(photo courtesy of Roland Fire Department)
Friday, July 14, 2023 - An unexpected storm cell rolled into the county early Friday morning causing minor damage and some flooding along roadways.
Approximately four to six inches of rain fell across portions of Sequoyah County in a little over one hour, according to Jonathan Teague deputy director of the Sequoyah County Emergency Management.
Dollar General in Roland received some of the worst damage in the area due to the roof collapsing from the heavy rainfall. Teague stated that the building's downspouts apparently failed to drain the water properly causing the roof to collapse.
Teague added that although there was some other minor damage and trees down around the county, it could have been much worse. "What saved us was that the creeks and rivers were so dry they held a lot of the rain water," Teague said.
Some county roads received minor damage and washed areas but Teague stated that ODOT and county crews have been out repairing them. County roads north of Marble City near Flute Springs and Jackson Mountain were some of the most damaged.
At one point approximately 1,000 county residents were without power. As of Friday at 11:30 a.m. Cookson Hills reported that 71 residents were still without power but crews were working to get everyone back up and running.
KXMX Staff Writer
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