Ron Deal cuts logs on Cherokee Valley Road while clearing trees that were downed by a tornado.RINGGOLD, Ga. – Perched high atop his scissor-lift, Benny Goins has a bird’s-eye view of acres of flattened forest off Cherokee Valley Road.
And Goins, who inspects about 140 loads of trees and storm debris every day as the site monitor for one of Catoosa County’s disposal sites, doesn’t like what he sees.
The toppled and mangled trees, laid down like broken corn stalks, could mean erosion, an increased risk of fire and a loss of habitat for the animals that lived in the woods, he said. The first week after the storms, vultures circled constantly, swooping down to snack on the woodland creatures killed in the tornadoes.
“This can really be a problem,” Goins said.
It’s the danger of fire that has many forestry officials concerned. In a few months they expect the fallen trees to dry out, adding a dangerous amount of fuel for potential blazes.