Rapid City waste containers are overwhelmed with wood, cleaning up bark and branches after snowstorm

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - After the recent snowstorm, Rapid City has been trying to clean up the leftover branches and fallen debris that have been left behind in the wake of the snow.

However, the remote sites at West Boulevard North and Fitzgerald stadium are being overwhelmed with homeowners looking to dispose of downed tree limbs and branches on their property.

Darrell Shoemaker, Rapid City’s Communications Coordinator, says when the remote site containers get full, people start placing things around them instead of in them, making it difficult for crews to get them to the landfill.

He says the City’s main goal is to dispose of the fallen bark and branches, because it’s a safety concern after they’ve fallen to the ground, especially on roadways. However, he adds that it can also be dangerous after the fact for people walking under or near trees that were damaged during the storm.

”If they’re walking in our parks. If they’re walking around areas where there are trees, whether it’s on private property or public property over the next few days, just be on the lookout. We could have a few wind incidences over the next few weeks and there could be a stray limbs that comes crashing down, because maybe that limb broke but didn’t fall completely.”

Shoemaker says if there’s fallen branches on your property, it’s no sin to wait a few days until there’s more room in the containers.

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