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Limb cleanup at halfway point
City crews will be out for about two more weeks
more citywide limb cleanup
A City of Great Bend crew works at the intersection of Forest and Odell recently as part of the citywide limb cleanup effort, necessitated by the July 16 thunderstorm. This will work will continue for a couple more weeks. - photo by DALE HOGG Great Bend Tribune

It’s going on four weeks since the July 16 thunderstorm ripped through Great Bend, resulting in piles of shattered limbs and trees all over town. In the aftermath, the city started a cleanup effort that is continuing to this day.

“Obviously the limb and tree debris cleanup is still going on,” City Administrator Brandon Anderson said, addressing the City Council Monday night. ”I felt like we needed to do as a city simply due to the amount of tree limbs that were down. It has become a laborious task for us. The Street Department is the one that kind of shouldered that burden, and a others individuals at other departments. I appreciate what they’re doing.”

For example, Public Lands Director Scott Keeler and his staff helped while they could until they had to get back to mowing duties.

But, the crews are making headway.

“We’re approximately about halfway done with the city,” Public Works Director Jason Cauley said. “I’m expecting about another two weeks approximately.”

“I’d like to also publicly say thank you to the City of Ellinwood and City of Hoisington. They sent over crews that helped us that first week and it actually made a tremendous impact,” Cauley said. “That week we hauled 324 loads of trees and limbs (to the city’s compost site).”

Last week and this week was a little bit lower because those crews went back to do their duties. “So we went down to about 250 loads this last week,” he said. 

Cauley also thanked the many volunteers who came out and helped a lot of people who needed the assistance. In fact, he still gets calls from folks who need held and he can call on these same volunteers.

“So really appreciate everybody who’s come out and helped,” he said.

“We we did give a week for everyone to get those out to the curb,” Anderson said. “And we’re going to have to get back to doing the city’s business as soon as we can get these limbs picked up.”

So, if someone had a vehicle parked in front of their limb pile, city crews were unable to remove them, he said. Also, “if we’ve already swept your neighborhood, unfortunately, we won’t be able to come back through his way those neighborhoods either if you didn’t have them to the curb by that time.”

He feels they got a good majority of them there. And, he appreciated everybody’s efforts.