Tropical Storm Debby hasn’t walloped Georgia as hard as initially feared after coming ashore on Florida’s Gulf Coast early Monday. But Debby’s mix of wind and rain still downed trees and power lines and flooded some areas as it traversed the southern part of the Peach State before heading out to the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday. Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporters and photographers spread across South Georgia and coastal Georgia this week to track the storm’s impact on communities.
Here are some of their dispatches from Tuesday: A test for Savannah’s famous water oak trees Twisting oak trees draped in Spanish moss infuse Savannah with some of its trademark charm, but those symbols of the city’s historic beauty can be a menace during hurricanes and tropical storms. Particularly in heavy rain events such as Tropical Storm Debby. Oaks soak up water quickly but can become oversaturated, resulting in heavy limbs and even whole trees falling.
Water oaks are particularly susceptible, unlike their cousin the live oak. The water oak’s roots are shallow and spread far from the trunk for stability. Live oak roots run deep into the ground before spreading horizontally.
So it came as no surprise to find tree debris scattered across the Savannah area Tuesday after Monday’s heavy rains — as much as 10 inches in some areas. Limbs and large branches littered neighborhoods like Ardsley Park and Isle of Hope, where developers preserved tree canopies while building houses and o.