May 24 Storm Response Update: Road Blockages to be Cleared by Noon Today, and Work Progresses Today and Saturday
postedShortly after I posted the last update, I was reminded that there are still some residents in District 13 without power. Please know city staff and MG&E are working double time to get your power back on.
Here's the most recent update from Urban Forestry Department in the Streets Division:
Urban Forestry Response
Depending on the severity of the two rounds of thunderstorms hitting Madison today, and their impact on storm response, Urban Forestry crews expect to have all road blockages cleared by 12:00pm today, May 24.
As of the publication of this release, and as more calls continue to come in, we have tallied 889 unique reports for tree damage related to the May 21 storm, and 287 of these calls would be considered emergency level needs, such as a tree blocking a road, fully blocking a driveway, or falling into a home.
At this time, 62 emergency calls are still unresolved, and crews are continuing to prioritize them in their response before moving onto other needs.
Urban Forestry crews will be working again through the evening tonight. They will be continuing the work on Saturday with the goal that all emergency-level needs will be resolved on May 25, leaving just lower priority concerns to address.
The two rounds of storms today (May 24), unfortunately, may complicate or slow the response, depending on their severity, however, Urban Forestry arborists will be doing their best to continue to the response to help clean up from the devastating storm of May 21 that hit our city.
As a reminder, please use the Tree Concern report-a-problem form to report storm damage to public trees if you have not done so. The report-a-problem website is www.cityofmadison.com/ReportaProblem.
Brush Collection
As a reminder, residents can learn when to set out brush for pickup at www.cityofmadison.com/BrushCollection.
The dates shown on the website are the dates when residents should set out brush for pickup. The actual collection will occur sometime during the work week following the set-out date listed.
This is the knuckle-boom-grapple truck, or "KGB," which was in action this morning in District 13. It can grab onto fallen tree limbs, lift it, and saw limbs. It is operated from the ground by trained arborists with joystick-like controls. It is very useful in tight situations like limbs on home, and around wires.
And here is an expression of thanks from that homeowner:
City Forestry Folks- you are amazing!
I am writing to you today to express our utmost appreciation and thanks to the amazing Forestry Staff who have worked tirelessly to help restore all the damage across Madison, and specifically to our home. From the attached photos you can see that one of the huge Pin Oak trees on our terrace ended up causing considerable damage, and landed on our roof/patio/backyard.
City crews came a few times but were thwarted by a downed power line. This morning, after the line was repaired late last night and right before this new storm hit, a crew arrived and made short work of the tree(s) in the backyard. The machine they used (and in their experienced hands) was incredible in that it spared our house and property any further damage that could have happened had they not been able to lift it off the house so delicately. Windows just inches from the huge oak boughs they cut were undamaged. This is nothing short of incredible.
One of the city employees who came to assist and keep folks away so they could work told me the name of this machine, something like "BRT 9000" but I quickly corrected him and told him the name of the machine should be "An Excellent Use of Tax Dollars".
I am very proud to live in a city where we prioritize a responsible and thorough response to unavoidable natural disasters. It could have been much worse, but since someone working in Forestry had the foresight to know such a machine and preparation was worth it we have it when it's most needed.
We will mourn the loss of an amazing tree that was a fixture of our neighborhood, but be happy we have an amazing Forestry group that is ready to help.
I appreciate these residents taking the time to thank staff. In the five years I've been on Council, I''ve seen first hand the ways in which our staff work hard to deliver top notch services. I'm also aware it's not uncommon for them to be on the receiving end of often nasty complaints. If you have an opportunity to say express your appreciation, please consider doing so.
I hope all of you get your power restored today.
Be well and stay safe.
Tag
Alder Tag Evers
District 13
Contact Alder Evers