Old Man Winter arrives
Matthew Hundley / (matthew.hundley@averyjournal.com)
The recent torrent of winter weather has caused trouble for Avery
residents for two weeks. Spurts of snow and ice caused traffic
accidents, while high winds brought down trees and power lines across
the county.
Like many Avery residents, Vincent Stamey of Horney Road saw his home damaged when a tree fell around 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, puncturing his roof, bowing a wall and downing power lines.
“I have never seen wind like that,” Stamey said. “I have water damage, it looks like the walls are buckling some, and ceiling damage. My sister called 911 at 9:30 p.m. I actually heard her scream. When I heard that, I got up. Before I went to bed, I was watching the trees sway. Crossnore Volunteer Fire Department came out, but because there was no immediate fire threat, they had to move on to another call.”
According to Stamey, due to some confusion between Mountain Electric and a local tree service about whether the tree or the power lines needed to be removed first, the tree was still on the house five days later. Stamey expected to have the tree removed by the end of the day on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012.
Because of the widespread nature of the recent storm damage, some residents lost power only briefly, while others lost power for days on end because the damage was more localized. Damage to trees, signs and structures can still be seen in and around Avery County.
Like many Avery residents, Vincent Stamey of Horney Road saw his home damaged when a tree fell around 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, puncturing his roof, bowing a wall and downing power lines.
“I have never seen wind like that,” Stamey said. “I have water damage, it looks like the walls are buckling some, and ceiling damage. My sister called 911 at 9:30 p.m. I actually heard her scream. When I heard that, I got up. Before I went to bed, I was watching the trees sway. Crossnore Volunteer Fire Department came out, but because there was no immediate fire threat, they had to move on to another call.”
According to Stamey, due to some confusion between Mountain Electric and a local tree service about whether the tree or the power lines needed to be removed first, the tree was still on the house five days later. Stamey expected to have the tree removed by the end of the day on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012.
Because of the widespread nature of the recent storm damage, some residents lost power only briefly, while others lost power for days on end because the damage was more localized. Damage to trees, signs and structures can still be seen in and around Avery County.
