Chainsaws and wood chippers could be heard in Bloomington-Normal on Friday as residents, public works crews, and tree services picked up the pieces left behind by strong storms Thursday night.
As of Friday afternoon, about 2,500 customers were still without power in McLean County, according to PowerOutage.com.
Public Works Operations Manager Jason Comfort said crews were out until around midnight Friday clearing trees that had fallen into roadways and onto powerlines. The night before, sewage crews were monitoring flooding conditions.
Across the area, some trees split at the trunk or base and toppled over into front yards, and even onto houses.
In multiple places on the Constitution Trail, limbs blocked the path.
Two branches of a large tree split in front of a home on Fell Avenue, near Sugar Creek. Both the front and back doors were blocked by the branches. Neighbor Nic Hruska said one of the the limbs fell after Wednesday's weather. The other fell during Thursday's storm.
Hruska said the limb that fell on Thursday first hit the roof of the house.
"I've been here about 10 years, and these trees are pretty old," Hruska said. "Everyone once in a while a limb would fall, land in the street, almost hit some cars, but this is the worst I've ever seen it."
A few blocks away at Broadview Mansion, a fallen tree and some fallen limbs broke parts of the brick and iron fence surrounding the property.
Normal Public Works is still surveying and cleaning up other damage, but its workers are not responsible for all fallen trees. Comfort said it depends on where the tree is standing before it falls.
"Between your house and your sidewalk is generally the responsibility of the property owner ... If it's between the sidewalk and the curb in the parkway area, those are often town trees," he said.
If a privately-owned tree falls into the roadway, Public Works crews will clear it.
Some of the fallen trees looked healthy inside. Others showed signs of rot or age. Comfort said if a homeowner is suspicious of a tree's stability, they can contact Parks and Recreation to have someone inspect its condition.
Becker's Tree Service, based in Colfax, has received about 75 calls for service so far, according to the owner Friday afternoon.
Comfort said the Public Works crews hauled off around eight truckloads worth of debris. That wood will be mulched, and then the mulch will be given away.
The town offers free mulch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. during the summer months on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
