Goldsboro couple ready for post-Irene cleanup

About 10,000 people in Wayne County were still without power Monday evening as residents took to the streets to clear debris from Hurricane Irene.

Trees and power lines were down throughout the county, including Goldsboro's Oak Forest subdivision, where Matt Ashley and his wife live.

Ashley said his wife was on the phone around mid-morning Saturday when she heard the large oak tree that once stood in their front yard fall onto one end of the house. His and his wife's cars were also crushed by the tree.

"Everybody was surprised, because they didn't think it was going to be this bad," Ashley said.

Luckily, he said, no one was hurt.

"Thank God for keeping us safe," he said. "We prayed the night before, and that's all you can do. All you can do is pray and take cover. To God be the glory."

The Ashleys still don't know how much damage the winds from Irene caused for them. Like many others, they are still waiting on insurance adjusters to assess the property.

They're still without power, too, having lost it on Friday.

"You've got to maintain your cool. It doesn't do any good to get upset and get mad," Ashley said. "You've just got to hang in there."