During the 2020 severe windstorm (derecho) in Iowa, Des Moines lost many trees in different areas. The Public Works Department was soon picking up debris from 200,000 residents (over 10,000 truckloads in all), and with extensive damage in parks and recreation areas, it was decided to bid out the storm cleanup. With over 70 park areas in Des Moines, hundreds of trees damaged and wanting to abide by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidelines for reimbursement, this was quite an undertaking. Using the city’s tree inventory system, cell phones, and three parks staff, a system was devised to locate and photograph every damaged tree over three days. This information was then used to bid out a contract, where any contractor with a cell phone could easily access the location of the 300-plus trees. If available, the winning contractor may attend 5-10 minutes of the presentation.

Contributor/Source

Shane McQuillan

Claim CEUs

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit, mattis condimentum justo velit convallis taciti faucibus, egestas elementum vitae vestibulum cum fames

Related Resources