ATLANTA — Residents of Chastain Park have been anxiously waiting for three days as a tree company worked meticulously to remove dangerous trees brought down by Hurricane Helene.
The company had to deploy a specialized machine known as “The Black Pearl” to safely take down one of the trees, which had been threatening a home.
Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes spoke with neighbors who finally witnessed movement after days of anticipation.
Grant McGarry, owner of the tree company, emphasized the precision required for such an operation.
“Yeah, one little movement wrong when you’re loading through that crane – it could go through the house,” McGarry said.
A veteran now running a tree company, McGarry dispatched crews across Georgia after the hurricane caused widespread tree damage.
At Chastain Park, a 275-ton machine was necessary to handle the task.
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“There was a high impact wind that knocked over two red oaks – they’re suspending over that house. A lot of the limbs or the canopy went through the roof of the house,” McGarry said.
McGarry invested three days conducting precise calculations to ensure the safety of the home and surrounding properties.
“There’s been a few companies out here to attempt to get these out – it’s pretty risky – there’s no rigging and there’s a large hill, you know - steep incline in the backyard and not a lot of access,” McGarry said.
By 11:00 a.m. on Friday, one of the trees was successfully removed. McGarry mentioned this was the most challenging part of the operation and expects to have all trees cleared by the end of the day.
“Hopefully they can sleep in the house tonight and be safe,” said McGarry.
He also noted that this storm has been one of the costliest in Georgia’s history, and his work continues as he plans to assist more homeowners affected by the hurricane.
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