St. Cloud Sees Storm Cleanup Costs Mount

ST. CLOUD -- Two storms this summer left the city of St. Cloud with loads of clean-up work and months later it's still not completed. A July 1st storm and subsequent August 2nd storm left trees down all across the city.

Park Maintenance Supervisor Chris Zabinski says they had an estimated 750 trees down or damaged from the storms. And, there is an estimated 2,000 trees down across the city.  Zabinski says most of the damage occurred along boulevards and in Whitney, Hester and Wilson Parks.

Zabinski says some of the estimated 500 stumps will have wait to come out until next spring or summer.

The cost estimates have already risen to $73,000. There have been 1,200 labor hours invested so far and the city has taken have taken 40 dump truck loads to landfills.

Zabinski says most of the debris from the storms was mulched up and carried away for free by a company that contracted with the city.

St. Cloud has applied to FEMA for reimbursement for part of the cleanup costs.