SWEETWATER-The sound of chainsaws were every Monday morning after a severe storm blasted through the county late Sunday night with high winds and blinding rain, causing widespread damage.

Trees and power lines were down throughout the county and several structures were damaged as well.

"It was basically just spread out all over the county," E-911 Director Clara Hitson said.

Hitson said her dispatchers took at least 40 reports of trees down and 32 reports of power lines down.

The E-911 Center had a dispatcher stay over extra hours early Monday morning to help with the call volume.

The storm hit just after 11 p.m. and came on the heels of the hottest two days the National Weather Service has ever recorded at McGhee Tyson Airport in Blount County when the mercury hit 105 degrees on Saturday and Sunday.

Being on the western edge of the county as the storm moved west to east the Sweetwater area got the first blast of the storm and perhaps in some areas the worst of it as well.

A large tree was blown down on Brown Intermediate School, however it looked like the heaviest part of the tree stayed of the school.

At first survey, Director of Sweetwater City Schools Dr. Melanie Miller did not think major damage had been done.

A portion of a metal roof appeared to have been blown off buildings at the Sweetwater City Pool.

Street departments and county road crews were extremely busy clearing streets, and power crews had their hands full as well.

The hot weather should continue the rest of the week, but it will be a few degrees cooler and storm chances will be in the forecast.

Though the storm damage was not welcome, the heavy rain was a blessing. It had been more than two weeks since some locations had received any rain.

The 100-degree weather and 15 to 20 percent afternoon humidity had made the county a tinderbox.

tommy.millsaps@advocateanddemocrat.com | 337-7101