Developing A Plan To Clear The Mess

Oklahoma communities hit hard by the ice storm are working to help their citizens clean up the damage. The News On 6's Emory Bryan reports most people have their power on and with the comforts of home restored, they're ready to deal with all the trees and limbs that are littering their yards.

Each city is handling it in its own way, but most all plan to pick up all the limbs, from the curbside over the next few months.

Jim Sarty has delivered several loads of limbs from his sycamore tree to one of the drop off sites in Broken Arrow.

"Boy there's all kinds of piles on the street. It will take a lot just to clean up that area there," said Jim Sarty of Broken Arrow.

Pat Montag and his brother, Michael, figure they'll make some Christmas money hauling limbs.

"We do it for free and we do it for money. This week we're cleaning up for our families and next week we'll be doing it for anyone we can," said Pat Montag.

All of the limbs being dropped off in Broken Arrow will be taken elsewhere and eventually burned. The city of Broken Arrow also plans to move out into the neighborhoods and pick up whatever they find there, but that process could take several months. The city's Keith Sterling says in two weeks, the city will start cleaning up in new neighborhoods with fewer trees.

"And take up the small piles and then move into the developments where there is more damage, so people have a little more time to get up the limbs and assess the damage," said Broken Arrow's Keith Sterling.

In Broken Arrow, and the other towns affected by the ice storm, the piles of limbs are growing, and the clean-up has just begun.

Sand Springs, Broken Arrow and Tulsa each will take possibly a couple of months to clean up the limbs. The disaster declaration may speed it up by helping cities be able to afford hiring the work out.