ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. - Bateman's Tree Service spent the day clearing sycamore tree limbs away from a home on Thursday.
The job was scheduled weeks in advance but happened to come just hours before Tropical Storm Michael was expected to arrive to Northeastern North Carolina.
Owner Ken Bateman says this homeowner is taking the correct, proactive approach to tree-trimming.
"Sometimes people don't realize there are concerns with a tree until it's too late," said Ken Bateman, Owner. "If you wait until two days before the storm (to call), all of us are too busy."
He says even though forecasts showed Michael making its way over the region, last-minute calls haven't gone up. Calls for service did, however, increase in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence.
With the potential for Michael to knock down limbs and entire trees altogether, Bateman tells News 3 he spent Thursday morning working on equipment.
"We did maintenance this morning to make sure different pieces of equipment are ready to go and we're watching the weather and forecast," said Bateman.
For those who have trees that concern them, Bateman says make sure to move cars and other valuables out from under them, just in case.
