News 12 at 11 o'clock, July 10, 2008

AUGUSTA, Ga.---Tonight some folks near the Exchange area of Augusta surveyed the damage after storms ripped through Sugar Mill Road.

It is going to take a while to clean up all of the damage but residents in one neighborhood have already started - because they say the sooner it's cleaned up the sooner they can get on with their lives.

Many of the residents on the quiet Augusta street - gathered up the branches, tree limbs and debris left over from Thursday evening's storm.

A tree split in two here, a deck destroyed and then this - an oak tree lands smack dab in the middle of a home. It is enough to break anyone's spirits, but not these residents. Within minutes after the storm passed - they began working together to restore order.

"We were completely blessed," says Betty Meehan. "Our dog was at home and two cats and they're fine,everything else can be replaced."

Mike Mulherin agrees.

"We were real lucky, it didn't hit the house everybody was safe, nobody got hurt," says Mulherin.

Insurance agents and tree removal services were out in the area for the evening. Other residents who did not have storm damage assisted their neighbors in the cleanup efforts.