Careful observers may note that many of the large trees around Chapel Hill and Carrboro shows signs of damage near their tops. This damage occurred as a result of a major winter storm in the Fall of 2002 that coated central North Carolina with several inches of freezing rain and ice, closing schools, businesses, and leaving many area residents without power for up to a week. The heavy weight of the ice frozen to limbs brought many majestic old trees crashing to the ground, and presented a danger to citizens of the two cities in the form of falling branches and chunks of ice as the weather began to warm. For most residents, the storm is but a memory now, but for those who take the time to examine the treetops, the ravages of the 2002 ice storm have left a mark that will last for many years to come.
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