BROOKINGS, S.D. (KELO.com) — Brookings officials are asking residents to stay off the streets while they work to clean up the area.
Crews were pulled last night due to lightning and will resume working this morning.
—– See the full news release below
11:00 PM – Please be extremely cautious when approaching and crossing railroad crossings on Main Street and on 22nd Avenue. Arms of the crossings may be damaged or inoperational and may not come down or operate correctly if a train passes through. Please slow down and check for an approaching train before crossing.
10:00 PM – The City of Brookings has been canvassing town clearing downed trees and debris from city streets which are currently 70 percent cleared. Crews were pulled for the evening due to lightning as a safety precaution. Crews will continue to clear streets Friday morning starting at 7 a.m. Staff has asked for residents to refrain from driving on streets with downed trees to allow crews access for cleanup purposes. Brookings Municipal Utilities (BMU) is currently working to restore power. Five lines are currently down and BMU is working with WAPPA to restore the power. There is currently no estimated time that power will be back on. The City of Brookings is asking that residents please remain of off streets due to downed power lines and gas leaks which are a safety concern. Brookings Police Department has asked that residents not call dispatch to report trees fallen on private property. They are working diligently taking calls reporting safety concerns. Please contact your insurance company to gather information necessary to report damage. City solid waste collections will be assessed Friday morning. The Brookings Regional Landfill is closed at this time and will provide updates when it reopens. The City will be releasing another press release once damage has been assessed to provide residents with further details.