WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas — Recovery efforts are still underway across Central Texas after the early February ice storm led to tree branches snapping and leaving hundreds of thousands of people in the dark.
On Tuesday, Michael Shoe with Williamson County's Emergency Management Department gave a damage update on storm recovery. Shoe told officials during a meeting that the county's damage totals to $8.6 million. This total, combined with the surrounding cities' damage, results in a combined total of $12 million in damage.
During the meeting, officials discussed the possibility of mulching some of the tree limbs that were impacted by the storm.
"You do not mulch these many limbs. It would take us years to mulch and the amount of mulch produce we would need to go someplace with it. Cause its own separate issue," said Russ Boles, commissioner for Precinct 4.
Instead of mulching the leftover tree limbs, Boles suggested that the County gets permission and the appropriate approval from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for a burn box. A burn box is around the size of a tractor bed and can burn materials at a high temperature.
"Those things will be quickly burned because of the heat. The amount of smoke and things that result from is pretty minimal," Boles said.
In addition to the burn box in Williamson County, officials also suggested placing one in the city of Taylor. However, the plan is still in the preliminary planning phase since the discussion on Tuesday.