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Hurricane Aftermath Keeps Work Crews Busy

By the end of the day Saturday, nearly all Clayton residents had electric service, though minor, scattered outages from continuing high winds kept Clayton Public Power work crews on the job to repair damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene.

The town's streets were clear of downed trees, thanks to work crews from the Operations Department and Fire Department, with some valuable help from NC Dept. of Transportation work crews. In most cases, fallen trees were removed, though some large trees will require follow-up removal later.

There were no reports of flooding and no damage to town buildings.

The powerful hurricane hit the area early Saturday, pushing trees into power lines and across streets. Though electric service interruptions numbered in the dozens all over town all through the day, they were scattered and manageable by work crews that were on alert when the storm moved into the area.

Public Works & Utility Director Tim Simpson reported that two of the town's lift stations were without power late in the day, though both have backup systems that are working properly. The stations are on Progress Energy lines.

Town Manager Steve Biggs and other town officials praised the efficiency of work crews from Clayton Public Power and the Operations Department, as well as the performance of the town's Fire Department and Police Department during the hurricane.

"We were fortunate that we did not get hit harder, but we did take some damage in scattered areas, and I am pleased with our response. Our structured tree trimming program paid dividends today," the Town Manager said.

Town officials will meet Monday to coordinate cleanup from the storm.

"I'm very proud of the fine work," said Councilman Michael Grannis.

The bad weather forced some closings and cancellations, including Saturday's events at The Clayton Center, the Clayton Community Center, the Farmers Market and the Library.