Please know that our contractors and city crews are working 7 days a week to remove debris from our streets, and while the entire city has not yet been addressed, they are making great progress. To date, more than 65,000 cubic yards of debris has been collected and processed per FEMA guidelines (debris must be measured in order for the city/taxpayers to be reimbursed), which equals about 20 Olympic-size swimming pools. Our first pass of the entire city should be completed soon, and then subsequent passes will occur. Debris removal is a priority as we work to get the city back to normal as quickly as possible.

The good news for our community is we are actually ahead of schedule compared to past storm events. For example, debris removal in 2004 took approximately 4 months. We are hoping to set a new standard with our efforts this year. Sincerely, Mayor's Action Center