OKC Adds More Crews To Collect Storm Debris

Oklahoma City officials are trying to speed up the collection of debris left by the deadly May 31 storms, by adding more contracted crews to pick up branches, fencing and other debris.

Tuesday, July 16th 2013, 1:50 pm

By: News 9


Oklahoma City officials are trying to speed up the collection of debris left by the deadly May 31 storms, by adding more contracted crews to pick up branches, fencing and other debris.

Twenty-two people died when tornados and flash floods struck the metro on May 31. The storms also destroyed and damaged homes and businesses, leaving behind thousands of tons of debris.

Oklahoma City estimates it's collected nearly 7,500 tons of debris, but there's still much more that needs to be cleared away.

"We've made good progress, but we need to pick up the pace," said Public Works Director Eric Wenger. "The May 31 storm affected an incredibly large area of south Oklahoma City – about 120 square miles, so we are asking for continued patience as contractors get to every affected street and neighborhood."

Complete Coverage: May 2013 Tornado Outbreak

Residents are asked to separate their storm debris into three piles and move it to the curb by Monday, July 22. Each pile will be collected by a separate crew. The three piles are:

1. Storm debris
2. Normal bulky waste
3. Household hazardous waste like fertilizers, pesticides and propane tanks.

Contractors have been working from west to east in Oklahoma City. A map showing progress will be updated every Tuesday and can be viewed at http://www.okc.gov/tornadoinfo/.

Contractors are primarily concentrating their efforts in the following areas:

• NW 36th St to SW 134th St and from Mustang Rd to Santa Fe Ave
• Eastern to Anderson Road and from SW 44th St to SW 89th St

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