Help Available For Debris Removal

It's a challenge for anyone, but especially for the elderly. That's why there is a movement underway to help them. The News On 6's Emory Bryan reports help is on the way for those who need assistance getting ice storm debris to the curb.

The trucks are out on the streets and the City of Tulsa says it will take two weeks for them to make the first pass through the city. That's great for the people who have their limbs by the curb, but a problem for the people who just can't do it alone.

Jim Freeman is not an old man, but the work of clearing and moving limbs has him worn out.

"Yeah, you're sore, you're sore in places you didn't know you have," said Jim Freeman of Tulsa.

So imagine what it's like for the elderly, some who are struggling to get the tangle of branches from their yards to the curb. The News On 6 found 90-year-old Phil Thomas doing his best, on a precarious incline, to move the limbs so the city can haul them away.

"I just, what I did was come out here this morning to see what it would be like to pull it away from the fence and I'll come back out here tomorrow to do the rest," said Phil Thomas of Tulsa.

There are plenty of elderly people in Tulsa like Mr. Thomas who are trying to do the work, but who need some help. While some people in Tulsa have cleared their yards entirely and the most of the rest of us have our limbs by the curb, there are some who have been unable to get the limbs out of their backyards, and the limbs back there are the ones the city won't be able to get to. That's because the trucks used to clear the debris have limited reach, and the crews cannot go beyond the city right of way onto private property.

"There is still a lot of need out there. We get calls every day. We hear from people who have a ton of debris in their front and back yards and really haven't had an avenue to get that help," said Nina Bedell with TeamRelief.com.

Church groups are filling some of the need to help people like Mr. Thomas, but there remains a great need for people to check on their neighbors and help them move the limbs.

Folks needing help moving limbs to the curb can in Tulsa call 211 to get on a list. The Mayor is encouraging church groups and other volunteers to help get this work done for people who can't do it themselves.