CHAPE HILL, N.C. (WNCN) — Storms from Hurricane Ian reached the Triangle on Friday, forcing crews to deal with the aftermath on Saturday.
The Chapel Hill family said the bulk of the work dealt with clearing trees and debris scattered throughout the area.
The Chapel Hill fire helped hold back traffic for several hours Saturday afternoon after a large tree fell across Route 54.
Jonathan Powell, Engine 35’s Chapel Hill Fire Chief, said the highway is the main road to UNC Hospital, creating problems for people trying to access it.
“We’ve had a lot of phones with dead wires the last few days because of the storm,” he said.
City officials weren’t the only ones busy on the weekend after the storm.
“You never know what can happen in a hurricane,” says Doug Nicholas, owner and operator of the Woodscapers Tree Service.
Nicholas said his tree removal service is based in Pittsboro, but his staff works in multiple counties. Before Hurricane He said Ian approached, Nicholas made sure he was prepared for a possible increase in calls by stocking up on gasoline, oil and chains.
“We want to get to those trees before they fall over at home. That’s a lot of what we do is to preemptively deal with things, but in this case, it’s cleaning up.” ” he said.
Nicolas said the types of calls he received ranged from driveway and driveway closures to fallen trees on the roof of his house.
“A tree that falls on your home is not something you take lightly. It falls on your car. It cuts power lines. It’s dangerous,” he said.
Nicholas, who has been in business since 2014, said he has been there in the past to help clean up from hurricanes. said to have caused
“I like being able to help people, especially in situations like this,” Nicholas said. “Whether they’re power crews or tree crews, what we’re trying to do is get people back to normal.”
