Dayton tornado progress report: Most debris cleared from streets and sidewalks

Storm-related debris has been cleared from Dayton’s streets and sidewalks, with a few notable exceptions, but an enormous amount of work lies ahead to clean up after the Memorial Day tornadoes, city officials said.

Between May 28 and Tuesday, about 1,154 truck loads of debris has been removed from Dayton’s impacted neighborhoods, said Fred Stovall, the city’s director of public works.

So much debris has been collected that the green landfill at 2670 Wagner Ford Road is full and has been closed. A new debris storage site has been created for city of Dayton trucks only at the old Meijer store on Harshman Road.

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All debris has been removed from the right-of-ways (streets, sidewalks) of the Wright View and North Riverdale neighborhoods and Shoup Mill Road, Stovall said.

In Old North Dayton, all debris in the right-of-ways has been removed except for Kelly Avenue, he said. Debris is gone from the streets and sidewalks in the DeWeese neighborhood, except where power lines are still tangled in the trees.

Residents are bringing debris out to the curb, which crews are picking up. Solid waste, meaning household items, and storm debris need to be separated, officials said.

Forestry is working to remove trees that were downed or appear to be hazardous in the DeWeese area.

Across the city, about 85 traffic lights went out after the storm hit. Only one traffic light is still out, which is located near Shoup Mill Road and Riverton Road, officials said.

The city of Dayton has issued a request for proposals to remove and dispose of debris following Memorial Day’s destructive tornadoes.

The city also is seeking a firm to monitor and document debris-removal activities to try to ensure compliance with federal rules so the work and expenses are eligible for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The contractor additionally will be asked to remove debris from private property if there is an “imminent threat” to life, safety and health of the general public.

FEMA arrived in Dayton on Wednesday and will continue assessing damage today in the city, Montgomery County and the state, said Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein.

She said FEMA is not expected to make a determination about eligibility for federal assistance until closer to the end of the month.

“We will keep the community posted as that federal process winds its way through,” she said.

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