Oklahoma City To Launch Ice Storm Debris Removal Program

Press release from the City of Oklahoma City:

October 28, 2020

Oklahoma City officials are preparing for the monumental task of picking up trees and limbs from residential properties after a devastating ice storm ripped across the metro.

Debris removal will be available to all residential trash service customers in Oklahoma City. Commercial properties (including apartment complexes, schools, churches, etc.) are responsible for removing their own debris.

The City is processing an emergency contract for debris removal that should be finalized in mid-November. Pickup should begin before Thanksgiving, which gives residents time to get their trees and limbs to the curb.

The City will announce an official start date as soon as the contract is in place. Due to the magnitude of the storm damage, it will take several months to remove storm debris from neighborhoods.

To prepare debris for removal:

• Set trees and limbs at the curb in a separate pile from regular bulky waste like furniture, carpeting or appliances. The City will not pick up storm debris if it’s mixed with your regular bulky waste.
• Cut tree limbs and logs into sections 10 feet long or shorter.
• Leaves can be bagged and put into your Big Blue trash carts for weekly pick-up.
• Avoid stacking debris near obstructions like poles, mailboxes and trees.

“We’ve not seen an ice storm of this magnitude since the Thanksgiving storm of 2015,” said Jim Linn, the City’s Solid Waste Management Superintendent. “We’re asking residents to be patient with us as we get our contract in place and stand up operations in a way that won’t impact our regular trash, recycling and bulky services.”

Visit okc.gov/ice for the latest on ice storm recovery.

Commercial properties

Commercial properties including businesses, churches, schools, nonprofits and other organizations are not eligible for storm debris pickup by the City and are responsible for their own debris removal.

This press release was produced by the City of Oklahoma City. The views expressed here are the author’s own.