John and Nancy Harvell lost two trees during Tropical Storm Helene – a pecan and an oak.
Luckily, the 100-year-old trees missed their century-old house, situated in the Alta Vista section of Greenville, ultimately falling into a neighbors back yard.
But the storm – and all the felled trees – have taken their toll on residents across Upstate South Carolina.
“People get testy and all, ‘your tree fell in my yard’,” John Harvell said.
Eventually, they’ll get the trees removed.
But it could be months, as tree removal companies across the region are being inundated with calls.
Miller McKenzie, owner of McKenzie Tree Co., estimated over 300 daily calls in the first days after Helene. That’s since tapered off to between 30 and 40 daily calls.
McKenzie said the company is prioritizing their current customer base, plus elderly customers.
But it could take upwards of six months to clear the backlog, and that’s even with the company seeing roughly a dozen people a day.
“People can’t get tree companies to pick up the phone,” McKenzie said. “They’re panicking.”