Although the ice storm is over a month past, cleanup costs in Chapel Hill continue to rise and debris continues to be collected.
Updated estimates given by the town Public Works Department predict that cleanup costs will exceed $1 million and that debris produced by the storm will measure about 18,000 tons.
Cleanup costs originally were projected to range from about $500,000-$750,000, and the original estimate for the amount of debris was 20,000 tons.
Seventy-five percent of the cost will be paid for by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Gov. Mike Easley said last week that the state will cover the remaining costs. Town officials said Chapel Hill will receive about $140,000 in disaster-relief aid.
Bruce Heflin, Chapel Hill director of public works, said he expects that cleanup will continue into the spring, although it is going well.
"We're generally making good progress," he said. "I anticipate we'll be working on this for several months."
Other town officials have said the debris cleanup effort could last into mid-April.
City workers have collected 5,302 tons of debris already, and citizens have brought an additional 1,100 tons to dump sites. Officials said the normal amount of debris collected per year is about 2,000 tons.
A concern still lingering from the ice storm is that debris might pose flood risks because it has clogged up parts of local streams.
