OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — Over a week after multiple tornadoes touched down in Okeechobee County, neighbors are still picking up debris.
“This is all roadside material that was piled up in the road with trash, rubble. It took me about eight hours yesterday to dig it out," said Eddie Sellers.
His neighbor, Ali Estrada, added, "[We're] trying to get back to normal but it’s hard to. There’s a lot of work to do.”
They say it was a terrifying experience that’s hard to forget.
“I heard it like, ‘Wooo,’ like a freight train and the trees just started turning,” said Lucky Kirby.
Estrada said, “I saw debris flying and I said, ‘Well, that’s a tornado.’”
Hurricane
'Debris flying everywhere:' Okeechobee tornado injures 2, destroys homes
Okeechobee County reported that a total of 138 homes were impacted by the tornado outbreak. Two of those homes were completely destroyed.
The county expects to pick up 40,000 cubic yards of debris. The work will begin Friday and continue through Oct. 25. They ask that residents place all hurricane debris on the city or county right-of-way during the collection period. Vegetation cannot be more than six feet in length to be collected.
For more details on debris collection click here.
In Dixie Ranch Acres, there are piles on piles to pick up.
“[It's] very tiresome because there’s so much destruction everywhere, man,” said Kirby.
Estrada added, “We have one window messed up and the gutters. All the plants they were down, my trees, my fence, my RV.”
Despite the destruction, residents are holding onto hope.
“[I'm] grateful everybody was OK. I mean nobody got hurt in this area,” said Estrada.
“We’re going to make it regardless. The only way to kill us is to take an army in here and wipe us out,” said Sellers.
