City Manager Tony Massey said the storm's intensity was unexpected, but public works crews were mobilized to clear debris from all city streets. He said homeowners should take brush, limbs and wood to curbside, and it will be picked up with regular and special garbage service.
"We had to close some streets during the worst of the storm," Massey said. "We had flash flooding here and there, but all of the water has receded."
Even with the July 4 holiday next week, Massey said he hopes crews will pick up all of the storm damage within "a couple of weeks."
"I would ask people to be patient," Massey said, "because the wind damage was widestread."
Columbia Power and Water Systems said 13,000 customers were impacted by the storm. Around 2,000 were without power early Thursday afternoon.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, CPWS representative Meg Lockhart said the number of those without power had dropped to about 200. Crews were still out working.
The National Weather Service issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch early Thursday for Maury County. It said damage from the storm also was reported as widespread in Spring Hill, Mt. Pleasant and rural Maury County.
Two inches of rain fell in portions of the county in the last 12 hours and up to 4 inches came down in Columbia locations, the Weather Service said.
Chief Tim Potts of the Columbia Police Department surveyed the damage Thursday afternoon and its effect on traffic.
"We've spotted some trees down on the south side of Columbia that we're checking," Potts said. "There are also some red lights in town that are out and on 'flash mode.' Traffic seems to be slowing down and people are driving according to the weather."
Potts added that areas around James Campbell Boulevard took on water at rates too heavy to drain.
"James Campbell Boulevard has areas where the rainfall is so heavy that the drains can't handle it," Potts said. "We want to remind everybody to slow down and use caution. We've been monitoring the radar and it looks like we have a lot more coming in the next hour."
Columbia Fire Department responded to multiple calls after noon, reporting that the south side of Columbia has been hit with heavy winds, with multiple fire alarms, trees down and power outages.
"There are some straight line winds, and the area of the Bradford Circle subdivision and the area across Trotwood Avenue into Sunnyside Lane area have a lot of trees down, trees that have fallen down on houses, a lot of power lines down," Assistant Fire Chief Chris Cummins said. "Columbia Power and Water are doing their best to get the power restored, but there is a lot of power down."
At least one vehicle was damaged, according to Columbia Fire & Rescue.
According to reports from Daily Herald news partner WSMV-TV, emergency personnel in Lawrence County reported multiple trees were down throughout the county.
Dickson Electric Service reported 3,300 customers in the Lyles and Bon Aqua areas in Hickman County were without power after the storms moved through.
In Lewisburg, the front of an auto parts store was ripped off by the high winds.
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