PETERSBURG, Va. — A winter storm that swept through central Virginia on Tuesday left trees coated in ice, which brought down branches and caused widespread damage and power outages.
“We’ve got a hole in our roof... and damage to a vehicle,” said Loretta Curtis, reflecting on the damage her home sustained during the storm.
Curtis and her husband were not home when the tree fell, but their neighbors experienced the impact firsthand.
“It was a big boom,” Tapona Alston, a neighbor, described. “My pole and stuff was shaking, like really, really violently, so I thought something exploded.”
The weight of the ice on trees and limbs led to many of them falling, often taking down power lines with them.
“The power went out straight after I heard that boom," Alston added.
In areas where the power is out, smoke could be seen rising from chimneys as neighbors turned to wood stoves for heat.
The hum of generators could also be heard throughout neighborhoods, from whole-house units to smaller ones, all working to keep essential appliances running.
"During [Hurricane] Isabel, when we had power outages for about seven days, I bought a generator," Irl Weatherford said.
Weatherford uses his generator to power his refrigerator, freezer, and a few lights.
John Moore, who owns a tree business, expects to be busy for the next few weeks clearing the debris left behind by the storm.
While waiting for the power company’s assistance, Curtis is also waiting on the city for help.
“We are just waiting on the city to come and answer whether the tree is owned by the city or owned by the personal home owner,” Curtis said.
The fallen tree is currently blocking access to their neighborhood.
Authorities remind residents to stay far away from downed power lines, as they can be extremely dangerous.
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