JACKSONVILLE, Texas – As residents in Texas struggle to recover from devastating storms and tornadoes, local tree trimming crews are on hand to help in the cleanup process.
The crews from ABC Tree Service, which clears trees and limbs from power lines for CDE, were dispatched to Jacksonville, Texas more than a week ago.
On May 25, a massive storm system produced multiple tornadoes across Texas and neighboring states. In Jacksonville, the National Weather Service says straight line winds caused the damage seen. No injuries were reported.
Most of Rusk County was without power following the storms. Before utility crews could restore power to more than 20,000 people, downed trees had to be removed from power lines that were in many cases still live. Most residents saw their electricity restored by this weekend, though many remain without adequate shelter due to damage to their homes.
Local tree trimming crews are often dispatched to natural disasters, helping other utilities get things up and running sooner. As in Jacksonville, live wires entangled in trees make the already dangerous job of tree surgery especially dangerous. Here in Clarksville, remaining crews were sent out Saturday night following the storms that moved across this area.
Photos courtesy of CC Carmack