Other views: Storm cleanup goes well

If power was out in your home for 40 hours or more after recent thunderstorms, it might seem like cleanup and repairs in the Fargo metro were not at all speedy. Fair enough. But shortly after the storm, broken trees had been cleared from streets; downed power lines had been raised. Streets were open and electricity was flowing in most of the city and region.

Overall, the cleanup went remarkably well, considering the intensity of the storms and the damage they did. Hundreds of mature trees were either blown over or lost huge limbs. Downed trees on public rights of way and on private property caused most of the damage to power lines, in addition to blocking streets in several neighborhoods. Many homes were damaged — some severely — by falling trees. Winds clocked at 70 mph also flattened and twisted fences in neighborhoods all over the city.

If there was a positive element in the storm system, it was that it moved quickly and did not dump heavy rains or hail. There was little, if any, street flooding. No reports of hail-damaged crops have come in, although even relatively light rains were enough to further delay spring work in the countryside. There was, however, major damage in rural areas, specifically near Walcott, N.D.

Crews for Xcel Energy and Cass County Electric worked long hours to restore power as quickly as possible. Xcel’s Fargo problem was compounded because the same storm system that hammered the Red River Valley also pounded Xcel’s service area in and around Sioux Falls, S.D. Resources were put to the test.

Restoration of power and neighborhood cleanup following summer storms are never easy tasks. Anyone who has been without electricity for an extended time, or who has had to face the daunting task of removing tons of wood and debris from a smashed 100-year-old tree, knows how stressful the situations can be. Delay exacerbates stress.

Nonetheless, city and park district workers, power company teams and individual property owners got to the job within hours after the storm passed. There is still a lot to do, but the cleanup has gone well, given the extent of damage.

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