Some Still Awaiting Debris Removal

It may be 100 degrees outside, but there are still plenty of signs of our winter and spring storms around Tulsa, mainly piles of debris.  News On 6 anchor Craig Day reports the city's cleanup efforts aren't finished yet.

Well into the dog days of summer and there are still plenty of piles from the ice storm and spring straight line winds.  It's an eyesore Russell Gee would like to get rid of.

"I'm just wondering when they're going to get the debris out of the way.  It's a nuisance for mowing the yard, the weedeating and just cleaning the area up," said Tulsan Russell Gee.

Piles of limbs dot Gee's neighborhood near TU.  It is now brown and brittle with green grass growing up around it.  Gee isn't critical of cleanup effort, but he is curious.

"Football season will be starting pretty soon.  We get plenty of traffic through here during that time of year.  People parking and going to the stadium, going to the games, it's going to be.  Just wondering how all that is going to work with people parking cars on the curb," said Tulsan Russell Gee.

Some residents say it goes well beyond just bad curb appeal, they think the debris piles could be a hazard.  Some are blocking sidewalks and they think kids could come along on their bicycles and get hurt or the debris piles could block their view of oncoming traffic.

The city is on its final sweep of debris removal.  They are about 40% finished.

With the enormous amount of debris, it's taking longer than expected, despite working 10 hour days six and sometimes seven days each week.

The city originally expected to be finished a couple of weeks from now, but says it will be a minimum of another eight to 12 weeks before everything is picked up.   

Russell Gee looks forward to when crews make it through his neighborhood.

The final round of debris removal is being done exclusively with city crews.  The city has 11 crews out working across Tulsa.