LAWRENCE COUNTY, AL (WAFF) -
Moulton tree removal crews are working overtime to clean up the mess 115 mph wind gusts brought last week.
Several days after the storm hit, residents are starting to see progress.
It doesn't matter what street you drive down in Moulton you're sure to see a pile of debris at the side of the road.
The mayor said while the cleanup is underway, it could take several weeks before this Lawrence County community is back to normal.
The sound of chain saws buzzes across Moulton as crews work to remove more than 500 trees blown over in last week's storm.
"It's everywhere," said Collis Pointer.
Pointer runs his own tree removal service and doubles as a Moulton firefighter.
"Just in our days that we have worked since it hit, we hauled away more than 50 loads of debris. It's been unreal all the debris we've hauled away. I mean we're constantly just rolling," he said.
Pointer's crew has worked sun up to sun down.
On Tuesday, one of their tasks was removing a century-old tree dangerously dangling near power lines.
"We have two brush trucks that run 10 hours a day, seven days a week until we get this done," said Pointer.
Moulton Mayor Ray Alexander estimates the damage in the millions. He expects the total cleanup to finish in a month's time.
He said everything can be replaced - he's just relieved nobody died in the storm.
"With a couple minor injuries and no warning, this thing happened all at once. We're real fortunate," he said.
One of the hardest hit areas in Moulton is Lawrence County High School where the gymnasium roof was ripped off. An architecture firm met with school officials on Tuesday, but plans on what to do with the gym could take several weeks.
Copyright 2012 WAFF. All rights reserved.
More than 500 trees were blown over in Moulton in last week's storms.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WAFF, a Raycom Media Station. 