Keeping you safe during and after a storm is the task of the North Carolina Forest Service. Thursday, they were checking everything from chain saws to heavy equipment. It's stuff they might need if Irene or other storms blow into the Tarheel state. Their main emergency task is to make sure roadways and right-of-ways are cleared if a storm downs limbs or trees. Forestry officials are ready to go not only here in the East, but in other parts of the state too. The Army National Guard is also standing by. There are currently about 10,000 Guard members in our state and luckily only about 1200 of them are deployed.
