HdG Lost 22 Trees In Storms, Hauled 22 Dump Trucks Of Debris: Official

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD — During last week's storms, the city of Havre de Grace lost 22 trees.

That was what Director of Public Works EJ Millisor said at Monday's City Council meeting.

“The team collected and disposed of over 22 dump-truck loads of storm debris in the city, removed 22 fallen trees” and the street sweeper worked overtime to clear the roads, Millisor reported. Millisor, who started last week, was in his second day on the job when the severe weather hit.

Everyone from the police chief to the councilmembers gave thanks for the city’s public works personnel during Monday night’s Havre de Grace City Council meeting.

Councilwoman Casi Boyer said her neighbor across the street was among those with a tree onto the house.

"It was a pretty harrowing day," Boyer said. "I absolutely want to thank DPW."

She said it was "absolutely amazing" to watch as crews lifted the fallen tree up over a tension line, then laid it down to chop it. That was not the only incident in her neighborhood either.

“At one point along my street, the street cleaner got stuck under a tree,” Boyer said, noting how everyone “worked seamlessly together” to free the worker.

“It is really sad to know that we lost 22 trees,” Boyer said.

She encouraged people who were thinking of planting trees to reach out to public works first since “just because there was a tree there" does not mean that is the best spot for it.

“I would hope this year that we're going to have a pretty robust tree planting to make up for some of our last tree canopy,” said Boyer, who noted she learned the day after the storm that the city achieved level one arboretum status for its tree walk.

“It's part of the iconic nature of Havre de Grace," Boyer said. "Everybody loves our trees."