Following Wednesday’s severe weather, crews have been hard at work cleaning up the mess from fallen trees to downed power lines.
“I’ve lived a bunch of places, my husband’s lived even more, and outside of the Midwest, we’ve never seen anything like this,” said Misha Krastins, an Erie resident.
Neighbors have also been working together since Thursday morning, helping each other pick up the pieces from the storm damage.
“I’ve always liked Erie, I’ve been all over the world, Erie is like 50 years behind the time compared to some of the, New York City, Chicago. It’s a personal town,” said Brian Carlson, another Erie resident. “They care about you.”
Cleanup underway in Erie after major storm damage
“When I finally ran into my neighbor, it was whatever you need. Whether it’s moving stuff out, I have four able-bodied young men, let us know. We want to help,” said Krastins.
From crews clearing Erie’s roadways and removing trees from houses to neighbors cutting branches and offering a helping hand, cleanup is well underway, but it will still take some time to handle every situation.
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Since a state of emergency was issued for the City of Erie, community members said the city has helped them tremendously.
“Thank God the mayor declared a state of emergency. I was putting them in little buckets, I would have been there forever, but now we can take it right out, take all that trash, put it between the sidewalk and the street. It’s gonna make it a lot easier for me,” said Carlson.
The city is sending crews through Erie neighborhoods to pick up branches and help with cleanup efforts; branches can be left between the sidewalk and curb.
With the extent of the damage on Erie’s west side, Frontier Park has announced its closure until further notice, cancelling events until safety concerns have been cleared.
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