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Storm packs wind, rain
Damage minimal as weather blows past
bad weather 2 jd
Ga. 400 at Browns Bridge Road was flooded during the storm, due to the standing water in the intersection. - photo by Jim Dean
Stormy weather Wednesday appears to have damaged at least one local business.

Forsyth County Fire Capt. Jason Shivers said no tornadoes were spotted, though strong winds whipped across the county.

He said the fire department handled three reports of downed power lines as a result of the storm, including at Buford Dam and Sanders roads.

Nathan Wetterhan, a kitchen manager at Spondivits restaurant in Cumming, said the eatery suffered some damage Wednesday night.

“Our roof and the sign took a little bit of damage and one of our doors got ripped pretty much off,” he said. “Something hit us really hard really fast.”

Wetterhan said he heard the wind through the restaurant’s hood vents.

“Then all of a sudden, all of the napkins in the kitchen started flying everywhere,” he said.

He said patrons were shaken up but no one was injured.

Forsyth County Sheriff’s Capt. Frank Huggins said deputies responded to eight wrecks, one with injuries, between 4:30 and 6 p.m.

Residents may have also heard something they weren’t used to Wednesday night.

“Within 20 seconds of a tornado warning being issued for Forsyth County all Forsyth County outdoor severe weather sirens sounded as designed,” Shivers said. “So notification to the public was immediate.”

It was the first time the sirens have been activated for purposes other than testing, he said. As the sirens sounded, some residents sought shelter in the Forsyth County Public Safety Complex.

Shivers said Forsyth Fire Chief Danny Bowman, who is also the county’s emergency management director, called for the sirens to sound a second time after a credible sighting of rotation in clouds west of Cumming.

No severe damage was reported.

E-mail Julie Arrington at juliearrington@forsythnews.com.