9 July 4–10, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents understand why,” Blackmon told the Observer. “We should be doing everything to make sure that power is retained during these harsh storms.” According to Oncor, the May 28 storm was the second-worst in the company’s 112- year history, and an error in the company’s notification system exacerbated communication issues. As storms persisted in the week following May 28, delays caused by lightning and additional damage slowed restoration times as well. Over 600,000 customers lost power after the storm, a spokesperson for Oncor told the Observer, and while power was restored to nearly half of those households within 24 hours, some didn’t have power again until June 2. “Throughout the storm, we communicated with county officials as well as city staff and council members and provided updates, as they were available. We are also in the process of meeting with individual city council members to provide a post-storm briefing and respond to any of their concerns,” an Oncor spokesperson said. “We recognize that any outage is a hardship, especially when it extends over several days.” A community meeting with Oncor is planned for September, which Blackmon hopes will help residents prepare for the fall tornados and severe cold snaps that have become more frequent in recent years. “What happened on May 28, I can’t change that,” Blackmon said. “But what I can do is focus on how to make it better so when this next storm hits, because it will hit, how can we become a resilient community that is able to thrive after a major storm?” According to a city memo shared with the Observer, the Department of Sanitation Services has worked six to seven days each week since May 28 collecting debris, and though the department has “tripled its typical collection capacity” with the assistance of contractor crews, around half of the city has yet to see collections. In total, the department estimates the storm resulted in 400,000 cubic yards of debris. “Crews are progressing through the City following the normal brush and bulky item monthly collection schedule, which typically takes one week to pass through each designated geographic area,” the memo states. “However, due to the volume of debris, it is taking approximately two weeks to complete each geographic area.” Once a first sweep of the city is completed, crews will double back through neighborhoods that were serviced immediately following the storm and may not have had time to collect debris. The memo said the normal, 20-yard limit on debris collection will not be enforced because the county’s storm-related cost estimates will likely be large enough to qualify for reimbursement through FEMA. Many residents think of the debris piles as an eyesore, but for now Blackmon is urging patience. “It’s going to take some time to recover,” she said. D Lone Star Metropolis IS YOUR BUSINESS THE BEST? Be a part of the issue! Scan here for more info ON NEWSSTANDS 9/19/24 Bestof DALLAS® 2024
