Straight winds knocked down several trees along Grassy Island Road Thursday night when a storm hit Richmond County. A week of forecasted thunderstorms with damaging winds finally came to fruition, and the Sides family said they had crop damage and part of a tin roof torn back.

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Witnesses to a thunderstorm that tore through Richmond County on Thursday night say they had an “intense” experience.

Straight winds blew down several pine trees around the property of the Sides family on the Sides Farm, on Sides Road in the Mangum community. Lydia Sides said she had crop damage, shingles blown off the roof, and a neighbor reported that winds pushed his parked pick-up truck.

“It messed up the roof on our house,” said Edna Sides, mother-in-law of Lydia. “It hit right here, but not across the road. I don’t know that it was a tornado. You couldn’t see across the road and it lasted just a few minutes, the wind did.”

The Sides watched as law enforcement worked to remove a large 100-year-old pine tree that fell and blocked the road.

“Vehicles had to stop that were traveling because the wind was moving the vehicles to the point they couldn’t be driven,” said Lydia Sides. “A very large and old pine tree was taken down by the storm and blocked Grassy Island Road for hours. Cleanup went until dark and continued into the next day to remove the tree and debris.”

Edna Sides said their roof leaked in two spots after the wind tore at the roof.

“Those winds were unbelievable,” said Lydia Sides. “It was scary here. It was pretty intense.”

The National Weather Service did not announce a threat of tornadoes in the area this week.