Tulsa Debris Cleanup Expected To Take Months After Serious Storms

Electricity is nearly restored in the Tulsa area but cleanup will take months after all of the damage caused by the storms.

Oklahoma highway crews are starting the first pass of debris removal from Tulsa neighborhoods, while the city works to get a contractor in place to finish the job.

State employees from as far as the panhandle spent the week working in Tulsa, and while some are head home this weekend, others will return next week.

The ODOT and Turnpike Authority employees were mobilized to clear streets of large debris. They’re hauling it to three sites around the city, including a large dump site at 71st and Elwood by the river.

“The amount of equipment is uncountable honestly, hundreds of trucks, loaders, track-hoes, skid steers, it's all here," Travis Smith, an ODOT Superintendent for Mayes County, said.

They unloaded 600 truckloads at just one of the sites.

Tulsa Emergency Management Director Joe Kralicek said he has reports of 1,000 homes with substantial damage, and has 1,500 requests for help, mainly for chainsaw crews.

“We are working with our volunteer organizations to bring in additional resources, because right now our need far exceeds our volunteer capacity,” he said.

The City of Tulsa plans to hire a contractor to make several passes through each neighborhood, clearing limbs left at the curb.