Leroy Fields Sr. got a rude awakening during the weekend.

Thunderstorms with high winds split a large tree, which crashed through the roof of his bedroom and kitchen as he slept.

"I had four bricks in the bed with me, but I didn't get a scratch," Mr. Fields, 78, said Monday as he stood in his David Street home in Bethlehem community, where his belongings were water-damaged and the roof hung low.

The damage was probably the worst from weekend thunderstorms that dumped 2.09 inches of rain in Augusta.

The owners of tree service companies, including Chancey's Stump & Tree in Augusta, reported a brisk business.

"I have seen evidence of storm damage in several places," owner Marc Chancey said after returning from a Tobacco Road home, where a large tree limb had fallen on a roof.

The weather is expected to clear up today, but more rain is forecast for the rest of the week, said forecaster Tony Petrolito, of the National Weather Service in West Columbia, S.C.

"We're in a wet pattern for the next few days," he said.

Heavy rains are expected Wednesday and Thursday. The extended forecast calls for a chance of rain Friday and Saturday but clearing in time for Memorial Day, Mr. Petrolito said.

Although the storm was a menace to Augusta-area residents, some counties reported only minor problems.

Aiken County avoided the brunt of the storm, with only a pair of small power outages in Jackson and Aiken on Sunday night, officials said.

Kathy Love, a spokeswoman for South Carolina Electric & Gas, said about 50 customers lost service in Jackson. In Aiken, a downed tree on Dibble Road took out a power line and disrupted service late Sunday, Aiken Public Safety Sgt. David Turno said.

"We've been really lucky that we haven't had any tornado activity," said David Ruth, the emergency management coordinator for Aiken County.

Despite the rolling thunder and heavy rains in Sunday's thunderstorms, Columbia County Emergency Services Director Pam Tucker said no damage reports were filed.

"We had some real heavy rain, but we did not have winds as strong as what we've had in the last several storms," Mrs. Tucker said.

In Augusta, Mr. Fields' two-bedroom home will probably be a total loss, American Red Cross officials said. It was built around 1945.

Volunteers toured the home Monday morning and decided to put Mr. Fields and his three family members into a hotel until they can find a permanent place to stay.

Staff Writers Valerie Rowell, Stephen Gurr and Josh Gelinas contributed to this article.

Reach Greg Rickabaugh at (706) 828-3851 or greg.rickabaugh@augustachronicle.com.