Eleven days after winds gusting to 104 km/h ripped through Prince Rupert on April 10th, city contracted crews were just finishing cleaning up downed trees.
The city estimates more than 60 trees fell during the unexpected squall. This windfall of boughs and branches blocked roads, damaged buildings, and left 2,860 residents without power for several hours. It also kept clean-up crews contracted by the city busy as they cleaned up major footpaths and thoroughfares.
READ MORE: Extreme winds wreak havoc across Prince Rupert
The city budgets between $50,000 and $100,000 annually to remove hazardous trees. While the final price tag for the clean-up hasn’t been finalised, the city doesn’t expect this clean-up to put them over-budget.
“If a tree fell in the forest, it’s left to decompose as is,” said Veronika Stewart, communications manager for the city. “Along pedestrian pathways, the wood is chipped and recycled into the surrounding environment.”
Some residents have taken advantage of the fallen trees for their own purposes. Verne Barker, owner and operator of Empire Tree Services, the company contracted by the city to manage hazardous trees, said many Rupertites appreciate the free wood.
“We section it, and then people just come and take it,” he said.
READ MORE: Gusts of 104 km/h wallop Prince Rupert Tuesday afternoon
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