Rich’s Tree Service has been inundated with calls since last mid-January when the first trees succumbed to snow, ice, and fierce winds. 

Rich Gillum, founder of the company, told The Oregonian that within a week, the business had received roughly 800 calls, a tenfold increase compared to the usual demand.

While the ice and snowstorm brought hardship to community members, it brought a rush of demand for local contractors. Those skilled in removing fallen trees, rebuilding roofs, restoring electrical systems, and replacing burst pipes found themselves in unprecedented demand.

However, the massive cleanup faced a slow start this week due again to the weather. A second storm on Wednesday added a thick layer of ice on top of the remaining snow, making road conditions too risky for contractors like Gillum to work.

For Mike Umumoto, the owner of Master Tech Plumbing based in Gresham, leaking pipes became a booming business. With more work than the company could handle, Umumoto found himself making 10 service calls a day, primarily focused on capping or repairing pipes that burst due to freezing temperatures. The consecutive ice storms made travel challenging, with Umumoto struggling to navigate his way down his own driveway.

Mick Gainey, an experienced electrician with A&J Electrical Inc., found himself in the Cedar Hills area, restoring the electrical system of a house after a fallen tree had damaged a power line. Surveying the street, he described the scene as resembling a war zone, with trees down everywhere—on houses, cars, and streets. Even Gainey wasn't spared from the storm's wrath, as four trees fell on his neighbors' homes, damaging his vehicles in the process. 

Information gathered from Oregon Live website, The Oregonian. Read full article here - https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2024/01/contractors-in-high-demand-to-fix-portland-storm-damage-if-only-they-could-leave-their-driveways.html