Powerful storm rips roof off Pigeon Forge motel

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Updated: 12:48 AM Jun 18, 2009 Powerful storm rips roof off Pigeon Forge motel Powerful thunderstorms rolled across East Tennessee on Wednesday evening and managed to cause floods while downing trees and power lines. Posted: 12:43 AM Jun 18, 2009 Reporter: Nick Bona Email Address: nick.bona@wvlt-tv.com

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SEVIER COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Powerful thunderstorms rolled across East Tennessee on Wednesday evening and managed to cause floods while downing trees and power lines.

One of the hardest hit areas of the region was Pigeon Forge, where one wind gust ripped part of the roof off the Holiday Terrace Inn. It happened shortly after 8:00 PM. Some of the wreckage ended up in the motel parking lot while another section of it was blown out into traffic on the Great Smoky Mountains Parkway. Fire crews said they were on the parkway at its intersection with Wears Valley Road when the gust occurred.

“We were in route to another call when my engine company saw the roof of Holiday Terrace Motel,” said Chief Tony Watson, Pigeon Forge Fire. “It came up and evidently contacted the very high voltage line that serves this whole parkway. It bent three or four electric poles and broke them in two."

Officials at the motel tell Volunteer TV News that the section of roofing covered part of the third floor. No one was injured when it was ripped off, but the motel did have to move a few families to new rooms.

At just after 10:00 PM, utility crews cut power to the area so they could upright the poles and clean up the damage. Parts of the parkway remained closed late Wednesday night while the clean up continued.

Stay with Volunteer TV News and VolunteerTV.com for the latest on this story as it develops.

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