Homes damaged, destroyed in South DeKalb

About 30 homes were damaged, and half of those destroyed by storms that struck South DeKalb County, Ala., about midnight, officials there said this morning.

DeKalb County Engineer Ben Luther said the storms struck near the Etowah County line in the south end of DeKalb.

"There were no known injuries or fatalities," Luther said.

Several storm cells struck the area, but Luther said it was the cell that dealt out the most damage.

"In the Fort Payne area there were some mobile homes damaged," he said. Luther speculated that damage was likely from high, straight-line winds.

Flooding in the Valley Head area took out the town's fire station where mud as deep at the running boards on the fire trucks left a mess in the small town northeast of Fort Payne.

Norfolk Southern's rail line in Valley Head also was washed out by the heavy rains, he said.

Contact staff writer Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.

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