Alabama Crews Share Pain With Garland Tornado Victims
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GARLAND (CBSDFW.COM) - The work won't be easy and it won't be quick, but cleanup crews from Alabama, called in to clear tornado debris in Garland, began their work on Monday.
The destruction there is massive and, in many cases, entire homes -- reduced to piles of sticks and bricks -- sit along roadsides waiting to be picked up.
Complete Coverage Of The Cleanup
Jay Brooks of TAG Grinding Services is the project manager leading the effort to get the cleanup work done. "It's tough seeing that everybody's homes are damaged and everything that they have lost," Brooks stated on Monday. "All the way down to their vehicles. I understand that it's really tough."
For Brooks and his work crew, the sight of destruction isn't new. They've seen it before, and they've lived through it. The crew members are from Dadeville, Alabama. It's a small town that was ripped apart by tornadoes in 2011.
To them, the pain shared by families in Garland is all too familiar.
Brooks spoke about the toughest part of seeing what's in the rubble. "Seeing actual pictures from loved ones, because stuff like that you can't get back," he said. "You never know how much they've lost."
Those tasked with debris removal explained that they understand how important their job is -- not just to restore order in the tornado-torn impact zones of Garland, but also to preserve whatever memory or valuables they can for devastated families.
"We've seen pictures all the way down to baby dolls and even cradles," Brooks said about the personal belongings that are still buried underneath rubble.
The work to clean up the debris is expected to last at least 10 weeks.