NEWS BRIEFS

Storms dump one inch of rain

Downed trees, power lines and power outages were reported throughout Colbert Franklin and Lauderdale counties Monday after a strong weather front moved through the Tennessee Valley.

Interim Franklin County Emergency Management Agency Director Roy Gober said power outages were reported in Red Bay as well as downed trees on Old Vina Road and on Alabama 19.

Gober said the county received about an inch of rain from the thunderstorm.

In Colbert County, EMA Director Mike Melton said there were several reports of downed trees and sporadic power outages. Most of the reports came from Second Street in Muscle Shoals. In one case, either a car hit a downed tree or a tree fell on a car on Burris Street off Second Street, he said.

No one was injured, Melton said.

"(The storm) seemed to intensify once it got to Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals," Melton said. "That's where we got most of our reports from."

He said there were no injuries or major damage-reported.

Lauderdale EMA Director George Grabryan said there were several reports of downed trees and power lines on County Road 15 near Oakland, on Helton Drive north of Cox Creek Parkway and in the Rogersville area. "In some cases, winds actually blew the poles over," Grabryan said.

Water customers asked to conserve

ZIP CITY -- Customers of the Chisholm Heights Water Authority are being asked to continue to conserve water.

Steve Watkins, a member of the authority, said a pump that hampered the system's ability to supply water for its 1,400 customers Sunday is back in-operation.

"The pump is back running, but we need our customers to conserve water usage and avoid outdoor usage,'' Watkins said.

Watkins said it's going to take some time to refill the system's tank, which holds 274,000 gallons of water.

"Near the (Tennessee) state line we've got a customers that have low water pressure, and it will probably not be back up to normal for a couple of days,'' he said. "Hopefully, everything should be back to normal within a couple of days.''