TEMPLE, Texas — It's been over a month since the May 22 tornado that damaged parts of Temple, and even though city crews have been working to get as much debris and brush cleared as possible, some residents are still frustrated at how things have been progressing.
At the end of June, crews had already collected over 3,600 loads, stacking up to 182,000 cubic yards of debris. However, there's still much work to be done.
"We totally acknowledge that this has been a lengthy process," said Megan Price, a City of Temple spokeswoman.
Some residents just want to see things resolved and cleaned up.
"We haven't seen any movement since about two weeks after the storm," said Temple resident Allison Roberts. "It's been six or seven weeks now. I feel like we're not asking for very much. We're asking for trash to be picked up."
It's created a safety hazard for several neighbors who live in West Adams.
"It's covering the sidewalks," Roberts added. "It's covering the streets. My kids can't go ride their bikes because the trash is just covering the sidewalks. There's stuff with nails poking out."
Price says as city crews have continued to work on getting things cleaned up, they are also running into their own issues and are simply unable to get some debris picked up because of obstructions.
That's resulted in some areas being passed up because those helping with cleanup efforts don't want to risk damaging property or hurting others with the claw they use to clean up the brush.
Price is urging residents to separate their piles into brush and bulk as well.
"We've seen a lot of those piles all just jumbled together," Price said. "They'll get skipped because they're not separated."
Below is an image of the route crews are taking to clean up the debris.
Price says those that wish to have their debris removal expedited can bring it to the landfill. It will cost $4.92 per cubic yard. Brush can also be taken to the solid waste complex.
To check the status of your clean-up, you can click here.
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