Those eating at Shoney’s in Clanton Friday evening had somewhat of a surprise as the restaurants large sign came crashing to the ground.

Those at the restaurant said the sign fell during a severe storm that raced through the Chilton County area Friday, bringing with it heavy rains and strong winds.

The sign, which provides notice to travelers along Interestate 65 at the 208 exit, fell across the nearby road. Work crews and police worked to clear the debris shortly after 7 p.m.

The storms that came through the area Friday, did not last long, but did contain the strong winds and nearly an inch of rain.

The strong, random storms continued Saturday causing delays at a large ASA softball tournament in Thorsby, among other area events.

Other, less severe damage was noticed around the area, from downed limbs to blown down tents as well as other slight sign damage in downtown Clanton.