Severe weather causes multiple downed trees on Wednesday

People around the Triangle on Wednesday are cleaning up after strong winds knocked down several trees.

Some areas saw wind gusts up to 40 mph and some counties were under a tornado warning. The weather prompted a WRAL Weather Alert Day.

One of the trees fell on Jeffrey's Grove School Road. Andy Harrell, who lives nearby the school, said he first thought it as a car accident nearby.

“[I was] sitting [at the] dining room table, doing homework with my daughter when I heard a loud crash,” he said. “[I] thought it was an accident.”

Harrell said he was lucky it didn’t happen earlier.

“If this [had] happened an hour before, it could have fallen on a car and we don’t have sidewalks so kids walk in the middle of the road.”

One tree fell onto a car belonging to Christopher Fiumefreddo, who said he was planning on sitting in the car when the tree fell on it.

“I’m kinda used to a little chaos in my life,” he said. “I’m just glad I can walk out of here another day.”

As for the tree that fell near Jeffery’s Grove Magnet Elementary School, Harrell said he thinks the cleanup will cause back-ups for parents trying to take their children to school on Thursday morning.

“The line will back up all the way out to Creedmoor Road,” he said.