TMP Reports
Posted: Monday, April 13, 2009 12:00 am

Murfreesboro city crews completed the search and rescue part of their tornado response effort and are now concentrating on recovery.

Here are the latest updates from the city’s Web site at www.murfreesborotn.gov.

Police Department:

Community safety and security remain the department's primary concern. Three city police command posts are operating in the affected areas. Street closures are continuing.

At noon Monday, Murfreesboro Traffic officials reported Thompson Lane is now open but only to local and emergency traffic from Haynes Drive to Northwest Broad Street as is Haynes Drive from Thompson to Memorial Boulevard.

Though open, sightseeing is strongly discouraged. Sightseeing is potentially dangerous because it hampers rescue efforts in the vicinity. Local traffic is asked not to park on the streets but to use driveways and yards.

City Schools:

Parents needing information about bus routes for tornado-damaged areas may check the Murfreesboro City Schools’ web site at http://www.cityschools.net/.

Debris Removal:

City employees from the Solid Waste, Street, Urban Environmental, Water and Sewer, and Golf Departments, Town of Smyrna and private contractors continued to remove storm debris Monday.

The Rutherford County Landfill, 6000 Landfill Road off Jefferson Pike is open for disposal of construction debris only (no household garbage) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The City of Murfreesboro's mulch site is continuing to collect yard waste around the city, Director Joey Smith said Monday. Affected residents are asked to place debris next to, but off of, the pavement at city streets. Debris should be separated into yard waste and construction material piles because they are trucked to two different locations.

By this morning, 2,534 tons of debris had been removed since the storm, Smith reported, and at one time over the weekend, four trucks per minutes were being processed. The large amount of debris being collected means several pickups, often from the same address, will be required, Smith said.

Normal garbage pickup has resumed but special pickup of bulk items has been temporarily discontinued to allow employees and vehicles to concentrate on tornado-damaged areas, Smith added, and regularly scheduled removal of yard waste has also been suspended.

City-issued trash carts lost in the storm will be replaced free of charge, he said. Call 893-3681 for more information.

Fire Department:

All fires and burns have been banned until further notice. This means all burning of storm debris. The large number of emergency vehicles and personnel in the affected areas means fire trucks would have difficulty reaching a fire that has spread.


Other City Operations:

All City of Murfreesboro offices are open during normal business hours this week management of recovery operations has shifted from the Emergency Operations Center.

Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Department reports that water, water pressure and sewer service remain fully safe and operational. The city's repurified water system, down for a time, was expected to be back up and running by the end of Monday.

Cable Channel 3 and the city's web site:

Murfreesboro's website, www.murfreesborotn.gov, and governmental Cable Channel 3 are being frequently updated with the latest information.