Two large trees toppled and blocked a DeKalb County road Tuesday, detouring motorists and cutting power to the Avondale Estates City Hall building for much of the day, according to authorities.

The oak trees fell across Covington Highway near American Legion Post 66, which is a few blocks east of Memorial Drive. One of the trees was uprooted and fell onto the other, uprooting it as well.

It is not clear what time they fell, but a city of Avondale Estates police officer noticed the tree across the road at 5:14 a.m., a city spokesperson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. No crash was reported.

Georgia Power crews work to remove trees and make repairs to power lines along Covington Highway on Tuesday morning. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Credit: Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Westbound traffic is being diverted onto Stratford Road to Kensington Road to South Avondale Plaza to North Avondale Road, according to the city. Eastbound traffic is being diverted onto Berkley Road to Kensington Road to Covington Highway.

MARTA has also announced disruptions to its Avondale and Kensington stations. All eastbound trains at Avondale are boarding from the middle of the westbound platform. At Kensington, only some eastbound trains will be boarding from the westbound platform. Check route information to be sure.

Avondale Estates posted a detour notice at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Credit: Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Roughly 700 customers near the city were without service as of 3 p.m., according to Georgia Power. By 4 p.m., the city spokesperson said power had been restored to the area.

Officials urge commuters to use caution when driving through the city and stay away from downed power lines. And don’t forget to treat nonfunctional traffic lights as four-way stops.

— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.

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