KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A Knoxville spokesperson said crews collected thousands of pounds of brush following a round of intense storms that swept through Knox County, and much of East Tennessee, in early August.
Knoxville crews collected around 3,961 tons of brush in neighborhoods during the three weeks following the storm, according to a release from the spokesperson. They said brush cleanup was especially hefty because crews had to use chainsaws on downed trees and large limbs that broke off.
The year before, crews picked up around 1,872 tons of brush over the same three-week period.
“We realized right away that residents needed help – that this was a really destructive storm,” said Chad Weth, Knoxville's Public Service Director. “This cleanup required extra resources. I’m very proud of our crews. They worked long days, and in each part of the city, the hardest-hit areas were prioritized.”
Initially following the storms, the City Public Service Department had staffed crews 24 hours per day. After clearing some of the brush from the storm, they then staffed crews for extra hours every day.
Weth said he anticipates crews would resume a usual, every-other-week schedule starting in mid-September, according to the release.