Getting Answers: Why are efforts to clean up downed trees falling behind in Sacramento?
SACRAMENTO – It's been several days since the brutal New Year's storm, and the City of Sacramento is dealing with a backlog of calls for storm cleanup.
In some places, downed trees are still blocking streets. No one has driven through 13th Avenue since New Year's Eve.
Neighbors recalled the moment something was not right.
"We just heard a big bump. We're all like, 'What is that?' Nothing like that ever happens around here," said Caroline Cogsdill, who was in town visiting family.
A large tree toppled over with its branches sprawled over the road.
"We're just so thankful nobody got hurt and it didn't go on a house," Cogsdill said. "Didn't go on a car. Didn't go on a person. Just plopped on the street."
Neighbors said they called 311, but there has been no movement from the city. it begs the question: which calls take priority?
"We prioritize based on, obviously, life safety. If we have trees that are on roofs or imperiling houses or getting near power lines, those are the first thing," said Ryan Moore, the director of the Public Works Department.
Moore also said mobility is second on the list which ensures major roads are passable. Residential streets are a third priority.
For neighbors living in Tahoe Park, the fallen tree blocking 13th Avenue could be there for a few more days.
"At this point, we don't even have the full extent of the damage," Moore said. "So we don't have an estimate here, but I do not expect everything to be cleaned up within two weeks. I think probably two to three weeks, maybe even four would be my guess."
While crews are working around the clock, many city employees and contractors were initially away on vacation during the holiday weekend. Deploying teams also became problematic with several Northern California agencies relying on the same pool of contractors.
According to the city, it reports that it received nearly 700 calls for tree-related services.
Meanwhile, neighbors are safely navigating around the tree.
"We're patient. It's OK. It didn't hurt a soul and if we're a little inconvenienced, it's OK."
