Skidvations Land Management offers tips to prevent storm damage
At Ingleside Village Antique Centre, manager Cathy Brantley says a Monday night storm ripped the roof off the shop. “Once it started to lift, the whole thing came up and went over the side,” she said.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Macon residents are picking up the pieces in the wake of severe weather from the past week.
At Ingleside Village Antique Centre, manager Cathy Brantley says a Monday night storm ripped the roof off the shop.
“Once it started to lift, the whole thing came up and went over the side,” she said.
After the roof was gone, rain started pouring through the ceiling and soaked through the store’s carpet.
Ingleside Village Antique Centre is currently closed for repairs, but Brantley expects it to reopen by the end of the month.
“Macon has its disasters during storms,” Brantley said. “Usually trees down. This was a different freak thing. The wind picked up that roof and rolled it up.”
Brantley says she’s been through bad weather, but this was the worst the store has ever been hit.
While mother nature can be unpredictable, there are steps you can take to protect your property from severe weather.
Aaron Jackson is a Foreman with Skidvations Land Management in Macon. He says storm damage can be just as severe in wooded areas as it is in urban centers.
“We have neglected trees or sometimes just an act of nature where a tree will fall down because of a windstorm, or I’ve seen where the whole tree just uproots, so it varies on each storm, each division of where it is in the city,” Jackson said.
If you have a tree near your home that is dead, has broken limbs or a pine beetle infestation, Jackson says it’s best to remove the tree before a storm.
“I’m not saying go in and just cut all your trees down, but push them away from structures in case anything falls, and that’s driveways, fences, the house and stuff like that,” he said.
Storm damage can get costly. That’s why Jackson recommends having insurance coverage rather than paying out of pocket. He says repairs can range from $1,000 to $10,000 depending on the severity of the damage and time spent on labor.
If you’re not sure if a tree poses a risk for your property, Jackson advises calling a land management company like Skidvations to make an assessment.
“It could be an okay tree, but at the same time, mother nature, she comes through and she’ll do what she wants,” he said.
