Cleanup Crews in the Bronx Attempt to Clear City Streets After Hurricane Sandy
Cleanup Crews in the Bronx Attempt to Clear City Streets After Hurricane Sandy
City sanitation officials hope for tree cleanup to be complete by Thursday.
In the Fordham area of the Bronx, contractors and New York City sanitation officials scramble to clear the city streets of fallen debris, mainly trees.
Monday’s storms toppled trees across the five boroughs, blocking off streets in pockets of the city. Cleanup crews have been working since daybreak Tuesday to remove the trees, with city sanitation workers running 12 hour shifts. Officials say the work won’t be completed anytime soon.
The city’s department of sanitation hopes the cleanup will be completed by Thursday, but is prepared for work to continue until Friday. As for the lost trees, a supervisor for the department of sanitation says Mayor Bloomberg’s Million Trees NYC initiative will aid in the restoration.
"Bloomberg had a big program, he still does, where he’s planting a lot trees. All these downed trees; they’ll be pruned, cut and replaced.”
The supervisor went on to say Hurricane Sandy was about 50% more destructive than 2011’s Irene. A sentiment echoed by Rafael Perez from the Emerald Tree Care Company, who says Hurricane Sandy will keep his crew working for the next few days.
“Right now we are very busy, because of a lot of damage [from last night’s storm.] A lot of trees have fallen, limbs, branches… [we’re clearing them out as fast as possible]”
The Fordham area of the Bronx is just one of 12 sanitatin districts in the borough. Cleanup crews are targeting high traffic areas targeted first, followed by major streets before shifting focus to side streets.
