Staff Writer

LOCKHART - Officials say it likely will take a lot of neighbor helping neighbor to clean up downed trees left behind by a violent storm Saturday.

South Carolina Department of Transportation and power crews continued working in Lockhart this morning. clearing roads and working on downed power lines, but Mayor Robert “Beaver” Canupp said he has been told trees that fell in the yards of homeowners are the responsibility of the property owner to clean up.

“These people down here can't afford nothing like that,” he said. “But I can run a chain saw; I've just got to locate one.”

The storm - which packed high winds, heavy rain and some reports of hail - struck Union County around 8 p.m. Canupp met with National Weather Service officials and Union County Emergency Preparedness Director Stephen Jones this morning and it was determined a microburst struck Lockhart. The cost to clean up the damage is estimated at $250,000.

“It was supposed to be just a line coming through, but a storm cell formed in front of it and made it worse,” Jones said.

In Lockhart this morning, chain saws hummed and folks rode around surveying the damage. At the home of Ernest “Boone” and Betty Morris, friend Johnny Black helped cut up a huge oak that uprooted and toppled over from the yard of Topper and Phyllis Gibson.

“We were not here and we didn't know it until yesterday (Sunday) morning,” Morris said. “A friend of ours who came out to Mt. Joy Church said, ‘You need to see your house and your yard.'”

Canupp, who lives across from the Morris home, heard the tree crash but it was raining so hard he could not see it.

He got in his truck and rode to his brother's cafe, on the way dodging a pecan tree and a power line that fell in the roadway.

Other fire departments, hearing Lockhart's plight over the radio, responded and helped block off roads and move trees.

“We had some good response,” Canupp said. “I can't tell how much I appreciate the fire departments and the 911 operators. They were swamped and they did a good job.”

Canupp found himself wearing two hats. The 48-year-old was elected mayor in July; he has been a firefighter since 1985.

“Somebody said, ‘We've got the mayor in the fire truck,” he said. “I said, ‘The mayor is at home. This is a fireman in the fire truck.'”

Those who witnessed the storm talked about the odd pattern of the lightning it produced.

“And when it was over, I never saw the sky that color in my life,” Canupp said.

The home of Harold Redman on North Third Street was most heavily damaged by a large oak tree that toppled over on it. Canupp stopped to talk with Denton Gas representatives who came to remove the propane tank from the yard. Onlookers pulled up to inquire about Redman, who had gone to stay with a neighbor.

“What can we do for Harold?” Town Clerk Brenda Cameron asked Canupp. “Something like this happens and all of a sudden you don't have a home. That is a frightening thought. Harold needs help. He needs the community to come to his assistance. I think Lockhart has always been a community who cares for its neighbors.”

Numerous trees were knocked down at the home of former mayor Leroy Worthy on Lockhart Drive. Across the road at the home of former mayor Ailene Ashe, trees damaged her husband James' large display of Christmas lights.

Canupp said already today people from out of town had descended Lockhart, offering to cut up and remove trees for a high price. He urged homeowners to make sure those they hire have insurance.

Other parts of the county, including the City of Union, reported damage, but Lockhart by far was the hardest hit, Jones said. Power was knocked out to the northern portion of the city and power lines were downed by trees in the Barnado Road area.

“We probably had reports of 100 trees down all over the county,” Jones said.

The swift and sudden storm created a hectic time for 911 operators. Several fire departments were called to fight grass or woods fires caused by downed lines. Carlisle Fire Department fought a house fire on Baylor Street. People called 911 to report their power was out. Jones asked that people call their utility company the next time this happens.

“They were overwhelmed at 911,” he said. “It was hard to get help out to those who really needed it. We had a house fire in Carlisle, a tree on a house in Lockhart, there were ambulances out. If people could, just call their power company, not us, if their power is out, unless they have a live wire arcing or they are in danger. We had so many calls, we couldn't even get a line out to call the utility companies to let them know they had lines down.”