Businesses see surge as people prepare for Hanna

RALEIGH, N.C. — Businesses selling supplies and removing trees say they are already seeing a surge in business as the Triangle waits to see what impact Hanna has on the area.

Tim Robbins, who owns Arbormax Tree Service in Cary, says the number of calls has tripled for him to check to see if strong winds could knock trees into homes. It went from 10 on Monday to 30 on Tuesday, he said.

"Homeowners (are) trying to get prepared for the storm," he said. "By the time Friday gets here, we're anticipating, probably, 80 calls a day."

Chris Reynolds, the outdoor-equipment manager for a hardware store in Clayton, says he has also seen a rush for chainsaw and generator repairs .

"Most of the time, it's poor fuel," he said. "People have left them sitting, haven't cranked them in a long time, and the gas gets stale, and they don't want to start."

Reynolds says they are trying to push for a rush on repairs but warns customers not to wait too long in checking their equipment to make sure it's working.

If the storm hits, experts say read and follow all instructions before using generators. For tree-removal crews, always make they are insured and never pay for service up front.

The National Hurricane Center has predicted that Hanna will most likely come ashore as a hurricane between Friday and Saturday somewhere between the east coast of Florida and the North Carolina coast.