Crews Continue To Pick Up Ice Storm Debris Despite Snowy Conditions

Oklahoma City street crews have picked up more than 20,000 tons of debris with roughly another 80,000 tons to go. The city said this weekend’s snow storm is not slowing down their progress but more can be done to help speed up the process.

Piles of debris need to be placed in open areas. The city says a couple of things slowing down the process are piles being placed near meters and bagged leaves being mixed in.

“It’s really dangerous for our crews and we don’t want to tear up people’s gas meters,” said Malarie Gotcher with the City of Oklahoma City’s Utility Department. “We can’t see what’s under the storm debris pile and they have large claws that are picking up that storm debris.”

Thirty-five square miles have been cleared of debris thus far.

Michael Gilliland is the owner of Pride and Dixie Trucking and Tree Services. Gilliland said there’s a lot more work to be done. His company’s main goal is to not destroy anyone’s property.

“Under the debris, the ground does get a little soft,” Gilliland said. “We try to make sure everything is picked up in a timely matter to make sure we don’t cause any damages.”

“The one thing we do want people to understand is the snow does cause the ground to become wet, so (we) do have to slow down just a little bit to make sure we’re not tearing up nobody’s grass.”

The city plans to continue laying out salt and sand for crews on the roadways to prepare for more snow expected to arrive on Tuesday.

If you would like to find out where crews are working around Oklahoma City, click on the city's interactive map here.