HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — City crews in Hot Springs are working to clear debris from Monday night's storms and continue cleanup efforts from last month's EF-2 tornado.
Nearly around the clock, the City of Hot Springs is in clean-up mode after severe storms last month and now on Monday night.
Deputy City Manager Denny McPhate has been overseeing the weeks-long efforts.
"We had, I think, 23 streets that were blocked with trees [Monday] night," McPhate said. "[The] crew started about four o'clock when the storms rolled in. They were way up into the night."
All those downed trees make their way to the city compost center, where the city has collected about a thousand trucks full of debris.
"We take storm debris out of people's yards and leaves, and we turn it in and mix it with sludge from our wastewater plant," McPhate said. "Turn it into compost that we just redistribute back out to the community."
For the last few weeks, city resources have been maxed out, and Monday night's storms further delayed work, but a regular schedule could return soon.
"We can see the light at the end of the tunnel," McPhate said. "We had piles about four times as big when we first started... I think by the end of next week, we'll stop scheduling, and everyday pickup will go pretty much to where we'll call you to call those that will come out."
The city hopes the residents and the weather will cooperate as the cleanup continues. McPhate said anyone with questions can contact the city or city public works.
For homeowners in Hot Springs needing financial assistance after the storm, the Hot Springs Board of Realtors will help with those forms through 4 p.m. on Wednesday at their office on Orange Street.