Fayette County, by and large, was able to escape significant destruction

from the first round of tropical storm Frances by lunchtime Tuesday.

With the center of now-tropical depression Frances about three counties

southwest of Fayette by mid-afternoon Tuesday, the National Weather Service

forecast office in Peachtree City reported a little over two inches of rain

had fallen since midnight.

But another two to four inches of rain was headed this way going into late

Tuesday evening, after press time, according to forecasters.

Schools were closed Tuesday morning, some roads were blocked by downed trees

and power was out for at least a short time nearly everywhere in Fayette.

But no storm-related injuries were reported and all thoroughfares were clear

by 11:30 a.m., said Capt. Pete Nelms of the Fayette County Department of

Fire and Emergency Services.

And as of 2 p.m. no flooding had been reported although emergency officials

were keeping their eyes on the usual trouble spots, Nelms said.

In Peachtree City, crews removed roughly 50 trees that had fallen across

roads, chopping them up and leaving them off the roadway for later collection,

said Public Works Director Tom Corbett.

"It's been relatively routine," Corbett said.

Not so for Terry and Pat Inman, who had a rather large tree near their front

stoop slice right through the garage of their home in Whitewater Creek Estates

early Tuesday morning.

"It sounded like a crashing china cabinet with all the dishes falling

out at the same time," Terry Inman said. The noise woke up Terry and

his wife Pat, and at first an interior check showed all was clear. Then Pat

peeked into the garage and spotted the damage, Terry Inman said.

Ironically, the Inmans had just escaped the path of then-Hurricane Frances

on Saturday after visiting their daughter and son in Florida. At first it

appeared unlikely they'd make their flight out of town, Inman said.

Ultimately, they made the flight, only to come home and feel Frances' wrath

in their own home.

At least the kids were relatively unscathed in Florida by both hurricanes

Charles and Frances, Inman reported.

The blow of the tree took out the attic that was above the garage and struck

one of the family cars that were parked outside the garage, Inman said.

"It could have been much worse," he said.