What to do with downed trees, limbs if you live in Belleville neighborhoods hit by tornado
The city of Belleville will conduct a house-by-house pickup of downed trees and limbs in the area hit by a tornado on Saturday.
Most of the damage is in Ward 1 along Lebanon Avenue on the east side of the city, according to Public Works Director Jason Poole.
The collection will begin on Monday, April 24.
Residents are asked to bring the limbs to the street curb or alley, Poole said.
“Please do not expect our crews to come onto your private property,” the city said in an announcement on Facebook.
Street crews will use a backhoe and dump truck in the collection area.
Also, residents in this area will not have to follow the usual yard waste rules that restrict the size of the limbs that are picked up on regular collection days. One of the rules states that limbs cannot be larger than 6 inches in diameter.
The National Weather Service said a preliminary assessment shows that the Belleville area tornado was an EF-1, with estimated peak winds at 98 mph. Its path was 3.04 miles, with a width up to 200 yards.
Three other tornadoes hit the metro-east Saturday, including an EF-0 in Swansea, an EF-1 along the Monroe-St. Clair County border and an EF-0 south of Valmeyer.
No injuries were reported.
This story was originally published April 17, 2023 at 12:15 PM.
