Tulsa City Leaders Ask For Patience As June Storm Cleanup Efforts Continue

It’s been almost two months since the Father’s Day weekend storm ravaged Tulsa, leaving behind piles of debris.

The city offered curbside green waste pick-up all over Tulsa. Officials said debris trucks have traveled over 2,000 miles to clean up neighborhoods.

“That’s like going from Tulsa to Vancouver and back, but on the way stopping every 50 feet,” said Carson Colvin with the City of Tulsa.

But there’s so much debris, not everyone's has been collected, leading to some frustration.

“Almost every single day people asking, ‘did you miss me?’ or ‘hey, I haven’t seen you quite yet, I thought my day was this day,” said Colvin.

And while they still have a long way to go, officials said this is no easy task due to the severity of the storm and the number of areas affected.

“It’s been quite an undertaking. It’s a lot different than say, we had a tornado in an isolated area. This is kind of like having a tornado all across town,” Colvin said.

Officials said the collection map on their website has caused some confusion because of the dates.

They said the zone dates are when the collection in an area will start, not be done.

The city said it’s only collecting branches and leaves, and nothing from your house.

“Have everything bundled up in five-foot lengths at the curb. Make sure everything’s out of it,” said Colvin.

You can also drop off your debris at the temporary mulch site near 89th and Latimer.

“The biggest thing is if you want it gone right now, there’s a place where you can drop it off for free,” Colvin said.

While crews collect the debris, they ask for everyone's patience.

“That’s our biggest message: you haven’t been missed. We know it’s taking a little bit of time but it’s just been an extraordinary storm and it requires an extraordinary cleanup effort,” said Colvin.