worried could fall on the house.

Jackson County reports multiple trees down.

Meanwhile, when a tree fell on a man’s bedroom as he was sleeping inside, it became a desperate situation for firefighters working to free him, WGCL says.

The huge tree crushed a trailer with two people in it, and one was able to pull himself free, but the other man was pinned to his mattress and was unable to move.

It took firefighters almost an hour to free him.

More than 30 severe thunderstorm warnings were issued in north Georgia Tuesday. One round of storms produced hail. Another, Tuesday night, packed high winds.