Metro Atlanta man dies after tree crashes through home

A sleeping Sandy Springs man died Monday after a tree crashed through his home.

Rusty Paul, the city's mayor, wrote in a Facebook post that "a large tree broke and fell on a house, killing the sole occupant while he lay in bed."

The man was 55 years old and lived in a home on Hardeman Road. Paul said the city isn’t releasing details of the man’s death until his family is notified.

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It’s unclear when exactly the incident occurred, but around 4:30 p.m. police and fire personnel told Channel 2 Action News that conditions “were too dangerous” for them to go inside and recover the man’s body. At 5 p.m., Georgia Power had cut electric to the home and firefighters were trying to slice through the tree to reach the man.

“We are stressing to our residents that if they have trees surrounding their home — even one which could cause harm if it were to fall on the home — find a different room or level of the home to hang out in while waiting out the storm,” city spokeswoman Sharon Kraun wrote in an email.

The mayor also said that about 30 trees have fallen today in Sandy Springs as Tropical Storm Irma passes through. Earlier Monday, an entrance to Ga. 400 was blocked.

According to the Associated Press, this is the second Hurricane Irma related death in Georgia and the 41st overall.

“We have had heavy rains, which have weakened the soil, and high winds,” said Sandy Springs police spokesman Sam Worsham. “It’s a recipe for disaster.”

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