One day after high winds toppled trees, and cut power to thousands in western Virginia, many communities were still assessing the damage.
On street after street, the caution tape was flying Tuesday morning. Power lines were still on the ground. The roar of chippers and chain saws signalled a major cleanup was under way.
The storm that blew through Roanoke and other hometowns across the region Monday afternoon left behind plenty of property damage. Natalie Franco saw a tree fall in her northwest Roanoke neighborhood. "And all of a sudden the tree fell down on his car, she told News 7.
It also left plenty of work for contractors like Charlie Hartman. "Started getting calls last night," Hartman said, "and I've got a crew next to Alleghany taking one off a house up there. And i've got that squared away and got them headed this way to get this one off this car."
The work will take longer on Fralin Road in northeast Roanoke, where winds toppled a huge tree estimated at more than 100 years old. The tree was a neighborhood landmark, growing in the middle of the road for as long as anyone can remember.
"My sister lives a street over," Florida resident Sandy Roberts told us, "and I always come down this road because the tree sits right in the middle of the road, and I just always thought it was really really pretty."
Certainly, the damage from this storm was not as severe as the destruction from recent tornadoes in Pulaski and Washington Counties, but for city workers, utility crews and many homeowners, the latest cleanup will also take some time.
